CH 88.2

Chapter 88.2 – Finding the Empire

“Well, our conclusion is this. How exactly to deal with it and integrate the forces will depend on your arrangement.” Professor Guan pushed his glasses, “Secondly, we are not helpless to fight back against the large Abyss No.0 infected monsters. We successfully contained the ‘Black Queen’ and detained her in the research center. In the remaining 8 months, we can prepare for containment. When the monsters are still in the crystal, we can transport them into the containment room in advance, or restrict them in other ways.”

Lu Tinghan said: “The capacity of containment is ultimately limited.”

“Yes, according to the current situation, it is very likely that we only have time to contain the first wave of large-scale infections.” Professor Guan said, “At least we can buy a few more months. Looking at it all together, we have about a year.” He smiled, “It’s been changed from the death penalty to a reprieve.”

Lu Tinghan: “It’s good enough. We can also go out of town and can do a lot of things.”

He touched Shi Yuan’s head beside him.

“Another point is…” Professor Guan stopped talking.

He looked at Shi Yuan and Lu Tinghan repeatedly, hesitated again and again, and still spoke: “We all know that when an infected creature approaches the abyss that infects itself, it will be excited and restless.” His tone is very difficult, “How should I put it, at the moment, most of the monsters around the city…”

Shi Yuan understood what Professor Guan meant.

If he wanted to delay the evolution of monsters, he couldn’t stay in the city.

Professor Guan looked complicated: “I let Shi Yuan infect those monsters, and he did so, and thus gave us a year, but I am discussing that Shi Yuan may have to leave the city… I—I really—”

He couldn’t go on.

“Knock knock—”

The doctor knocked on the door to check on Lu Tinghan. Professor Guan left first. Before leaving, he sighed deeply and squeezed Shi Yuan’s shoulder with a guilty look.

As last time, Lu Tinghan recovered very well and would be discharged from the hospital soon.

He insisted that it was Shi Yuan’s purring that made him feel good and was conducive to recovery.

When the doctor left, the nurse brought dinner. After the fall of the city, they still tried their best to give the general the best. For dinner, there were sweet potatoes, lean meat porridge, and stewed chicken, a full portion.

Just like last time, Lu Tinghan’s sense of taste magically “failed”.

He felt that everything he ate was too salty or too light, so he always called Shi Yuan to taste it. Shi Yuan felt normal no matter how he ate, so he was coaxed and lied to, and he and Lu Tinghan ate dinner separately.

After eating, Shi Yuan said, “I thought about what Professor Guan said… Chairman Chai also talked to me before.”

Lu Tinghan’s hands paused and said in surprise, “You met with him?”

“Well, just a few days after you woke up,” Shi Yuan said.

Lu Tinghan: “Shi Yuan, you shouldn’t have done this.” He paused, “I’m not trying to restrict you, but…he knows your identity, so you have to be prepared. Not everyone is the same as Professor Guan.”

“Okay.” Shi Yuan hugged his tail, “I’ll remember, I won’t do it next time.”

Lu Tinghan touched his head: “What did you talk about?”

Shi Yuan said, “Chairman Chai asked me if I could go to the Empire.”

“…” Lu Tinghan frowned slightly.

Shi Yuan continued: “I didn’t promise him at the time, I said I would think about it when you got better, and he didn’t urge me either. But today, Professor Guan said that if I stay in the city, those monsters will wake up faster.” His tail curled up, and he still said firmly, “So I think I should leave and go to the Empire.”

Lu Tinghan: “Shi Yuan, you…”

Shi Yuan said: “My friends are still in the city, Lu Bafang, Lin Yeran, Mr. Cheng, Wolfgang, Wang Yu, and Qin Luoluo, they are all still here… I still want to try if I can save the city.” He took Lu Tinghan’s hand, “I will not see you for a long time, I may be a little sad and lonely, but I want to try.”

Lu Tinghan looked at him and asked, “Have you really thought about it?”

“Hmm.” Shi Yuan replied, “I have thought about it.”

That night, the two of them slept together.

The hospital didn’t allow family members and patients to do this, but the general’s hospital bed was large, and it was more than enough for two people to lie down. They kept it from the nurse, like a cheating couple having an affair, and slept together secretly.

Lu Tinghan told Shi Yuan a story.

He talked about what he saw in the hallucination of the human-faced bird.

Shi Yuan thought for a while: “I have heard of football, so why do humans chase a small ball and run?”

