The leaden gray clouds pressed lower and lower. The sky split open, recklessly pouring water down, the dense crackling splashing up a layer of white mist as if trying to drown the ant-sized police officers below.
Blue and red lights illuminated each solemn face. An Bao, wearing a reflective fluorescent yellow raincoat, knelt on one knee with his back to the waves, carefully examining the flesh that had been washed out of the sewer pipes before the shoreline could swallow it. A patch of pale skin, less than a palm’s width, still attached to black hair; a painted red toenail; and a few bones nearly crushed to powder—any ordinary person would have fainted on the spot, but this was routine for these criminal investigators.
The cuts were uneven—not made by any tool.
An Bao’s brow twitched. He frowned and stood up. Several flashes of light clicked and dazzled his eyes. His junior apprentice stepped forward: “Captain An, after verification, this isn’t the primary crime scene either.” An Bao nodded and lifted his leg. “I’m going to make a call.”
Two long, drawn-out rings, and the other end quickly picked up.
Gu Lingzhou stood in the wind and rain corridor that sheltered him from the elements. Raindrops falling from the eaves merged into the puddles below, leaving behind faint ripples.
“How is it?” Gu Lingzhou spoke first. “What did you find?”
An Bao instinctively reached for his waist, found his pocket empty, and withdrew his hand, closing his eyes with a sigh. “You were right. Among the things that came out today, besides one highly decomposed body, everything else was scattered fragments. The cuts were about the same as the severed hand.”
Gu Lingzhou remained silent for a long time. An Bao could only hear steady breathing and the sound of rain.
“Brother, do you know something?” Years of vigilance sharpened Captain An’s gaze as if trying to dig information out of those breaths. The breathing on the other end grew heavier. “No. I just wanted to confirm.”
Gu Lingzhou denied it, but An Bao, having come out of the military and joined the police force, had long developed sensitive instincts. Plus, he knew Gu Lingzhou—despite his “General” title, this man’s mind was sometimes no more mature than a child’s. He couldn’t hide things. An Bao’s eyes narrowed as he spotted the forensic officer in the distance collecting samples. She crouched low, using tweezers to pick up the victim’s remains.
“Gu Lingzhou, I’m your senior,” Officer An’s lashes were soaked by raindrops the size of beans, clumped tightly together. His weather-beaten face was also covered in droplets. “You think I don’t know why you asked me to check the recent bodies?”
Gu Lingzhou knew An Bao was sharp—he was like a cheetah. An Bao was both his senior and his comrade-in-arms.
The General and the former General faced off in silence through the crackling static of the radio waves.
“Tell me. Your guess.”
Gu Lingzhou: “You’re no longer in the military now.”
“Fuck you, Gu Lingzhou! You think I’m an idiot?!” Captain An roared. All the officers working nearby looked over—their hot-tempered pepper was angry again. An Bao looked up, frowning at the slackers, and called out: “Collect some more soil samples!” The officers snapped out of it and quickly lowered their heads.
“Tell me what’s going to happen?” An Bao turned his back, the veins at his temples throbbing. At this moment, a silver needle shot out from his heart, but he didn’t know which blood vessel it had entered. He had a sense of doom that could strike at any moment—a fear stemming from the unknown creatures and the oppressive sky above. “Even if you don’t say it, I know what’s going to happen. Gu Lingzhou—have you forgotten who I am?”
His eardrums pounded like war drums. The howling sea wind suddenly yanked off his hat. Rain and salty wind rolled into his collar, raising goosebumps. A foreboding feeling enveloped him.
An Bao let the rain and wind soak him. His dark eyes radiated a chilling cold. “Are there Zerg intruders… Speak!”
After a long moment, a very soft “Mm” came from the silent other end. The sound was like a monstrous wave, churning up white spray, mixing with the rain as it crashed onto An Bao’s bloodless face, drowning his reason—then rapidly receding, leaving only devastation in its wake.
An Bao roughly wiped his face, shaking off the water. “Where are you? I’m coming to you now.”
·
The clock hands on the wall ticked monotonously, approaching four.
Shi Yuxing had showered and come downstairs in loose pajamas. The rain today was too heavy—half the hospital basement had been flooded, and all afternoon consultations had been cancelled.
“BOOM—” Thunder cracked like a grenade. The rain and mist instantly grew fiercer. Shi Yuxing looked out the window. The leaden clouds had completely blocked the city’s high-rises. Rolling thunder rumbled within those layered clouds. Shi Yuxing stared at them, struck by an inexplicable unease—as if something terrifying might strike down at any moment.
“BOOM—”
Shi Yuxing’s shoulders jerked. His heart felt like someone had flicked it, a numb chill instantly surging through every nerve, down to his fingertips.
A warm body pressed against his back. Along with a faint trace of fir, there was also a hint of sweet warmth. Shi Yuxing turned his head, stunned for a moment by the handsome bespectacled face—then his nostrils flared.
The man’s gentle voice and warm breath hit his ear: “I made dessert.”
“You know how to do that too?” Shi Yuxing’s attention was immediately captured, the electric tingling sensation vanishing in an instant. Following the faint sweet aroma, he was led toward the kitchen.
Opening the door, Shi Yuxing saw Xiao Zhou carefully using thick gloves to remove the egg tarts from the oven. His eyes lit up and he happily walked over. “You made these while I was showering? That’s amazing!”
“Wife, don’t touch these yet.” Xiao Zhou stopped Shi Yuxing from coming closer, blocking the egg tarts. “They’re hot.”
Shi Yuxing curled his lips, looking at him like he was an idiot. “Of course I know I can’t touch them right now. I’m not stupid. I just wanted to see how you made them.”
