Beginning with the Ubume Bird

Chapter 315: Chapter 41 Are you crying?

Dawn broke.

With the howling wind, an unidentified predatory bird swept over the horizon. It plunged down, its rough, sharp talons penetrated the frozen crust of the earth. As the ground crumbled and sand descended, a wriggling, oddly-shaped bug head was pulled from the surface by the claws.

The red-eyed predator let out a piercing screech, beating its wings to rise. The ground split and collapsed with it, revealing several zhangs of the bug’s segmented body writhing from beneath the earth. Suddenly, the insect opened its mouth and roared, its sharp sting fast as a flying snake’s tongue, aiming for the bird!

Just then, the high-caliber machine gun on the watchtower rotated, and a metallic torrent hailed down. The battling bird and bug had no time to react before they were both perforated and torn apart by the golden torrent. The ferocious noise and flames obscured the fierce struggling gestures of the creatures. The mad spray of metal lasted a full five seconds, feathers, flesh, slime, and shattered segments scattered on the ground, blood steaming as it flowed freely.

A soldier from Black Star, woken by the disturbance, spat out and, setting down the smoking barrel of the gun, turned over to continue dozing.

…

The sound of gunfire carried far and eventually reached Wei Dan’s ears. She slowly opened her eyes, the blanket covering just up to her collarbone.

Empty wine bottles rolled across the floor, the room plunged into utter darkness.

She turned her head; Li Yan’s breathing was even, his well-defined neck muscles still marked by her bite.

Wei Dan squinted at Li Yan for a moment. Then, with a sudden stretch of her cold hand, she caressed his stubbled chin, gently withdrew herself, and the blanket slid off, each inch of her smooth waist flowing like water.

Just as her bare feet touched the ground, a voice came from behind Wei Dan.

“Where’re you going?”

Wei Dan twisted her neck without looking back, “On a mission.”

After a pause, she added with a smile, “I thought you’d pretend to be asleep.”

“Is there a need?” Li Yan sat up, his bones making a crackling sound as he stretched. In truth, it had been a long time since he felt this refreshed.

His gaze traveled from Wei Dan’s smooth shoulders down to her softly curved back, along her slender waist, over suddenly undulating curves, to her round buttocks pressed against the mattress.

“I think it’s still early…”

Wei Dan picked up her sweater, “I accepted a mission yesterday. The car’s leaving this morning.”

After saying this, she stood up and went to the bathroom, turning on the shower, calling to Li Yan outside, “You’re quite alright, we’ll sleep together again when there’s a chance.”

Li Yan’s face broke into a smile, unfazed by Wei Dan’s tone; he licked his lips, recalling the burning pleasure of the woman in his arms from last night, along with a lingering pain in his back… when he suddenly looked up, “Eh?”

Wei Dan rolled her eyes, “What is it now?”

Li Yan spoke earnestly, “Did you cry last night?”

“…Get lost.”

Soon after, Wei Dan came out, tossed a cotton robe to Li Yan. Amidst the rustling of clothes and silence, Li Yan spoke again.

“Eh?”

“What now?” Wei Dan asked impatiently.

Li Yan stared at Wei Dan’s face, “Should I take responsibility?”

Wei Dan looked at him, tilting her head as her gaze wandered over his body for a while before responding indifferently, “In your dreams.”

At that, Li Yan clutched his chest, feigning a pained expression.

Wei Dan stood up, walked out the door, and the lock clicked crisply behind her.

Li Yan pinched and kneaded the back of his neck for a while, bent down to pick up the empty bottle from the ground, and with a thud, placed it by the bedside.

…

“Hello, I come recommended by Afafu Jie, and this is my identification.”

Li Yan handed a black metal card to a female receptionist wearing a boater hat at the desk; it bore the unique symbol of a car roaring, distinctive to the Black Star vehicles.

This was passed on to Li Yan along with the documents by Afafu, which essentially served as a permit, but it wasn’t for Kuang Zhuoma in zone B, it was for Black Star.

