Saving Unpermitted

Chapter 81: Twenty One People

It was the first time Xia Liang had witnessed this kind of lockdown.

Y City was the most vital city in the entire continent, with a population of over tens of millions. The purification status in the city was excellent, and it had established the largest-ever network of factories. The resources produced not only served the needs of Y City itself but also supplied the surrounding expanding towns.

If Y City were compared to an anthill, the daily flow of people would resemble the level of ant colonies. Suddenly cutting off all connections with the outside world would deal a heavy blow to the city’s economy.

Zhu Sheng took drastic measures this time, and the city lockdown wasn’t a simple matter of manpower. Thick isolation walls rose from the ground, towering over twenty meters high. Heavy-duty purifiers were installed every five to six meters, ensuring tight defense.

Within this castle-like enclosure, only one entrance remained—many soldiers, merchant caravans, and citizens were still outside the city and unable to return momentarily. As long as they passed through the layers of screening at the entrance, they could reenter the city.

As for the residents of the settlements, who were usually not allowed to enter the city, everything remained unchanged. To make matters worse, the distribution of medicine to various settlements had also started to decrease.

Y City was gradually tightening its grip.

While the citizens hadn’t fully grasped the situation yet, Xia Liang understood clearly that the city was about to enter a state of war.

In addition, this city lockdown dealt a severe blow to the commerce-focused Tang family. With the elections yet to be held again and the settlements being excluded, the situation ahead was uncertain. Zhu Sheng clearly wanted to end the elections quickly and place the impostor Zhu Yanchen in the position of the city’s leader to focus on dealing with the Erosion Swamps.

However, the gesture was truly unsightly.

Zhu Sheng wasn’t a fool and wouldn’t be frightened by an Erosion Swamp-transformed Shu Jun. From the current perspective, he must have obtained other intelligence.

Unfortunately, her own abilities weren’t enough to be seen in front of that old fox. To probe recklessly would only expose Zhu Yanchen. Xia Liang tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and continued walking towards Zhu Yanchen’s office.

“Marshal Zhu is out.”

“He’s out again? Well, I’ll wait in his room then.”

With so many recent events, she had missed quite a few of her concerts. With no tasks at hand, Xia Liang found herself being sent over to Zhu Yanchen’s side by her family every other day. She was too lazy to go back home and face their nagging, so she decided to pass the time by watching television in Zhu Yanchen’s lounge as usual.

This way, she would be able to receive any news from Zhu Yanchen as soon as possible.

But it was a bit boring; not as interesting as arguing with Ai Xiaoxiao. Xia Liang let out a big yawn. In a rather unladylike manner, she propped her feet up and played with a tactical chip at her fingertips.

Everyone around her was bustling, leaving her with that peculiar feeling of emptiness once again.

The news on the screen was also quite dull. The sudden appearance of the isolation walls caused a small panic, and the official explanation was quite intimidating—to prevent a potential erosion flood following the erosion storm. In order to avoid a catastrophe like what happened in X City, Zhu Yanchen ordered the erection of the isolation walls.

It was also Marshal Zhu’s proposal to raise the defense level of the city during the Reunion Festival. The general public had a negative impression of Zhu Yanchen, so the media controlled by the Zhu family repeated that sentiment to the city’s residents for three days and nights.

Xia Liang sneered at the screen and cracked open a cold beer.

According to the program schedule, the next segment was supposed to be a debate between Zhu Yanchen and Yi Ning. Marshal Zhu must have gone out for that. However, after waiting for a few minutes, she received the news that the program was temporarily postponed.

What’s going on?

Now that Zhu Yanchen was the real deal and had his own affairs, she could understand that. But Yi Ning wasn’t that kind of person. He rarely canceled appointments. As long as Yi Ning was present, they could have switched to a solo interview with him.

Could it be that Luo Duan had targeted Yi Ning in light of the city lockdown?

Xia Liang put the beer down, opened her own screen, and used Zhu Yanchen’s authorization to access the surveillance footage inside the building. In the white room, Luo Duan was sitting by the windowsill, looking outside.

