Duan Yang didn’t wake Lin Chen up in the long run.

The militants downstairs appeared to suppose it wasn’t sufficient and saved torturing the poor girl’s physique. There was no extra painful pleading. Duan Yang may solely hear merciless laughter that was so unbridled that it pierced the sky.

He silently closed the curtains, feeling that it was sufficient for him to witness alone.

Lin Chen was nonetheless asleep on the different finish, whereas Xing Conglian retracted his head again on the similar time.

……

Xing Conglian returned to his subordinates and kicked open the door.

Xiao Wu and Kang An had been sitting collectively, whereas Wang Chao and Xiao Liu had been muttering about one thing.

“Boss!” The 4 of them stood up.

Xing Conglian didn’t trouble speaking nonsense with any of them. “Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu, go decide the variety of accessible combatants among the many Gaomeng folks and what’s left of the ammunition reserves. We’re going to evacuate…”

“Take… How many individuals are we going to take to evacuate?” Xiao Liu requested anxiously.

“Everybody on this constructing and all of the Gaomeng individuals who had been captured by the Zaratul tribe.”

“However the place are we going to evacuate? Zaratul desires the Gaomeng folks, and I’m afraid that nobody in your complete Dana Area, together with neighboring nations, would dare settle for them.”

“Have you learnt now?” Xing Conglian sneered coldly.

“Boss…” Xiao Liu laughed.

“On the mouth of the Dana River, within the port of Kagasi. I’ll organize a ship to take them to a rustic that’s keen to just accept refugees.”

“Understood!”

Wang Chao couldn’t assist it. He raised his hand and requested, “Then Boss, what about me?”

“Lower the crap. What are you able to do? Can the 5 of us cowl the evacuation of so many individuals? In fact, we now have to seek out extra folks,” Xing Conglian stated.

Wang Chao rolled up his cuffs and his eyes lit up. “Are we calling for some assist to carry weapons? How many individuals ought to we name? I keep in mind there are nonetheless many secret militant bases of varied nations close by. There may be additionally a department of the Black Hawk Safety, a mercenary group. Boss, which one ought to we name? I’ll deal with it!”

“What are you considering?” Xing Conglian was irritated. “Examine who has not too long ago traveled and discover three of them.”

“Three?” Wang Chao requested.

“A sniper, a heavy firepower, and a bomb knowledgeable.”

“Understood.” Wang Chao rapidly took out his telephone, clicked on the chat group, and despatched a gaggle message. Quickly, the pinging immediate gave the impression of popping beans. “Boss… They stated they’re all free…”

Xing Conglian didn’t trouble to care about what number of duties these folks skipped in order that they had been “free”. He merely stated, “Since they’re all free, let Zhang Lengthy, Zhao Hu, and Ye Zhu come. I’ll provide the gear checklist later so that you can inform them what to carry.” He checked out his watch. “I need to see somebody earlier than midday tomorrow, Dana time.”

Wang Chao nodded vigorously.

As quickly as his voice fell, Kang An raised his hand abruptly and stated actively, “Boss, what do you want me to do?”

“Do me a favor,” Xing Conglian stated coldly.

“What sort of favor, Boss? Simply ask!”

“Keep out of my sight and don’t let me see you!”

Kang An made a bitter face. “I’m sorry.”

“All proper. Get out and seize two of Zaratul’s troopers and interrogate them concerning the structure of the mine, then scout their troop preparations.”

“Received it!” Kang An lastly recovered from the state of a wilted eggplant and rushed out the door just like the wind after talking.

“You’ve got horrible judgment.” Xing Conglian glanced at Xiao Wu as he stated coldly.

……

When Lin Chen wakened, he noticed Duan Yang’s quiet face, which seemed fairly completely different.

The younger man was carrying a masks and was standing in entrance of a take a look at bench, looking at a blood pattern in entrance of him. Lin Chen puzzled what he was doing.

He coughed softly, inflicting Duan Yang to hurriedly flip his head. He put down the work at hand, squatted down after washing his palms, and put his chilly fingers on Lin Chen’s wrist. He briefly measured his physique temperature and heartbeat, then rigorously checked his eyes.

Maybe as a result of Duan Yang was carrying a masks, Lin Chen felt he appeared a bit colder, however quickly, the coldness in his brows was changed by deep fear. “Guide Lin, what’s unsuitable with you?”

“I really feel uncomfortable throughout,” Lin Chen stated with a smile.

