Chapter 17 I hate you! "I want to go home."
On the return flight, the sunlight outside the window was blindingly bright.
The team members relaxed considerably, and Zhou Fangyang continued writing his mission report as usual.
Tang Lan was eating candy, while Yu Qi was wiping her dagger.
Sang Li remained silent throughout.
She leaned back in her seat, her face pale, her lips tightly pressed together, her head turned to the porthole, her eyes staring blankly at the sea of clouds.
The pearl necklace lay quietly on her collarbone, swaying slightly with the gentle turbulence of the plane.
"Well, it's a great success." Tang Lan leaned back in her chair and stretched, her tone revealing an undisguised ease. "I thought it would be even more troublesome, but I didn't expect to actually solve it."
Yu Qi handed Sang Li a glass of milk.
Sang Li nodded and thanked him.
Zhou Fangyang closed his laptop: "With the threat of the anomaly eliminated, the ecological chain in this sea area can gradually recover. Mission objective has been achieved."
"It's worth celebrating, isn't it?" Tang Lan winked at Zhou Fangyang. "Or will you treat us?"
Lu Jin, who was writing a report, raised his eyelids and glanced at him: "I'll do it."
Tang Lan wanted to say something more, but her gaze fell on Sang Li, her expression froze, she coughed, and her smile faded: "By the way, Sang Li, how are you?"
Their little Sanli had been sullen, probably because she was frightened.
Tang Lan got up from her seat, walked to Sang Li's side, and sat down in the empty seat next to her: "Actually, you don't need to worry too much. For us, completing the mission is the most important thing."
"Um."
Tang Lan didn't want to talk about Amber and changed the subject: "This time it was actually quite dangerous. The day you were captured by BEAM-915, the boss was completely red-hot. The boss usually seems calm, but in reality, he's not as ruthless as you think. Don't forget, you're a member of his team. He absolutely won't allow anyone, not even an anomaly, to touch a hair on your head. There were two A-level anomalies on the blood ship that day, and he took them out on the spot."
Sang Li nodded again.
It was the afternoon of the third day after they left when they returned to the BEAM base in Shangjing City. The team members were arranged to undergo routine checks one by one, and after the checks were completed, they were free to enter and leave the park.
Sang Li followed Lu Jin silently through the disinfection tunnel and then into the storage room.
A cold, metallic color.
She really disliked it.
The more I look at it, the more upset I get.
It reminded her of the interrogation room.
According to regulations, all items must be archived.
"Hand over any items that don't belong to you," Lu Jin said.
Sang Li lowered her head, looking dejected: "No."
Everything she owns is her own.
There were no weapons.
There were no spoils of war.
He only had one set of clothes.
"Give me the pearl," Lu Jin said, his gaze falling on her movements, his tone becoming more forceful, "hand it over."
“No.” Sang Li refused.
Lu Jin frowned.
He didn't know why, but seeing her so sorrowful made him inexplicably irritable.
“This now falls under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Abnormal Affairs.” Lu Jin’s voice was somewhat cold and hard. “Don’t let personal feelings get in the way. You know the rules.”
“This is mine.” Sang Li was not happy.
"Do I need to repeat myself? According to the BEAM employee code of conduct, any items left behind by an anomalous entity must be handed over for unified processing by the department."
Sang Li looked up and stared at Lu Jin.
Lu Jin could see her dissatisfaction.
He was about to comfort her in a gentler tone, but the next moment, Sang Li silently took it off and placed it on the tray.
She looked into Lu Jin's eyes: "I'm not an employee of BEAM, I'm BEAM-071."
Lu Jin narrowed his eyes.
What?
Are you throwing a tantrum?
Sang Li watched as the pearl was taken away by the staff, her eyes vacant for a moment. Without waiting for Lu Jin to speak, she silently turned and left.
What's going on?
As Lu Jin watched her retreating figure, his chest felt as if it were blocked.
"Captain Lu, the bureau needs you to report the situation in person now..." the staff member said.
Lu Jin originally wanted to catch up with Sang Li, but there must be something important going on at the bureau, and Sang Li couldn't escape from the park.
Let her be.
After leaving the storage room, Sang Li's head was buzzing, and she could barely think.
Her steps moved mechanically, unsure of where to go; she didn't even have access to the most basic park gates.
Finally, as if suddenly remembering something, she lifted her foot and walked towards the medical center.
I want to see Bai Heng.
Just as she arrived at the entrance of the medical center, coincidentally, she saw Bai Heng walking out from inside.
He was holding a stack of documents and wearing a clean white shirt.
"Xiao Li?" Bai Heng noticed that her eyes were unfocused and her complexion was not good when he saw her standing at the door. He asked with concern, "What's wrong?"
Sang Li looked at him, her eyes red, wanting to say something, but the words caught in her throat.
"I heard you went on a mission. Are you feeling unwell?" Bai Heng's tone was as gentle as ever. "Come in and sit down."
"Um."
Anyway, there's nowhere else to go.
Bai Heng's office was clean and tidy. The green plants on the windowsill brought a touch of life, and the kettle on the table was steaming.
He skillfully brewed a cup of hot cocoa and handed it to Sang Li.
"Have some of this to warm your stomach."
Sang Li lowered her head and took the hot cocoa, but did not drink it. She simply held it in her hands, letting its heat pass through her palms into her body.
"You don't look well, what happened?"
Sang Li remained silent for a long time before speaking softly, "I want to go home."
Choking back tears.
Wronged.
His eyes were red.
Although Sang Li knew she didn't have a home at all.
She was exhausted.
Bai Heng frowned slightly upon hearing her tone, but did not interrupt.
