CH 8

Chapter 8: Crossing the Magnetic Field

Zhou Yu turned around and saw Song Zhi. The other person had one arm clasped and a slight smile on his face.

“Mr. Song,” Zhou Yu nodded, “You’re not here to see me off, are you?”

“What if I said I really am here to see you off? The world on the other side is wonderful, I’m looking forward to your performance.”

“Goodbye, Mr. Song.”

Saying that, Zhou Yu started walking towards the open cabin entrance. When he entered it, the first person he saw was Zhou Qing.

The hair he shaved off from the open-skull surgery had grown back and he did not look as thin and sallow as he had on the hospital bed. He was now refreshed and alert.

The moment he saw Zhou Yu, Zhou Qing’s eyes opened very wide and a sliver of terror flashed by in his eyes.

Zhou Yu came beside Zhou Qing and sat down. The safety mechanism automatically lowered, enveloping Zhou Yu.

“You shouldn’t have come here. You have your own life.” Zhou Qing’s voice wasn’t loud, but the corners of his eyes had turned red, “It’s very dangerous there. I could die at any time so it doesn’t matter if I risk my life, but how could you do this…”

“You have the things you want to do, I also have the things I must do.”

Zhou Qing closed his eyes, his lips were slightly trembling, “I’m sorry… and, thank you.”

“Just your thanks is enough. I don’t need your sorry.”

Zhou Yu swept his gaze over the entire shuttle cabin. He saw the IT youngster Li Qian from their first class, the battlefield doctor Han Li, and a brown-haired man in his forties.

Zhou Yu had already searched him up on the internet. He was the main surgeon who had operated on Zhou Qing’s colloid cyst, Dr. Daniel.

“How come that engineer isn’t here?” Zhou Yu quietly said.

Li Qian was sitting diagonally opposite to Zhou Yu, he pursed his lips and said in a helpless manner, “Since the first class when he got scared because of that self-proclaimed ‘unlucky’ guy, he couldn’t sleep at night anymore and started muttering weird things all day. I heard he was diagnosed with clinical depression, and is currently undergoing therapy.”

There was another possibility: he wanted to leave Juli Corp, but was ‘taken care of’.

“That self-proclaimed ‘unlucky’ guy, are you talking about me?”

A lazy and teasing voiced sounded, Li Qian raised his hand to cover his face and cursed in a low voice, “Fuck, why did he have to hear me?!”

Wu Yun swaggered over to Zhou Yu’s side and sat down, “Hi everyone, I’m the commander of this shuttle dispatch mission, Wu Yun. In case of an emergency situation, everyone must strictly carry out my orders and comply with my commands. Although, any problems that occur when we’re riding the shuttle can only be left to heaven’s will, don’t count on me for it. Who was it who called me an unlucky guy?”

“What? Problems can occur when we’re riding the shuttle?” Han Li revealed a shocked expression.

“Of course problems can happen. It’s like taking a plane from one country to another country… If we happen to come across turbulence, thunder, lightning or an open cabin door, then we’re finished,” Sadistic joy shone in Wu Yun’s eyes as he spoke.

Zhou Qing became nervous and Zhou Yu turned to face him, “Don’t be afraid. Nothing will happen.”

“Hmm.” Zhou Qing nodded.

They put on earphones and command center sent them a reminder; the system was currently detecting the magnetic field stability while receiving signals. Safety factors in each category were being checked.

The backs of their seats slowly sank down, then the seats rose up in suspension.

The feeling of weightlessness was amazing.

Zhou Yu indescribably became nervous. He knew that if a problem really happened, he couldn’t save Zhou Qing.

Like a slingshot, their shuttle cabin was shot out.

After a suddenly acceleration, Zhou Yu couldn’t feel it anymore, it was as if his body had been paralyzed. By all means, he should’ve felt nervous, but he couldn’t even hear his own heartbeat. It was as if all biological functions were static at this moment.

The shuttle cabin was sealed so they had no idea how the shuttle was doing in the magnetic field.

Han Li had her eyes closed tight and was saying prayers in her heart.

Li Qian was the opposite, he had his eyes open wide and took in each second as his last.

Zhou Qing did not have any reaction and he seemed to be asleep. This made Zhou Yu very nervous. Since they were all secured and unable to move about, Zhou Yu had no way of reaching out to Zhou Qing.

“Don’t be nervous. Before we entered the shuttle cabin, I gave Professor Zhou some sedatives to lower his brain activity rate, thus lowering the effects of the two magnetic fields on his brain,” Daniel assured.

This made Zhou Yu calm down, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I have two duties on this mission. The first one is to conduct research on neurological diseases. The other is to take charge as Professor Zhou’s main doctor. Before we left, the growth of his colloid cyst had been under control. If, after we arrive in Nibelungen, his colloid cyst starts to grow in size again, I will perform a second surgery on him.”