“I’m asking you very critically.”

“I additionally answered very critically. It actually hurts throughout. In the event you actually develop a brand new sort of poison, please give me the primary shot.”

“Please cease joking,” Duan Yang stated with a severe expression.

Lin Chen struggled to rise up, and the physician started to get offended. As a affected person, he needs to be extra obedient.

Lin Chen nodded and seemed on the experiment desk once more. “Are you actually finding out the drug?”

Duan Yang felt a bit of embarrassed. “You had been sleeping simply now, so I checked a number of of the rhesus monkeys that had been locked up. There may be certainly an issue with the monkeys right here.”

“In fact there could be an issue in the event that they had been injected with a high-purity drug.”

“New medicine are all the time completely different.”

“The medicine injected into the rhesus monkeys listed here are completely different from frequent medicine. Usually, habit comes with extreme psychological cravings, however a few of these monkeys, regardless of being agitated and stressed, don’t appear agitated as a result of they’re unable to acquire one thing. They appear to nonetheless be in a traditional state after being injected with medicine. How lengthy has it been? It’s unimaginable…” Duan Yang muttered to himself. “I didn’t perceive earlier than how the brand new drug developed by Zhorui Pharmaceutical was associated to this sort of drug, however it could certainly have an effect on some substance within the mind…”

“It’s certainly unusual.” Lin Chen struggled to face up. “Assist me have a look.”

“You—you, don’t rise up.” Duan Yang pressed Lin Chen again to the bottom. “I put the monkey within the lab window to indicate you, so simply lie down and watch.”

Lin Chen thought for some time and stated, “No want. I ought to belief your judgment.”

“Hey.”

“What had been you doing simply now?”

“I see that there’s a sliding part column right here. I need to use probably the most primitive technique to separate the medicine from the blood and see if we will get better it.”

“I see.” Lin Chen nodded. “However after you’re achieved, keep in mind to destroy the outcomes. Solely you may realize it.”

“I do know.”

“The place had been we?” He requested Duan Yang.

Duan Yang had an expression of annoyance at being interrupted, however he nonetheless answered critically. “You stated that the masked man captured us as a result of solely he may talk with us right here with out worrying about us informing anybody else. You emphasised that this was essential, after which there was no additional point out of it…”

“In fact that is essential. It reminds us that when making an escape plan, we should take the language barrier into consideration. In different phrases, we solely have one possibility, which is to kidnap the masked man and escape with him. We should additionally ensure to regulate his weak spot beforehand, forcing him to take us out alive.”

“Escape?” Duan Yang’s eyes widened. “Are we going to flee?”

“What else? Sit nonetheless?” Lin Chen opened a number of the experimental coats protecting his physique and requested rhetorically.

“However how can we kidnap him?” Duan Yang thought for some time. “There are a whole lot of knives within the dissecting room. If all else fails, I may even load a glass slide!”

Lin Chen stated coldly, “The surveillance system right here tells us that when you rush to attract a knife to restrain him, troopers will quickly rush in and beat you right into a bloody pulp with their AKs.”

“Then…” Duan Yang shuddered, and his face wrinkled. “You imply, simply the 2 of us, we now have to quietly subdue the masked man beneath surveillance and power him to take us out? How can this be achieved?”

“I don’t know.”

“Eh?”

“There’s just one basic route.”

“What route?”

“For instance, are you making a love potion proper now?”

“What?” Duan Yang confirmed an incredulous look.

“What I imply is, I want a drug that can make him neglect who he’s and obediently comply with our orders after he takes it. For instance, a hallucinogenic spray that may make folks hand over all their possessions after a single spray.”

“There isn’t a such drug. It’s all a lie,” Duan Yang stated with a severe expression.

“Effectively, you’re being too trustworthy,” Lin Chen stated regretfully. “Then we’re screwed.”

Duan Yang all of the sudden stated, “You imply, a knife isn’t good, but it surely’s okay to drug him?”

Lin Chen nodded. “The explanation why a knife received’t work is easy. We solely have one likelihood. It’s very troublesome so that you can covertly management his lifeline with a chilly weapon beneath surveillance.”

“What if it’s a needle?”

“Hmm?”

“A small syringe…” Duan Yang stated all of the sudden, wanting on the monkey outdoors.

Lin Chen’s ideas turned, and he understood Duan Yang’s which means. “I feel, let’s give it a strive. If it doesn’t work, we’ll simply die. It’s no massive deal.”