Sang Li continued, "I don't think I can do this job anymore. I know that if an anomaly poses a life-threatening threat, it can be shot... I know these rules, and I know why the department does it this way. But ultimately, I can't really be considered human anymore, can I? I can't just stand by and watch an anomaly with the same mindset as me be shot."
Her voice was soft and intermittent, as if she couldn't catch her breath.
Bai Heng lowered his brows and made a definitive statement: "Lu Jin failed to take good care of you."
He wasn't asking a question; he was stating a statement with certainty.
Sang Li did not answer, her voice lowered, carrying an almost pleading tone: "I can... I want to take back the rooms in Rong Suo to see."
Bai Heng paused for a moment, then softened his tone: "Sang Li, that area has been cleaned up."
Sang Li was stunned, and the hot cocoa in her hand wobbled slightly, almost spilling out.
"It's been cleaned?" Her voice held a hint of disbelief. "So fast?"
Bai Heng nodded: "This is standard procedure. After the containment mission is completed, the room will be cleaned immediately to avoid potential risks."
Sang Li's lips moved, and she repeated, "I want to go home."
After saying that, tears streamed down her face.
She actually understood Lu Jin and everything that had happened, but she couldn't accept her own position. She felt that Amber shouldn't have been treated like that either, her body never recovered.
Like broken scales embedded in the wound of her heart, every breath caused a slight pain in her chest and back.
"You're too tired," Bai Heng said softly, pointing to the inner room of the office. "Go lie down over there for a while. There's a bed, a bathroom, and disposable towels."
"Will it disturb your work?" Sang Li asked.
"Won't."
Bai Heng opened the door, and the inner room was a small bedroom, filled with a faint fragrance.
He lies here when he works overtime.
"Hey? This is my pillow." Sang Li pointed to the pink bunny pillow in the center.
“Yes, I took it before they cleaned it thoroughly, thinking I was going to return it to you.” Bai Heng smiled. “Lying on your own pillow, I hope you’ll feel more at ease.”
"good."
The door closed.
Sang Li took a shower, crawled into bed, and drifted off to sleep.
***
When Lu Jin walked out of the station, it was already dark. He had planned to go directly to Sang Li after finishing his business, but his office was empty.
She clearly has her favorite fruits and snacks in her own office, which were specially prepared for her on the plane.
He frowned, opened the terminal to check the surveillance video, and the infrared image on the screen showed that Sang Li last appeared at the medical center and stayed in Bai Heng's office for a long time.
Immediately, Lu Jin's expression turned gloomy.
When he pushed open the door to Bai Heng's office, Bai Heng was leaning against his desk, looking through the data report on BEAM-915 Moonlight Siren that Zhou Fangyang had just submitted.
"Looking for Xiao Li?" Bai Heng asked, his casual tone only fueling Lu Jin's anger. "She's sleeping inside, don't disturb her."
Sang Li had been sleeping for exactly four hours in his room.
She's as well-behaved as a kitten.
Lu Jin's gaze swept across the desk, finally settling on a half-full cup of hot cocoa. The liquid inside had been sitting for too long, and a thin film had formed on the surface.
Lu Jin raised an eyebrow and said teasingly, "She's sleeping so soundly, I suspect you put sleeping pills in it. If I take it for testing and report it to the medical center..."
Bai Heng glanced down at the cup of hot cocoa and suddenly laughed: "What can you do? It's just some sleep aids and sedatives. Captain Lu, I need to remind you, the condition you proposed to the bureau was that if Sang Li had five episodes of emotional instability, she would be sent back to the detention center. Am I right? It's already happened once since you came back on the plane. Do you want to check her fluctuations?"
Lu Jin didn't speak, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.
Bai Heng put down the report in his hand, looked directly at Lu Jin, and still had a faint smile on his lips: "Lu Jin, you don't need to be so nervous. I won't hurt you."
Lu Jin couldn't hold back any longer and went into the inner room: "You'd better not get any ideas."
It's already 7 p.m., and the room is very dark, with only a faint light coming in from the office.
Sang Li curled up, her brows furrowed slightly, unable to relax even in her dream.
Lu Jin's Adam's apple bobbed, his heart filled with complex emotions he couldn't quite describe.
She was clutching a pearl that she hadn't handed over.
Her fingers were more beautiful than the color of pearls.
Lu Jin's expression was complicated, and he remained silent for a moment.
Forget it, pearl it is. BEAM-915 is already dead anyway.
He closed his eyes briefly, suppressing his unwavering adherence to rules. If he provoked Sang Li any further, he would lose her.
Lu Jin called softly, "Sang Li, wake up."
Sang Li didn't react, but her brows furrowed even more, as if she had heard some unsettling sound in her dream.
Lu Jin sighed, stepped forward, and gently patted her shoulder: "Sang Li, get up."
Sang Li suddenly opened her eyes, her gaze blank, then focused as she looked at Lu Jin in front of her. She instantly shrank back alertly, a little flustered.
Sang Li was stunned. She quickly reached out to pick it up, but Lu Jin grabbed her wrist.
He lowered his body, his gaze calm and deep: "Sang Li."
Sang Li stubbornly said, "I don't want to go back with you."
don't want!
I hate people who are so fierce!
The two remained locked in a stalemate.
Sang Li refused to back down, her gaze resolute, like a cat whose territory had been invaded.
Lu Jin's dark eyes did not leave her face.
After a long while, she heard Lu Jin sigh.
Lu Jin slowly knelt down on one knee, his gaze meeting Sang Li's.
She thought he was going to talk about her again, so she turned her head away, not wanting to listen.
Sudden.
Lu Jin: "I'm sorry."
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