At first glance, there seemed to be nothing wrong. Xia Liang narrowed her eyes and observed more carefully.

The window was slightly ajar, and the white curtains swayed with the breeze. Luo Duan sat by the windowsill with his slightly long hair hanging down smoothly, without any movement.

Xia Liang abruptly stood up and skillfully tied her hair into a bun. Making sure her perfume masked the smell of alcohol, she strode out of the room.

“What is this about?” The guard stationed at Luo Duan’s door was taken aback.

“I’m here to offer my condolences.” Xia Liang smiled sweetly. “I’ve always liked Groundwater, so I wanted to meet their captain. Is that not possible?”

“I’m sorry Miss Xia. Marshal Yi Ning specifically instructed that nobody can see ‘Bitter Rain’ without his permission.”

“Could you make an exception?” Xia Liang showed a disappointed expression and her eyes welled with tears. “I just wanted an autograph, and all of you are here. What could possibly happen? ‘Bitter Rain’ has been quiet lately, so he probably doesn’t know what’s going on outside. Please, I’m begging you. Just three minutes.”

Then she murmured in disappointment. “If it’s not possible, I’ll go find Zhu Yanchen and have him grant permission.”

“Uh…” Setting aside the guard’s soft spot for a beautiful girl, Miss Xia not only represented the Xia family but was also the future fiancée of Marshal Zhu. The relationship between Yi Ning and Zhu Yanchen was already tense enough, and if Miss Xia were to mention something unnecessary…

“Okay, but we’ll accompany you inside. Please understand.” The guard relented.

“No problem.”

Xia Liang entered the room first and quickly glanced at the items near the window. Then she quietly took a breath and let out a fearful scream.

Sure enough, Luo Duan wasn’t in the room. Two layers of thin erosion substance were standing, one facing the surveillance camera and the other facing the monitoring window at the door, disguised to appear as a person sitting by the windowsill.

With the mission accomplished and the guards busy reporting, Xia Liang quietly left the room.

She had already provided the necessary alerts, and the internal inspections would be handled by the command center. There was a more serious problem now—

Where did Luo Duan go?

Where did Yi Ning and Zhu Yanchen go?

The current situation was extremely tense, and any slight misstep could have unimaginable consequences. Xia Liang made a quick decision and, after returning to Zhu Yanchen’s office, she immediately began contacting Marshal Zhu, whom she didn’t know the whereabouts of.

“Is your girlfriend checking up on you because you keep running to find this old man?”

Tang Heyu asked with a smirk in the underground bar.

“No,” Zhu Yanchen replied after the communication, sitting back in his seat. “It was just a report from my subordinate. Luo Duan has run away.”

This was the fourth day of their secret meeting.

Four days ago, Zhu Yanchen had briefly explained the situation to the old man. Tang Heyu’s mind hadn’t been ruined by alcohol; it was still as sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, and he quickly accepted the reality.

To be honest, Zhu Yanchen wasn’t surprised. The drunken image of the old man was probably a kind of charm to ensure he didn’t enter politics again. Since he had been working for the Old Fourth all along, he couldn’t really be an alcoholic.

During these few days, in addition to perfecting the design of the “Suppression” weapon, the two of them also discussed a lot of knowledge and arguments related to the Erosion Swamp. Although their research directions initially had some differences, in the end, their basic understanding was similar.

Rather than wasting time on useless programs, Zhu Yanchen wanted to make the most of his time to absorb the knowledge of his senior.

“Considering the time, we should leave.” Tang Heyu took a sip of his drink. “I don’t know about others, but I’m not familiar with A’Sheng’s little tricks. Just watch, the next step will come soon—he will conduct a comprehensive screening before the city is completely locked down.”

“According to Zhu Sheng’s logic, there must be synth spies in the city. Luo Duan sought refuge with Yi Ning and played a game of hide-and-seek, which is why Zhu Sheng didn’t discover him—of course, now I know that the biggest spy is you, kid. There’s also the third party, Sigma, in this war.”