Duan Yang took an extended breath, unable to giggle or cry. “Guide Lin, you’re so sick. Are you able to cease joking.”

“It’s good to joke. At the least it might probably cowl up my true temper proper now.”

“What are you protecting up?”

“As a result of I’m afraid that you’ll lose your religion in perseverance if you recognize that I’m dying of sickness.”

“Guide Lin…” The younger physician frowned once more.

“Duan Yang.” Lin Chen all of the sudden raised his voice.

The younger man in entrance of him shuddered.

“If you wish to get out of right here alive, cease placing any emotion in your face.”

“I… I’ll strive my greatest.”

……

The setting solar of the rainforest regularly descended from the facet of the Xazi mountain vary, and darkness regularly lined your complete forest.

Xing Conglian’s former subordinates had already scattered and labored individually whereas he sat alone within the room smoking.

Outdoors, there was the sound of hungry Gaomeng folks sharing the one dry meals left. The charcoal hearth crackled, blended with the voices of oldsters comforting their youngsters, {couples} consoling one another, and, after all, the voice of the physician checking on the sufferers’ situation. Briefly, these comfortable Gaomeng phrases fell on Xing Conglian’s ears, which made him irritable.

He flicked the cigarette butt away and fell asleep on the haystack.

The door of the room was pushed open, and Duan Wanshan’s stumbling determine appeared.

Xing Conglian opened his mouth, however earlier than he may converse, Duan Wanshan closed the door. For the time being the door closed, Duan Wanshan’s whole physique appeared as if it had been being pulled from his backbone as he visibly collapsed, falling to the bottom with a thud.

Xing Conglian stood up and helped the person to the haystack to lie down. Duan Wanshan laid on the haystack, like a candle that had burned the final of its remaining life and had exhausted all his energy. He opened his eyes barely and stared at Xing Conglian with a weak however severe gaze, as if he had lots to say.

Xing Conglian felt disagreeable. “Professor Duan, you look as in the event you’re going to depart me with one thing, however I don’t need it.”

“It’s not a consignment.” Duan Wanshan struggled to succeed in into his pocket. “I’ve a bottle of liquor in my pocket. Take it out and see if it’s damaged.”

Xing Conglian lowered his head and noticed Duan Wanshan’s proper hand trembling. He hadn’t pulled the zipper of his jacket open even midway. He raised his eyebrows and helped out. Certain sufficient, there was a palm-sized bottle of liquor in Duan Wanshan’s arms. “It’s Erguotou, from my hometown, Niulanshan.”

Duan Wanshan was mendacity on the bottom, struggling to take a seat up.

Xing Conglian couldn’t bear to look at anymore, so he leaned the particular person in opposition to the wall.

Duan Wanshan handed him the bottle.

Xing Conglian didn’t take it. “What’s this?”

“A present as thanks.”

“This reward is simply too mild.”

“However the sentiment is heavy.”

Duan Wanshan held it in his hand persistently and stated, “I took the difficulty to ask a good friend to carry this from Taipei and by no means drank it. It has been put away for an entire decade.”

“Then I can’t settle for it much more, as a result of the following factor you’ll certainly say is that you simply received’t have an opportunity to drink it in your life anyway.” Xing Conglian curled his lips and responded coldly.

“Hahahahahaha.” Duan Wanshan laughed heartily. His laughter was weak, however he appeared to have a carefree perspective in direction of life and loss of life. He mustered up the energy to twist off the bottle cap and took a giant swig, saying, “I nonetheless have an opportunity to drink.”

Beneath the moonlight, the physician’s face was pale, maybe signifying he was near loss of life. Surprisingly, from the old-farmer-like face of Duan Wanshan, Xing Conglian noticed some traces of his youthful handsomeness. Truly, the phrase “youthful” wasn’t applicable, as Xing Conglian had seen Duan Wanshan’s resume. This physician was simply in his forties, and in accordance with the present age classification of the United Nations, folks of their forties had been nonetheless thought-about younger. However maybe the years in Dana had aged Duan Wanshan past his true age.

Xing Conglian couldn’t assist however say, “You’ll be able to’t die.”

“Everybody has to die.”

“Your present state makes laozi really feel like I went by means of all this hassle to return to Dana to save lots of you, however as quickly as you see me, you hand over and say you’re going to die. It makes me really feel like serving to you is what’s going to kill you.”