Da Ling wrapped his arms around Shi Yuxing from behind, his nose filled with the fresh scent of body wash. After savoring it deeply, he explained: “We bought pre-made egg tart liquid—you just pour it into the shells and bake. Not as hard as you’d think.” Shi Yuxing understood—no wonder they’d made them so quickly. They were semi-prepared ingredients.
Shi Yuxing leaned in, his long lashes lowering. One, two, three, four, five, six—six in total, just enough for two each.
Once the surface of the egg tarts had cooled a bit, Shi Yuxing couldn’t wait to divide them equally. The three of them sat on the same side of the dining table, squeezed together. The eggy, milky aroma first entered his nostrils, then reached his taste buds. Shi Yuxing bit into the crispy, warm crust, crumbs circling his lips. Da Ling was the first to wipe them off with his hand; Xiao Zhou, who had pulled out a tissue, retracted his hand resentfully and shot him a glare from the corner of his eye.
“You eat too.” Shi Yuxing’s cheeks grew warm as he glanced at Da Ling’s plate. Immediately, the egg tart from the other’s plate landed on his own. “I’m working out—not suited for sweets.” Seeing him say that, Xiao Zhou also gave his remaining one to Shi Yuxing. “I don’t like sweets either.”
So what had started as just enough for a taste ended up filling his entire stomach, leaving his teeth a little cloyed from overeating. He rubbed his belly and let out a small burp, thinking he probably wouldn’t need dinner.
Just then, Xiao Zhou suddenly gasped loudly, like a startled snake hissing. “You guys, look at the news! The police found dismembered body parts at multiple drainage outlets today!” He spread his phone on the table, and three pairs of eyes stared at the heavily pixelated images.
His defined fingers withdrew from the tabloid report. Gu Lingzhou looked up at An Bao sitting across from him. The police uniform outlined his broad shoulders and narrow waist, a string of numbers rising and falling with his breath on his chest. The air was cold. An Bao’s face was pale as he held his forehead. “Those goddamn reporters! Fuck! What rotten luck.”
Gu Lingzhou stood up, refilled the empty paper cup with water, and placed it back on the table. An Bao rubbed his temples, his eyeballs moving beneath his lids. He suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils shifting to Gu Lingzhou. “You said the Zerg might attack in the next few days, but headquarters hasn’t shown any reaction. How do you know?” The very fact that he was sitting here saying this meant An Bao was already mostly convinced.
“Instinct.” He chose not to reveal the existence of the other two Gu Lingzhous, even though he trusted An Bao.
An Bao let out the breath in his chest, picked up the paper cup, and took a sip. His eye muscles strained, his gaze still fixed on Gu Lingzhou’s face. “It’s not that I don’t believe you—but are the Zerg really that smart? Avoiding satellites, lying dormant for so long—that’s not like them.” This was completely different from the stupid creatures he remembered—those brainless things attacked whatever they saw, even choosing targets at random, like serial killers.
“They’ve evolved. I know it’s hard to believe, but before the Ren Jia case, were there any large amphibious Zerg?” Gu Lingzhou said flatly. Seeing An Bao’s silence, he added: “I’ve already reported this to headquarters.” He let out a deep breath, cold undercurrents hidden beneath his eyes.
“Those old fossils told you you’re making a mountain out of a molehill, didn’t they? Fuck—I could tell from your reaction. That’s exactly why I retired without becoming an instructor. Those idiots piss me off. Though there are plenty of idiots in the police force too.”
Gu Lingzhou sat back down across from An Bao. “And the fact that they can be patient enough to lie in ambush means their intelligence has also evolved. I suspect this group of Zerg might target places like military hospitals.”
An Bao pressed his lips together, his lip line taut, his expression one of total understanding—his eyes practically writing “you have ulterior motives” in big letters and pasting them on his face. After a moment’s thought, An Bao still nodded. “What you’re saying isn’t unreasonable, but since headquarters hasn’t issued orders, how are you going to act?”
“I want to gather these personnel and relocate them.”
“You think this is a game? Who would dare without approval—” An Bao stopped mid-sentence. He looked at Gu Lingzhou’s icy eyes, swirling with mockery, sarcasm, and a hint of arrogant smile. An Bao’s face was full of shock: “You…”
Gu Lingzhou opened the file bag he’d brought. “Who said I don’t have approval?”
“How is that possible? Those old bastards agreed? Then why didn’t you say so earlier—you had me worried for nothing.” An Bao rubbed his eyes. It was indeed the headquarters seal—no mistake, because this special golden inkpad reflected different colors under different lighting, just like the anti-counterfeit marks on currency.
Gu Lingzhou watched him turn the paper at multiple angles to verify the stamp, and said calmly: “I slipped this paper in with other documents. They stamped it.”
An Bao swayed, gripping the edge of the table, his eyes full of disbelief, practically shouting: “You’re insane!!!”
The alpha in military uniform before him didn’t flinch, as if getting arrested or stripped of his position was nothing to worry about. An Bao had never thought of him as this crazy—well, actually, he had. Last time, when this guy heard his wife had run off with someone else, he’d abandoned his duties, ignored all advice, and even confiscated one of An Bao’s starships for a traffic violation.
An Bao: …
An Bao: “I knew those old farts wouldn’t just stamp it based on your word. This is too dangerous. If the Zerg actually come, fine—but what if they don’t? What will you do then?”
Gu Lingzhou closed his eyes. Those eyes, full of unbearable pain, appeared suddenly. Silently, he forced the tears back into his eyes. Hot blood surged in his chest, his throat bobbing painfully, his voice hoarse: “Brother… I can’t take that gamble. Whether the Zerg come or not, I’m willing to bear the consequences alone.” I only want Shi Yuxing to live.
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