Zhu Yanchen had considered this point. If he were in Zhu Sheng’s position, he would probably do the same thing. But…

“I didn’t expect him to act so quickly.” Zhu Yanchen couldn’t hide his doubt.

“Yeah, according to common logic, a comprehensive screening should be done at least after the city is completely locked down, more like a last resort. So, compared to your old man, you’re still a bit green.”

Tang Heyu gave Zhu Yanchen a sideways glance.

“A’Sheng is doing this because he really wants to catch spies, and this forces them out—he has witnessed the ability of synths to control the Erosion Swamp. If a spy also has that kind of ability and is driven to a dead end, they will inevitably cause major casualties within the city. The fact that he’s sealing off the city so conspicuously and leaving such a long ‘buffer period for return’ implies it clearly. Any spy with a bit of brain will escape before the entrance is completely sealed.”

Zhu Yanchen slowly furrowed his brow and his expression turned grave.

“What? You don’t understand?”

“No, if Luo Duan is truly a spy for the synths, this approach is indeed reasonable. It might even buy us some time. But Luo Duan obeys Sigma, or rather…”

“Rather, it can be said that Luo Duan is almost like the ‘brain’ of Sigma, which is very important,” Tang Heyu said calmly.

“Yes.”

“Give up hope. Even if you call that guy Shu Jun over, you won’t be able to catch him now. Unlike ‘Purification’, ‘Suppression’ doesn’t kill the Erosion Swamp. Even if Luo Duan’s water control ability has been significantly weakened, he still has the ability to escape. He can completely disintegrate his body, infiltrate underground, and follow the flow of the underground water veins. Shu Jun can’t stop the natural flow of underground water veins.”

In other words, Zhu Sheng’s move hit the mark. Luo Duan wasn’t incapable of breaking through the containment, but rather was in poor physical condition and wanted to avoid conflict. Or worse, he believed that there was no high-value intelligence within the city, so there was no need to stay longer.

It was time to find an excuse to slip away and meet with Shu Jun.

Since Y City has been sealed, there had been no communication between the two for four whole days. However, with the strict lockdown in place and the entire city being inaccessible, he must find a way to transmit the information properly.

Just as Zhu Yanchen was pressing his temples, he heard the sound of a doorknob turning at the entrance. His scalp tightened, and he stood up, gripping the handle of his gun—

However, before he could turn around, his wrist was grabbed, and a head rested on his shoulder from behind.

“Don’t be so nervous, A’Yan.” Shu Jun released his grip on Zhu Yanchen’s wrist, lowered his hood, and leaned over to give a peck on the cheek. “It’s always been you who comes to find me, so I occasionally need to come to find you too.”

Tang Heyu gripped his bottle tightly, coughing forcefully a couple of times.

“Who is this?” Shu Jun straightened up, and a strand of erosion emerged from his sleeve, trembling as it closed the door.

“Tang Heyu, Senior Tang. An esteemed senior in erosion research. He’s on our side. I gave him a brief overview of the situation.” Zhu Yanchen introduced, extending his hand. “Shu Jun, why did you come?”

“Well, because ‘I really miss you,'” Shu Jun replied with a playful smile.

Marshal Zhu hesitated for a moment, and his pale earlobes reddened slightly. “There’s another reason.”

“Luo Duan has escaped, and I came to give you a warning. After all, I can fly fast,” Shu Jun said solemnly. “But this lockdown in Y City is really strict. There are alarm grids deployed even in the sky. I suppressed the erosion within my body and disguised myself as an ordinary person to blend in… But when it comes to leaving, it’s bound to be troublesome.”

“No wonder you don’t have a girlfriend checking up on you. Turns out, it’s your boyfriend checking up,” Tang Heyu said in a faint tone. “Chenchen, you never mentioned that you have this kind of relationship with the leader of the synthetics.”

“I wanted to tell you when the situation was right. After all…”

After all, this matter was irrelevant to the current situation, and he didn’t know how receptive the old man would be. If the two of them ended up arguing about this, it would only waste precious time.