Duan Wanshan shook his head. He bowed his knees and rolled up his trouser legs layer by layer. Solely then did Xing Conglian see the injuries that had been lined beneath the trousers and had been festering for a lot of days. It needs to be a gunshot wound. The wound was blocked by a picket stick. Within the rotting wound, muddy and smelly blood was nonetheless oozing out. Duan Wanshan appeared to have utilized natural medicines to the wound, however for a gunshot wound, this sort of remedy was merely a drop within the bucket.

Xing Conglian raised his eyes and seemed on the physician’s barely flushed face after ingesting, however he knew very effectively that this flush was extra like a return to the sunshine.

“Sepsis*. The toxins have already unfold all through my physique. Even amputation received’t assist. However I’m not attempting to make a degree. I’m simply telling you that I’ll die whether or not you come or not,” Duan Wanshan stated. “But it surely simply wouldn’t be price it.”

*Also called blood poisoning, is a life-threatening situation that arises when the physique’s response to an infection causes harm to its personal tissues and organs. It requires fast remedy. With out well timed remedy, sepsis can quickly result in tissue injury, organ failure, and loss of life.

“Do you suppose it’s price it so that you can die now?” Xing Conglian requested rhetorically.

“Haha.” Duan Wanshan’s chest rose and fell with a combination of laughter and ache. “I simply should face it head-on since there’s nothing else I can do. What else can I do?”

When Duan Wanshan responded with the rhetorical query, “What else can I do?”, upon listening to it, Xing Conglian all of the sudden realized that there was no different selection for somebody like Duan Wanshan however to face the scenario head-on. Abandoning over a thousand folks and escaping alone wasn’t an possibility.

He sneered once more and located that the variety of occasions he sneered had elevated daily since he got here to Dana.

“Have you ever ever thought that in the event you lived, with the remainder of your remaining life, you would possibly be capable to save ten and even twenty occasions extra folks than these which might be on the market?”

“I didn’t know I used to be going to die both till I acquired shot.”

“What in the event you knew you had been going to die?” Xing Conglian insisted.

“Do you need to ask such harsh questions?”

“It’s a really attention-grabbing proposition, and it is smart to ask these inquiries to somebody who’s going to die.”

Duan Wanshan lowered his eyes, as if in deep thought, however Xing Conglian clearly noticed the assorted feelings that flashed on the physician’s face. Lastly, after cautious consideration, Duan Wanshan seemed up at him. “I ought to nonetheless assist.”

“Why?”

“As a result of nobody can inform what is going to occur sooner or later. The ten,000 folks sooner or later have their very own individuals who can save them. And I’m fairly positive that if I see these Gaomeng folks die with out reaching out, then I’ll reside in remorse and guilt for the remainder of my life, which is extra painful than loss of life. I feel your subordinates suppose so too,” Duan Wanshan stated slowly.

“Why do you need to be a peacemaker whenever you’re dying?” Xing Conglian felt that when Duan Wanshan talked about remorse and guilt, he was simply stating information with none feelings. “Do you actually really feel remorse?”

Duan Wanshan stated bluntly, “This matter is bizarre. I haven’t investigated it clearly but, so I don’t need to let it go. However I’m nonetheless sorry to contain you in it.”

“What do you imply?” Xing Conglian glared at him. “Do I appear to be somebody who shall be irritable due to such trivial issues?”

Duan Wanshan shook his head and sighed. “As a result of you may have been offended along with your subordinates.”

“I can’t scold my very own males?”

“You realize that’s not what I meant.”

“I’m not offended due to them. After they got here to seek out me, and even whenever you lastly discovered me, I didn’t really feel something…”

“Hmm?”

“So long as the explanations are justified, fixing these issues that make you guys endure is only a piece of cake for me.” As Xing Conglian spoke, he took out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and lit it with a snap of his lighter.

Duan Wanshan opened his mouth barely and checked out him in shock.

“That is the which means of the existence of individuals like me,” Xing Conglian stated quietly.

The rainforest was excessively shiny because the silver moon rose.

After a very long time, Duan Wanshan spoke. “However you’ve been continuously cranky.”

“I’m cranky due to a private matter.” Xing Conglian’s tone turned bitter once more.

“An individual such as you would nonetheless be bothered by private issues?” Duan Wanshan leaned in opposition to the wall and took one other swig of the bottle.

Xing Conglian felt that Duan Wanshan was in all probability actually nearing the top of his life, turning into much less and fewer just like the previous farmer he was earlier than. In any case, an previous farmer wouldn’t be so sharp-tongued in direction of his benefactor.