It granted unconditional access to 70% of the neutral refuge areas in the survival zone and was equivalent in effect to the highest-class permit held by any company affiliated with Black Star. It provided the purchasing privileges of a Black Star officer, could be mortgaged for a highest-purity ordinary third-level genetic potion, and the card had an eighty thousand yuan credit limit.

As for the documents, Li Yan had looked them over as well. Shuishu Park was a salon for top biological scientists in this world, normally only convened to celebrate breakthroughs in genetic potions. This answer surprised Li Yan, but combining it with his observations at Great Demon Lake, he was certain that the Big Ben Research Institute, which hosted Shuishu Park, was closely connected to Yan Fu’s movements.

To find the so-called Shuishu Park, one should first get in touch with relevant personnel from the Big Ben Research Institute. As for the specifics, he would need Afafu’s assistance.

This was the medical and genetic research department affiliated with Black Star vehicles, as mentioned by Afafu. The staff here were all trained by Black Star from a young age and possessed solid professional expertise. Even though some staff, due to their physical constitution, might only have first-level or even no genetic abilities, any of them, if taken at random, had been invested in more than a miscellany of third-level soldiers. Some researchers enjoyed perks and power not inferior to several fourth-level officers and might even have the potential to enter the Supreme Committee.

Afafu, who was in zone B, had been the deputy head of the Genetics Department at the 14th Army General Hospital. Due to the shift in the war, she was now assisting with research here. With some colleagues who had been rescued and old classmates known from headquarters, she had the capacity to converse and could help Li Yan significantly.

The tall, graceful receptionist checked his permit and then asked, “How may I assist you?”

Her attitude was pleasant, but her gaze was quite odd.

Li Yan didn’t mind and said, “The thing is, I took on a mission in Kuang Zhuoma a few days ago, and I found some research materials in Great Demon Lake. I believe your side knows the specifics better than I do, and I want to sell these research materials. Also, could you call Afafu for me?”

The receptionist smiled and said, “Sir, it’s like this: evaluating the value of the information will take some time. You need to leave the content with us for a while so that we can assess it. Of course, please trust Black Star’s credibility.”

“No problem.”

Li Yan nodded, looked around, and leaned closer to the counter, “I’m curious to ask, how does Black Star handle people like Kuang Zhuoma?”

“The hundred and fifty second-level and above genetic warriors and leadership personnel within the structure are considered peripheral members of the Black Star company. Their armed soldiers and ordinary staff do not enjoy any internal Black Star benefits and are treated as ordinary non-certified Wilderness Hunters.”

She replied in an even tone.

Li Yan nodded, “I have no more questions.”

He handed over all the materials to her and waited at the reception area for a short while before Afafu hurried in.

Upon first seeing Afafu, Li Yan noticed that her complexion was not good; she could even be described as being in a rage.

However, upon seeing Li Yan, Afafu still took a few deep breaths to calm her emotions and said, “Aren’t you going to assess your genetic condition first?”

Li Yan didn’t speak; he distinctly felt that, after Afafu came in, the bustling hall fell quiet.

Everyone’s gaze was fixed on her, their strange and mixed looks blatantly unabashed.

Li Yan had some suspicions about this reaction, presuming it couldn’t be unrelated to himself.

A stunning woman enviable for her status and familial background, a veritable blinding existence, would garner no stinginess in white roses and tears should she die in war. Yet, if she came back alive, the situation would be entirely different, especially if such a woman, conspicuously lacking in self-preservation abilities, miraculously returned safely. Then, human voyeurism and dark sides would magnify boundlessly. In the brains of the ugly refugees of the wilderness, there were only food and sex. How exactly did Afafu survive until now with a child in tow?

Just listen to what Liang Wei had to say, and it wasn’t difficult to understand Afafu’s predicament.

“Very idle, are we?”

Afafu looked around, and no one dared meet her eye where her gaze fell.

When the hall had barely regained order, Li Yan finally spoke, “Shall we find a quieter place?”

Afafu nodded, and the two of them walked out one after the other.