“What? You actually hid our relationship from your elders.” Shu Jun sniffed mockingly. “Chenchen, that’s too much.”

Zhu Yanchen’s face twitched a few times. He seemed like he wanted to explain but also appeared somewhat at a loss, frozen in place.

Seeing the shattered facade, Shu Jun burst into laughter and playfully pinched Zhu Yanchen’s face. When he turned to Tang Heyu, his expression became completely serious.

“Mr. Tang.” He nodded. “Since A’Yan trusts you, I’ll be straightforward. Yesterday, I had a meeting with Luo Duan—it wasn’t a chance encounter, but an official meeting.”

“Neither A’Yan nor I expected that he would leave Y City so early. I handled the matter according to the original plan, but A’Yan needs to know.”

“…How many people?” Zhu Yanchen remained silent for a while, sighing.

“Twenty one people.”

“What are you talking about? The number of casualties?” Tang Heyu set down his glass, furrowing his brow tightly, deepening the wrinkles on his face.

“Yes and no.” Shu Jun took a deep breath. “I will tell you everything that has happened.”

Two days ago.

Luo Duan, who had escaped from Y City, followed the guidance of the Erosion Swamp and headed towards the direction where Sigma was located. However, he hadn’t gone far when his whole body felt heavy, causing him to immediately kneel down. In the midst of struggling breaths, a figure appeared in front of Luo Duan.

“Shu Jun,” Luo Duan said hoarsely.

“No wonder there was such a unique erosion reaction suddenly.” Shu Jun touched Monday, who was twisting around seeking praise. “Lao Luo, you managed to escape early.”

“Thanks to you.” Luo Duan took two steps back and sneered. “If it wasn’t for you causing a commotion at the stronghold, Zhu Sheng wouldn’t have reacted so intensely.”

“You’re well-informed. Living in the command center suits you.” Shu Jun waved at Monday, and the wind generated by the swing of his large sword carved several whirls in the muddy ground.

Luo Duan narrowed his eyes. “This place is surrounded by water, and there are also underground water veins. You can’t catch me.”

“I know,” Shu Jun said in a deep voice. “I just want you to wait here for me for twelve hours.”

“No need. I don’t want to listen to your grand speeches or watch your prepared tricks.” Luo Duan responded hoarsely. “Rest assured, I won’t attack immediately. Your cooperation with humans won’t last long. As long as you reveal a weakness, I will immediately bring the Erosion Swamp here and kill all of you…”

“You talk tough, but if you were really that ruthless, you wouldn’t have given Yi Ning a little tip.” Shu Jun interrupted without any reservation. “Lao Luo, do you know that Yi Ning went to the settlement today? He’s searching for the NPC that ‘assisted the Blackbirds in fighting against the Erosion Swamp back then.’ As a gesture of goodwill, he left the city before the lockdown and personally went to the settlement to invite them.”

“That idiot is certainly capable of doing such a thing.” Luo Duan suddenly laughed. “It seems that one of the NPCs is you? That sword of yours… Tsk, no wonder when we last met, you deliberately came empty-handed. Quite cunning, Captain Shu.”

“That’s not the point. You’re giving Yi Ning a chance—a chance to protect the settlements.”

“I just wanted him and Zhu Sheng to fight like dogs—a fierce fight. If you want to discuss these trivial matters, I’m sorry, but I have to hit the road.”

“Actually, giving someone a chance is not a bad idea.” Shu Jun looked straight into Luo Duan’s eyes. “Back at the Reunion Festival, if you had given your people a choice, there might have been quite a few who would have followed you.”

“And then you took them all away.” Luo Duan snorted coldly.

“That’s what I wanted to say.” Shu Jun plunged his sword into the muddy swamp. “Give me twelve hours, and I’ll return a portion to you.”

“What did you say?!”

“I said, give me twelve hours, and I’ll return a portion of the players to you.”

Luo Duan’s expression turned grim. “I thought you would…”

“I will take care of my own people. But as you can see, some people will always harbor hatred that can’t be resolved.”