“If somebody is ready so that you can go dwelling, however you may’t return in the intervening time, received’t you’re feeling irritated?”

“Your spouse?” Duan Wanshan requested.

“No.”

“Then?”

“My… good friend, however in all probability a future boyfriend,” Xing Conglian stated decisively.

“Future?”

“As a result of earlier than we established our relationship, I used to be all of the sudden reeled in by an fool to cope with your pile of shit. I don’t know if he’ll settle for me once I return.”

Duan Wanshan virtually choked on the liquor. “Wait, boyfriend?”

“Are you homophobic?”

As quickly as he spoke, he noticed Duan Wanshan giggle absentmindedly. The physician picked up the bottle and took one other small sip, wanting on the moon outdoors the window, silent for a very long time.

Seeing Duan Wanshan look as if he was lacking somebody, Xing Conglian hurriedly stepped again. “I don’t actually need to hear your love historical past.”

Duan Wanshan smiled. “Simply hearken to it. Hearken to the sentiments of a dying man. Possibly it is going to encourage you.”

“Effectively, alright.” Xing Conglian thought of it, then responded solemnly.

……

Within the laboratory, Duan Yang was hungry.

As a result of Lin Chen had fallen asleep once more and the masked man hadn’t arrived, he continued to finish the extraction work he had beforehand achieved earlier and in addition checked on all of the samples he had taken from the rhesus monkeys.

He put down the lab take a look at tube, stretched, and seemed on the floor beside the experiment desk.

Lin Chen had wrapped himself in a number of lab coats and fallen asleep once more.

Though Lin Chen was continuously joking, Duan Yang knew very effectively that the time Lin Chen spent awake was reducing. He had beforehand diluted the anhydrous alcohol solvent within the lab to 75% and given Lin Chen a easy disinfection remedy, but it surely was clear that what Lin Chen wanted now was a big dose of antibiotics to assist  him struggle the an infection in his physique.

He seemed on the time, squatted down with the alcohol, and took out Lin Chen’s injured hand from the layers of lab coats.

As a result of contaminated wound on his palm, Lin Chen’s initially pale and skinny hand turned swollen, and his fingers had been additionally purple and swollen, doubling in measurement. Duan Yang used cotton soaked in alcohol to wash the wound, and yellowish pus flowed out alongside the wound.

The wound disinfection ought to have been extraordinarily painful, however Lin Chen solely barely restlessly struggled in his sleep. He didn’t even open his eyes, which solely made Duan Yang fear much more.

He capped the bottle of alcohol, stood up once more, put issues again in place, and solely after some time did Lin Chen reluctantly get up.

Duan Yang seemed down.

Lin Chen, who had simply woken up from a semi-comatose state, braced himself to open his eyes. The second he noticed him, the festering focus in Lin Chen’s eyes gathered in a really quick time and immediately regained readability.

Duan Yang thought that Lin Chen’s willpower was in all probability one of many strongest he had ever seen.

“Did you kill the monkey?” Guide Lin, who was mendacity on the bottom, sniffed the odor within the air and seemed on the location of the dissection room.

Duan Yang squatted down. “I’m making ready for tomorrow’s nice escape.”

“It’s all as much as you, Physician Duan,” Lin Chen stated with forceful cheerfulness. “But when by then there’s an opportunity that my bodily situation doesn’t enable you, I need you to go alone.”

Upon listening to this, Duan Yang trembled. He seemed on the psychological guide, who had quickly weakened resulting from an infection however had been repeatedly utilizing varied phrases to stimulate him to cheer up. He kneeled on the bottom, and put his hand on Lin Chen’s sizzling brow.

“Guide Lin, I’ve been fascinated with <The Secret> you talked about. Though you may have been speaking about dying, you may have by no means given up, have you ever?”

Lin Chen didn’t converse. He simply lay on the bottom, gasping weakly.

Duan Yang turned a bit of anxious. He felt that he couldn’t perceive Lin Chen’s ideas increasingly, so he may solely attempt to awaken his will to outlive. “Didn’t you say earlier than that somebody like that exists? Somebody you need to persevere for and attempt to maintain on till the top?!”

“Sure, after all there may be.” There was a smile on the nook of Lin Chen’s mouth.

“Who’s it?” Duan Yang requested easily.

“In fact, it’s the particular person I really like, fool,” Lin Chen stated frivolously.