“Competitive sports are all like this. It is necessary to show the spirit of sportsmanship and the power of unity and cooperation.”

“I see.” Shi Yuan said, “Although I still don’t understand the little ball.” He thought for a while, “However, I would love to try lotus root soup with pork ribs, if only I had the chance to make it.”

Lu Tinghan: “Maybe one day.”

“Do you think I can become that good of a cook?”

Lu Tinghan smiled: “Who knows.”

Shi Yuan asked again: “Then when did you find out that it was a hallucination?”

“From the beginning.” Lu Tinghan said, “At first it was a vague feeling that something was wrong, then, the feeling became more and more obvious, and I woke up.”

For Lu Tinghan, this kind of hallucination didn’t work.

Shi Yuan: “Are Colonel Lu and Dr. Yu really that kind of people? One likes to fish, smoke, and watch ball games, and the other likes to cook.”

Lu Tinghan replied: “I don’t know. I never had a chance to know what kind of people they were. The phone left by Lu Zhun is all that is left. Hallucinations are hallucinations after all, projecting the most idealized part, and the reality is probably not like this. “

“Oh.” Shi Yuan bent his tail, “I don’t know why, I feel that these will be things they like.”

“Maybe.”

Shi Yuan rubbed Lu Tinghan’s shoulder, and wiped his hair across his jaw: “The other crazy soldiers also saw hallucinations?”

“Hmm.”

“What did they see?”

“The stories they want.”

Five days later, Lu Tinghan was discharged from the hospital.

He started to be busy as soon as he recovered from his serious illness, holding meetings every day.

The advantage was that he no longer had to command the battle. The city and the wasteland were rarely quiet. After the monster massacre, no infected creatures dared to approach here – for the time being.

Lu Tinghan discussed with Chai Yongning, other officers, and professors about black crystals, frozen monsters, Empire, and “Deep Dive.”

Shi Yuan decided to go to the Empire, but he couldn’t go by himself.

The road was too far away, he could turn into a black mist, but the speed was far inferior to that of an aircraft, and Lu Tinghan also pointed out a vital point: Shi Yuan is a road idiot.

If Shi Yuan really wanted to go to the coordinates of the empire, he didn’t know what year of the monkey that would be.

Therefore, a soldier had to fly an aircraft and take him with him.

And the number of people couldn’t be too many.

One was that the manpower was insufficient and weak, and the other was that when the number of people was large, it was easy to attract monsters. Shi Yuan could reinfect those monsters, but this was likely to affect the Empire.

Professor Guan and Chai Yongning began to select soldiers. The standards were very high. They must be experienced, good at driving, and good at negotiating with others.

They locked in several famous candidates, including the former Abyss Watchers, but they were unable to finalize it.

During this period, Shi Yuan had been following Lu Tinghan.

The journey was long, and parting was imminent. He wanted to spend more time with his human.

On February 3, 245, Lu Tinghan went to a meeting and told Shi Yuan that he would come back for dinner.

Shi Yuan prepared the seaweed and egg soup, and the logistics staff brought stewed potatoes. He set up the two dishes, sat at the table, and waited.

He waited for a long, long time, and when the food was cold, Lu Tinghan still hadn’t come back yet.

The general’s wife waited with his head propped up, hugging his tail. The clock on the wall pointed to 10:30, and he fell asleep on the table.

He was awakened by the sound of the door opening.

Military boots stepped on the wooden floor, step by step, it was a very familiar sound of footsteps. Before Shi Yuan opened his eyes, his tail had already started to wag.

“Shi Yuan,” Lu Tinghan said beside him, “I came back late.”

“Oh.” Shi Yuan looked up at him with bright black eyes, “It’s okay, let’s heat up the food! This stewed potato looks delicious!”

Shi Yuan was about to get up, but Lu Tinghan pressed his shoulder.

Shi Yuan: ?

Lu Tinghan’s expression was strange.

—This kind of expression usually appeared on people who had prepared surprises, such as boyfriends who hid rings to propose, mothers who brought their children’s beloved toys home, or friends who secretly planned a birthday party… No matter how hidden, anticipation and excitement were still leaping in their eyes, and they couldn’t wait to see the other party’s reaction.

For Lu Tinghan, this was the first time.

He said: “Shi Yuan, I have talked to them.”

Shi Yuan asked, “What have you talked about?”

Lu Tinghan said, “I will go with you. Let’s go to the wasteland and find the Empire.”