Embers Ad Infinitum

Chapter 88 End of the Song

On the high roof, on the empty rooftop, the plaintive female voice is gentle and melodious.

Jiang Baimian listened quietly for a while, then looked around at the dead and dark city around him, and said with a slight sigh:

"This song is pretty good."

Without waiting for Shang Jianyao and the others to respond, Jiang Baimian continued:

"Go down. If the lights go out, we don't know what will happen. We have to keep an eye on the jeep and the armored vehicle.

"If you make a mistake and destroy them, it will be even more troublesome to face the danger next."

She wasn't worried about whether there would be transportation on her way tomorrow morning, because there seemed to be quite a few drivable cars in the ruins of the city.

"Yes, team leader!" Long Yuehong replied reflexively.

Jiang Baimian looked at Shang Jianyao again:

"Turn off the speakers, otherwise you will become an easy target."

Shang Jianyao did not refute, squatted down, picked up the small speaker with a blue background and black surface, turned it off, and threw it into the tactical backpack.

The surroundings suddenly became extremely quiet again, with only the wind blowing from high above.

When the four members of the "Old Tune Group" walked toward the stairs, Bai Chen couldn't help but look back and glanced at the city scene that continued to unfold in the distance.

The buildings were hidden in the darkness, with no sound coming out and no light emerging.

"Team leader, do you think this looks like a tombstone?" Bai Chen asked softly when he looked away.

Jiang Baimian looked back and said after a moment of silence:

"Well, those buildings are like tombstones in the old world, tombstones..."

Before she finished speaking, Shang Jianyao took the initiative to ask:

"What is a tombstone?"

There is no cemetery inside "Pangu Creature". Each dead employee only has a line of text engraved on the corresponding wall.

"That's it..." Jiang Baimian organized his words, "Forget it, I will explain to you later."

She immediately walked up the stairs and turned on the flashlight.

This time, they could no longer take the elevator and had to jog all the way down.

Fortunately, their physical fitness was quite good, and three of them had undergone genetic modification. Therefore, when they returned to Room 805, they were only slightly out of breath and not very tired.

Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao checked the room again to confirm that no dangerous creatures had broken in here.

"Bai Chen, you and Long Yuehong take a break. I'm responsible for monitoring the jeep and armored vehicles. Shang Jianyao pays attention to the streets outside." Jiang Baimian returned to the living room with a flashlight.

"Yeah." Bai Chen watched the team leader arrive at the window of the restaurant, set up the "Orange" rifle, and then said thoughtfully, "The place where the explosion occurred just now seems to be the mysterious laboratory that Qiao Chu mentioned."

Jiang Baimian did not look back and focused on monitoring the downstairs:

“That direction, that location, it’s most likely.

"I don't know if Qiao Chu's mission was to destroy it, or if he was entangled with the mechanical monk Jingfa, and due to various accidents, this big explosion..."

Shang Jianyao looked at the place where the fire and air flow just appeared, and said seriously:

"I guess it's the former possibility."

"What conclusion can be drawn from the situation of the Eighth Research Institute described by Du Heng?" Jiang Baimian asked subconsciously.

Shang Jianyao shook his head:

"I just counted a few cars on the side of the road.

"The result is an odd number."

"..." Jiang Baimian spat, "I shouldn't discuss issues with you so seriously."

Long Yuehong had not spoken since he left the rooftop. At this time, he looked at the ruins of the city submerged in darkness outside and said in a slightly erratic tone:

"Team leader, I now understand a little bit why you want to investigate the reasons for the destruction of the old world, and why you like to dig out the past history from the ruins of the city..."

After Jiang Baimian listened quietly, he smiled happily and said:

"As long as you know."

Long Yuehong wanted to say something more, but she didn't know how to express it. She could only continue to stare at the dead city that hid many dangers, and then said:

"What happens next?"

"Who knows?" Jiang Baimian was still looking at the jeep and the armored vehicle. "I just hope that all the changes will not spread. I just hope that Qiao Chu will be driven out of the ruins of the city by Jingfa, or that both sides will fight to their respective limits. , are all seriously injured, in short, let us stay in peace until dawn and drive away."

"Team leader, it seems unlucky for you to say that." Shang Jianyao replied casually.