Shu Jun spread his hands; his voice soft.

“I have done everything I can, but there are still those who hold onto their hatred, intending to kill or commit suicide. These people are old soldiers, and after all this time, that sentiment is certainly not a momentary impulse or confusion. I can’t force them to live in misery—I’m sure you understand that, Lao Luo.”

Luo Duan held his breath, his expression becoming complicated.

“You would kill them, right? Ah, I mean, feed them to Sigma…”

“Sigma?”

“The Erosion Patriarch that’s waiting for your return.”

“…I will.”

“So give me twelve hours. I will explain this matter and its consequences to those people clearly. If they still choose to follow you, I’ll bring them along. They’ve had enough time in the front lines, and a twelve-hour period of reconsideration should be enough.”

This time, Luo Duan fell silent for quite a while.

“Are you insane?” After a moment, Luo Duan spoke again. “You—”

“You think you’re black, and I’m white. You think I’m the compassionate ambassador guarding our people.” Shu Jun smiled, taking a step closer. “You think I would tie up those people without a second thought, then quickly eliminate Sigma to sweep everything under the rug?”

“Or rather.” Shu Jun took another step towards Luo Duan. “Do you think I’m willing to play the role of the good guy so that you can comfortably push yourself towards the path of the villain? You’re not good at being ruthless. That’s why you’ve always lost to me. I heard, Lao Luo, that you deliberately killed your own teammate, right? Tell me, did you cut off all your retreats, afraid that you might have a change of heart?”

The complex expression on Luo Duan’s face vanished, leaving behind a heavy atmosphere of gloom and suppression.

But before he could speak, he was seized by the scene in front of him—

Now Shu Jun stood just a step away from him, emanating an immensely oppressive aura. This oppression didn’t stem from a fighting intent, but rather carried boundless hatred and malice. The air instantly thickened like glue, and breathing became suffocatingly painful, reminiscent of drowning. His limbs felt as if they were frozen in ice, unable to move.

The difference in combat power was too great. Was it due to the disparity in the size of the Erosion Swamp within them? Or was it the difference in the Erosion Swamp’s unique abilities?

Luo Duan clenched his teeth, forcing himself to look into the other’s eyes. The grayish-white pupils held no trace of light, only bringing to mind the ashes of burnt bones.

“Sigma has shown me many things. It’s quite ironic, considering I’ve died once before as well.” Shu Jun grabbed hold of Luo Duan’s collar. “If it weren’t… truly a plan for human destruction, you wouldn’t have been involved in this, Luo Duan.”

“Twelve hours.” Luo Duan made a decisive decision, splitting himself into multiple fragments, ready to escape at any moment. “Alright, I’ll wait for you.”

Those fragmented pieces hung in the air, resembling shattered colorful sculptures. Shu Jun released his grip on Luo Duan’s collar partially, snorting. “Then it’s settled.”

Twelve hours passed.

“Is it really okay to let them go like this?” Hu Yan watched more than twenty people leave, his voice trembling slightly. “They’re going to…”

“We managed to persuade seven of them to stay, and we did our best. As for Luo Duan, even provocation couldn’t bring him back. I believe he has made up his mind.” Shu Jun patted Hu Yan’s shoulder. “Those people will definitely disclose the location of the underground stronghold to Luo Duan. Let’s return early and arrange the transfer of the remaining teams. The remaining individuals have mostly stabilized, so things should be much easier.”

“Captain…”

“Yes?”

“I heard that when the Erosion Swamp devours a synthetic human, it becomes stronger. By doing this, won’t Sigma…”

“I will protect all of you. Don’t worry.” Shu Jun stared in the direction where the small group of people disappeared. “As for the humans… they have an obligation to resist the fury of those people.”

“…”

“Let’s go back.”

“Captain, is your cooperation with humans truly cooperation? Now that it’s just the two of us, if you have… ahem, if you have any other intentions, it would be good to let me prepare mentally.”

“What are you thinking!” Shu Jun gave Hu Yan a pat on the back of his head. “Why would I deceive you? Cooperation is just that, cooperation.”