Zhou Yu stared blankly. Were these Song Zhi’s orders? They were rather ‘considerate’, no?

“Hey, Zhou Yu, do you know who’s team you’ll be assigned to in Nibelungen?” Wu Yun was probably really bored, so he started to chat with Zhou Yu.

“Yours.” Zhou Yu replied.

“Why?”

“Because you said it before, your luck isn’t good. I’d estimate that all of your subordinates will die there, and even a one-man commander needs teammates,” Zhou Yu answered.

“You’re so cute,” Wu Yun replied, “But our team only consists of you and me, isn’t that a little sad?”

“It’s very good like this. If you die, I only need to take revenge for you, there’s minimal pressure and responsibility,” Zhou Yu replied.

“Alright, not only are you cute, you’re also quite horrid.”

Zhou Yu was just about to say “Thanks for the compliment,” when the steady shuttle suddenly gave a violent jolt.

Han Li screamed loudly and Li Qian turned dumb with shock. They wanted to grab onto something, but because they were still suspended, they were unable to grab ahold of anything.

Immediately following the jolt, everything was plunged into darkness and Zhou Yu lost consciousness.

Without knowing how long had passed, Zhou Yu’s head was hurting terribly. The cries of birds sounded unendingly in his ears. He pressed at his head with difficulty and sat up.

As his sight focused, he saw that Zhou Qing was lying beside him. He immediately used his hand to feel at Zhou Qing’s neck and found that his pulse was steady. Li Qian and Han Li were on the other side. There were some bloodstains on Han Li’s forehead, she probably hit her head on something after being thrown down from a state of suspension when the shuttle stopped working. Fortunately, the safety mechanism was still there, or else her brains would’ve been blown out.

At this time, Dr. Daniel also woke and sat up, he shook his head a few times, “What happened?”

“I don’t know. Also… Wu Yun is gone,” Zhou Yu said.

Dr. Daniel made a fist and knocked on his own head a few times, “He can’t just disappear in the middle of nowhere. The shuttle didn’t break apart in the magnetic field… there’s only one possibility, Wu Yun left.”

Zhou Yu nodded, he came to the shuttle door and tried to open the hatch door.

Just as the door opened to a small crack, Zhou Yu suddenly closed it again.

“What is it?” Dr. Daniel suspiciously asked, “What did you see?”

“Perytons,”Zhou Yu answered.

“What… Perytons? So we’re in Nibelungen right now?” Daniel asked.

“Probably.”

“Isn’t the destination of the shuttle Juli Corp’s research base?”

“That base… It seems like it’s completely destroyed. I saw the remains of the building and a few human corpses.”

Just what had happened? They just got here, and the base was already destroyed?

If Wu Yun had gained consciousness before them, then where did he go? Why did he leave all of them here?

“Are you afraid, Dr. Daniel?” Zhou Yu sat leaning against the door.

“There are Perytons outside. Did you think I didn’t receive any training, so I don’t know what Perytons are?”

“So you know that you must never be afraid?” Zhou Yu told Daniel after he closed the door because he didn’t want the hormones from his fear to be sensed by the Perytons outside.

“I know. But, do you think anyone is able to achieve that? Do you know why humans have fear? When we’re afraid, our adrenal glands shift into high gear in order to push our bodies to the limit to save ourselves! That’s basic human nature!”

“I need to get out. The electric circuits in the shuttle cabin are already fried, we have no way of contacting them on the other side. If we keep staying in here we’ll suffocate without being able to do anything about it. Also, we don’t know where Wu Yun went, or if he’ll come back.”

“You want to go outside? Are you mad?” Daniel showed an incredulous expression.

“Yes, I want to go outside. Compared to waiting here passively, I’m better at taking action. Dr. Daniel, Zhou Qing is very important to me. You’re also very important to me. Right now, Zhou Qing, Han Li and Li Qian are unconscious. This is a good thing because even if I open the door, they won’t be afraid, so they won’t become targets to the Perytons. That’s why I need you to remain calm.”

Daniel sucked in a breath of air, “I-I don’t know how to do that…”

“When you’re performing surgery, you must’ve faced situations of life and death, right? Even the slightest difference might kill the patient.”

“This is different from surgery.” Daniel clutched at his face, “Heavens, why did I have to wake up!”

“This is the same as surgery. You’re able to detach your emotions and stay level-headed at that time, you can also do it now. I need you to take good care of Zhou Qing. You can’t die,” Zhou Yu said.

Daniel gulped, “Okay, give me some time…”

Only, with a crashing sound, Zhou Yu flipped himself backwards. In the second that Daniel’s heart rate sped up, the cabin door had already been violently closed shut.

Daniel opened his eyes wide, wasn’t Zhou Yu’s speed a little too fast?

He didn’t even have time to be afraid, yet Zhou Yu had already left?

Also, wasn’t he afraid of the Perytons outside? What if he died outside?