Jiang Baimian said angrily and helplessly:

"We have all been unlucky so many times. When things go to extremes, things will turn upside down. Is it time for the best times to come?"

Hearing the word "unlucky", Long Yuehong felt inexplicably guilty and touched her mouth.

I don’t know if Jiang Baimian’s words were really effective. In the next few hours, although there were explosions, gunshots, and roars from time to time in the ruins of the entire city, they did not spread toward the tunnel.

By midnight, it was completely silent.

As time passed, the sky gradually lit up, and the buildings broke out of the darkness and revealed themselves.

But in the eyes of Jiang Baimian, Shang Jianyao and others, they look more and more like tombstones, or faded tombstones that are deep black, gray white or khaki.

"Let's go." After a quick breakfast, Jiang Baimian gave the order.

This time, she asked Bai Chen and Long Yuehong to sit in the armored vehicle and take turns driving, while she and Shang Jianyao were in charge of the jeep.

In the morning light, they did not return along the original route of the tunnel because the road was too winding and dangerous. Without Qiao Chu who was familiar with the situation to guide them, the vehicle could easily get stuck in the swamp.

Moreover, Jiang Baimian suspected that some sections of road there simply could not bear the weight of armored vehicles.

Based on what An Ruxiang said and the traces left by the ruin hunters, they made a small circle to the north and left the ruins of the city via a relatively better road.

Along the way, they did not forget to collect some watches, LCD screens, sunglasses and various useful metals, and even found two barrels of suitable oil for the armored vehicle.

While driving, Jiang Baimian squinted his eyes and said to Shang Jianyao in the passenger seat:

"There is a convoy coming ahead, with dozens or hundreds of people."

As soon as she finished speaking, she had already woken up.

"About a hundred people, this is Wang Beicheng's action brigade."

That was the team sent by "Pangu Creatures" to investigate the anomalies here.

Sure enough, they soon saw armored vehicles and other things, and they saw Wang Beicheng, the captain of the 23rd Brigade.

Wang Beicheng was also surprised to meet Jiang Baimian and others again. He straightened the gray-black beret on his head, glanced at the armored vehicle behind the jeep that did not belong to the company, and said to Jiang Baimian:

"Didn't you go to Qifeng Town?

"Why are you here again and getting an armored vehicle?"

More importantly, it seems that they entered the newly discovered ruins of the city earlier than they did.

"Haha, unexpected, unexpected." Jiang Baimian laughed dryly.

She immediately became serious and roughly told the story of how she and others were seduced by Qiao Chu and entered the ruins of the city from the trail.

This includes information related to the "City Intelligent Network Control Center", the mysterious laboratory, the "Advanced Heartless", Nightmare Horse, Xiao Chong, Du Heng, Jia Luo Lan, the final big explosion and other related information.

Here, Jiang Baimian only concealed the knowledge of awakened people provided by Du Heng and the place where Shang Jianyao's ability came into play, and cleverly connected the reason why they got rid of Qiao Chu's charm with the "higher unintentional person" and the boy Xiao Chong. Together.

From a certain perspective, this is actually true.

Wang Beicheng's expression became serious as he listened, and finally he said sincerely:

"Thank you so much. If we hadn't had this information, we would have rashly gone in, and we don't know how many people would have died!

"Furthermore, there are definitely more 'higher mindless' and aberrant creatures than the ones you have encountered there. It is still very dangerous for our operations team alone, even if we have a certain understanding in advance.

"I will send the intelligence back immediately and ask for reinforcements.

"Next, we should only establish a stronghold on the edge of the city for the time being..."

Jiang Baimian waved his hand:

"What you do is none of our business."

Wang Beicheng glanced at the armored vehicle again, rubbed his hands, and said with a hesitant smile:

"Can you support the brothers' team?"

For them, one more armored vehicle and one more heavy machine gun will add considerable combat effectiveness.

Jiang Baimian smiled:

"no problem.

"But we have a lot of things in the armored vehicle, and the Jeep alone cannot take them away. You have to be responsible for helping us transport them back to the company. I have made a list.

"Also, the heavy machine gun on that armored vehicle is also our trophy, and it must be considered as a contribution."

For them, a jeep is more convenient when traveling on dusty roads.