“Because your expression just now was terrifying,” Hu Yan said softly.

“Oh.” Shu Jun rubbed his face. “You’re right, I should find someone to relieve some stress.”

……

“So, I came to deliver the information and relieve some stress.” Shu Jun summarized briefly, hugging Zhu Yanchen’s waist and burying his nose in his shoulder. “Anyway, that’s the situation. The synthetic humans have been organized into groups and taken to other settlements by members of the Old Fourth.”

The relaxed expression on Tang Heyu’s face disappeared. The old man stared intently at Shu Jun, his lips pursing and relaxing repeatedly.

“Are you worried, Tang Lao?” Shu Jun smiled, sensing the scrutiny. “Worried that your Grand Marshal has been deceived by me? Hey, A’Yan, what are you doing?!”

Zhu Yanchen turned around and flicked Shu Jun’s forehead. “Stop teasing the elder.”

Shu Jun’s hands still encircled Zhu Yanchen’s waist as a piece of cool erosion slipped from his hand and rubbed against his forehead. He buried his nose in Zhu Yanchen’s shoulder again making his voice slightly muffled. “Luo Duan is cautious. I’ve shown my strength, and with the collaboration of humans… From the current situation, if Sigma takes action, there are only two possibilities. First, friction arises between humans and synthetics, resulting in mutual destruction. Second, Luo Duan’s lifespan is nearing its end, and if Sigma doesn’t take action, they won’t be able to utilize his brain.”

“In other words, we still have time.” Tang Heyu summarized slowly while his eyes remained alert as he stared at Shu Jun.

“At most six months. I’ve reviewed Luo Duan’s information. The erosion has severely affected his brain, and its functions will gradually deteriorate. Now that he is partially fused with the Erosion Swamp, this process will only accelerate.” Zhu Yanchen jotted down a series of calculations and pushed them towards Tang Heyu. “Although Sigma will try to prolong his life, in the worst-case scenario, we only have two to three months left.”

“So, my Grand Marshal, put in more effort and quickly finish that election of yours. Time waits for no one.”

Shu Jun nudged Zhu Yanchen’s shoulder with his chin.

“Become the leader sooner and let me experience being the First Lady… er, First Gentleman.”

His tactics were quite successful. Tang Heyu’s expression shifted several times between “This thing is quite dangerous” and “This guy is improper”, eventually settling on the latter. The old man no longer glared at him but turned his head towards the corner of the wall, unable to bear it any longer.

“You two go ahead and talk. I’ll leave. Besides, I wouldn’t understand what you’re talking about anyway.” Shu Jun waved his hand after completing the relieving hug. “I actually have something to do. A’Yan, I’ll see you tonight.”

“I’ll see you off.” Zhu Yanchen calmly held Shu Jun’s hand, their fingers interlocking.

“Go on, go on.” Tang Heyu waved his hand impatiently, as if shooing away invisible flies.

The underground bar was deep underground, with a staircase that went up for at least two floors. The corridor was dimly lit, and Zhu Yanchen didn’t let go of Shu Jun’s hand the entire time.

“Do you really have something to do?” he asked seriously.

“Well, didn’t I just say it? Yi Ning went to the settlement to find us. I gave him a response, saying that I’m willing to meet him.” Shu Jun’s voice was filled with a smile. “After all, I have to make some effort to help you secure the leadership position, right?”

“Don’t tease him too much. Yi Ning is quite talented, but he’s too naive.”

“That’s good, it’s not a ‘don’t kill him’ situation.” Shu Jun slightly loosened his grip, and his claw lightly scratched Zhu Yanchen’s palm. “Ah, A’Yan, I really like you.”

In the next second, his waist was embraced, and Zhu Yanchen kissed him gently, neither intense nor passionate. From their breaths to the touch of their tongues, Zhu Yanchen’s actions were full of tender solace.

Shu Jun let out a muffled sigh in his throat. His claw hooked onto Zhu Yanchen’s back, wholeheartedly responding to the kiss in the dimly lit corridor.