Wang Beicheng took a breath as if he had a toothache:

"good."

After bidding farewell to Wang Beicheng's team, Long Yuehong and Bai Chen returned to the jeep.

Jiang Baimian said thoughtfully while driving:

"Now that we have met Wang Beicheng and the others, it means that there should be no danger on this road and we will not meet Qiao Chu again.

"Shang Jianyao, I can remove your 'reasoning clown' effect."

Shang Jianyao was playing with a pair of black sunglasses, sometimes putting them on and sometimes taking them off.

After hearing the team leader's instructions, he smiled and said:

"There are many free love couples within the company."

Jiang Baimian was stunned for a moment and patted the Jeep's horn:

"Yes, why do I think that what is assigned is true love?"

Shang Jianyao immediately turned his head and said to Bai Chen:

“Human beings can also be trusted and relied upon.

"After these few days, do you think we can protect your back?"

Bai Chen was startled, his eyes flickering uncontrollably.

At this time, Jiang Baimian interrupted:

"Why do these words sound so familiar?

"You plagiarized something I said!"

"This is called quoting." Shang Jianyao responded seriously.

Bai Chen listened to their argument and the corners of his mouth curled up unconsciously.

Shang Jianyao looked at the confused Long Yuehong again, smiled and said:

"Biological organ transplantation, neural reconstruction, artificial womb."

"..." Long Yuehong's facial muscles twitched a few times, and he resisted the urge to beat Shang Jianyao violently.

After all, I can't beat him.

When he recalled what had happened before, he realized that he had been unknowingly affected by the "reasoning clown", and he suddenly blurted out with a little fear:

"Have you ever used 'reasoning clown' to mislead me?"

Shang Jianyao didn't even turn his head and said directly:

"You do not deserve."

"..." Long Yuehong didn't know whether to be happy or sad.

Jiang Baimian finally couldn't bear it anymore and said to Shang Jianyao:

"You go to sleep for a while, it will be your turn to drive later.

"Huh, finally get rid of this mess here.

"Next, we can't delay any longer, the target is Qifeng Town!"

Hearing this, Shang Jianyao pinched his temples, put on his sunglasses, leaned back on the chair, and closed his eyes.

…………

Deep in the "Hall of Stars", at the top of the silver stairs, in front of the gray-white stone door.

Shang Jianyao glanced at the three grooves above, put one hand in his pocket, and stretched out the other hand to press the door.

Within the groove, white light rose up and formed three illusory stars.

Among them, the white light representing the "reasoning clown" is much brighter than the other two groups.

The next second, the white light showing the words "Hypocritical Person" quickly brightened, and soon it was equated with "Mystery Clown".

After a short period of solidification, the heavy stone door trembled slightly and slowly retreated.

As the crack in the door grew wider, Shang Jianyao could clearly see the scene inside.

It was an illusory "sea" that could not be seen to the edge, with the glimmer of light sliding gently on the water.

"The Sea of ​​Origin".

…………

After Jiang Baimian drove the Jeep out of the depths of the swamp, he woke up Shang Jianyao:

"It's your turn.

"Next, let's have a smooth journey!"

Shang Jianyao opened his eyes, took off his sunglasses, walked neatly to the driver's seat, and exchanged positions with the team leader.

When he sat down, he saw the endless gray-black wilderness in front of him, with few clouds in the sky and bright blue.

"The weather is really nice." Shang Jianyao nodded, first put on his sunglasses, and then took out the small speaker from his tactical backpack.

Seeing Jiang Baimian looking over, he moved his body and said with a smile:

"How can you drive without music?"

When Bai Chen and Long Yuehong looked over one after another, Shang Jianyao turned on the speaker.

A burst of hoarse shouts followed:

"Arise, hungry and cold slaves...

"Rise up, you who suffer all over the world..."

In the passionate singing, Shang Jianyao waved his hand:

"Set off!"

Before he finished speaking, he stepped on the accelerator and let the Jeep start running in the wilderness and drive into the distance.

(End of Part 1)

Note 1: Quoted from "The Internationale", you can refer to the Tang Dynasty band version.

Chapter 88/954
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Embers Ad InfinitumCh.88/954 [9.22%]