Chapter 194 - 193: Depart Immediately

Chapter 194: Chapter 193: Depart Immediately

Summer was a season of torrential downpours. Dark, heavy clouds pressed down on the sky, making it feel impossibly low.

The muggy air felt like a viscous plankton, clinging to anyone who dared to step outside and coating them in a layer of stickiness.

Feng Ling couldn’t believe she had to travel south in this heat.

She lowered the AC by a couple of degrees, lying on the sofa to watch TV while she waited for Su Yuqing to contact her.

A funeral was being broadcast live on television.

The funeral was being held in Yanjing City. The three Inspectors would be interred in the National Martyrs’ Cemetery.

A large photograph of Ye Zheng was displayed alongside those of the other two Inspectors who had died in the Maze.

The venue was filled with white flowers and pale green hydrangeas, set against a base of dark green pine branches, creating a scene that was both solemn and beautiful.

Ye Zheng’s body couldn’t possibly be in the casket. It most likely held her old clothes, or other items of sentimental value.

Feng Ling caught a glimpse of Su Yuqing on screen for a few seconds. He wore a black formal suit with a white balloon flower on his lapel, his expression somber.

As the person closest to Ye Zheng, his attendance at the funeral was perfectly understandable.

The camera then panned across some of the family members, none of whom Feng Ling recognized. She had no idea if Ye Zheng’s relatives were among them.

As she was idly watching the broadcast, the doorbell rang.

Before Feng Ling could make a sound, Huangfu Miaomiao had already eagerly run to get the door.

Feng Ling turned to look. Su Yuqing was walking through the metal gate with two men, heading toward the sales office. Feng Ling recognized both their faces but had completely forgotten their names.

’What were their names again...’ Feng Ling muttered, slowly rising from the sofa.

She grabbed the remote and quickly turned off the TV to spare Su Yuqing the potential awkwardness of seeing the funeral broadcast.

The moment he stepped inside, Su Yuqing made the introductions. "This is Xu Yiming. You met him in Daling Forest a few days ago. And this is Cao Hongyi, a member of the Qingjiang Branch’s Special Attack Team. You should remember him, right?"

Feng Ling: "..."

’A little, but not really.’

Cao Hongyi smiled. "It’s understandable that Ms. Ling doesn’t remember me. We were on a mission in those underground caves, and the lighting down there was so bad you could barely see anyone’s face."

"Oh, you’re Old Cao!" Feng Ling finally recalled. "What brings you here?"

"I’m here to drive the large truck," Cao Hongyi explained. "I have experience with this sort of thing. I used to drive heavy vehicles to transport military supplies."

Xu Yiming added, "Old Su said he needed people for a long-haul trip. It’s a dozen or so hours on the road, and he was worried one driver wouldn’t be enough. Cao Hongyi and I can take turns."

Feng Ling was quite surprised and glanced instinctively at Su Yuqing. She had assumed he would just hire any random truck driver, not arrange for two people she knew.

Su Yuqing seemed to read her mind. "You’re heading to Guangshan City," he said. "Alien Species activity is more frequent there, which makes it more dangerous. I wanted to find two drivers who could protect themselves, just in case something happens on the road."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Once you reach Guangshan City, Cao Hongyi will fly back to Qingjiang on his own. He’s on the Special Attack Team and has his regular duties to attend to, so he can’t stay for long. Xu Yiming, however, will remain. You can call on him whenever you need a vehicle."

...The truth was, Su Yuqing never meant to recruit Xu Yiming at all. He had only called to ask for recommendations for reliable Hunters.

Unfortunately, Xu Yiming had volunteered with such enthusiasm that it was impossible to turn him down.

Feng Ling was pleased. "Great. Then let’s head out now."

Their bags were already packed. Feng Ling and Huangfu Miaomiao each slung on a backpack, called out to Li Qing, and prepared to depart immediately.

Su Yuqing advised, "A storm is coming. If visibility gets bad, pull over at the nearest service area to rest. You have to be safe."

"Got it, got it," Feng Ling chirped, nodding repeatedly. With her backpack on, she went into the building and pulled Ye Zheng out, helping her into the large truck.

A moment later, the Cat Spider and Cat Owl clambered in as well.

The truck’s cargo bay was air-conditioned and kept at a comfortable temperature. A sofa chair was set up on one side, and on the other were the weapon cases Feng Ling required. There was also food and water, a testament to Su Yuqing’s thoroughness.

Cao Hongyi and Xu Yiming conferred briefly and decided to switch drivers every three hours so neither would get too exhausted.

And so, the group set off, their departure feeling both well-prepared and slightly rushed.

Su Yuqing watched the truck disappear into the distance. Standing alone on the roadside, he murmured, ’I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye...’

’It’s all Xu Yiming’s fault.’

’With him around, I couldn’t find a way to get him to leave so I could speak to Ye Zheng alone.’

’She seemed to glance at me just now. Does that mean she’s starting to remember...?’

...

...

Inside the large truck, Xu Yiming was in high spirits. One moment he was chatting about Wen Xiuyan being called in for questioning by the Supervision Bureau, and the next he was asking Feng Ling what her business in Guangshan City was.

Feng Ling told him she was going to Guangshan City to find a Maze.

That made Xu Yiming even more excited.

Huangfu Miaomiao couldn’t take it anymore. Thinking his grin was particularly foolish, she frowned and said, "Mister, shouldn’t you rest a little? You have to drive in three hours."

Xu Yiming laughed heartily. "Don’t worry! You can have complete faith in my driving! I used to drive big rigs for deliveries all the time. You could say I have a knack for it. Any vehicle in my hands becomes as tame as a lamb. I can even pilot a freighter."

Feng Ling asked curiously, "So how did you and Captain Su meet?"

"We went to the same school," Xu Yiming said with a grin. "Old Su didn’t tell you? Him, me, and Ye Zheng—the three of us used to be really close. Back then, Old Su was the school’s famous bookworm, while Ye Zheng and I were the famous troublemakers. But that girl Ye Zheng backstabbed me our senior year. Old Su actually got her to turn over a new leaf and start hitting the books! HAHAHA, in the end, both of them passed the entrance exams, and I was the only one who flunked..."

In the corner of the cargo bay, Ye Zheng lifted her head slightly, only to quickly bury it again.

She looked so different now, and with the mask on, Xu Yiming didn’t recognize her.

Feng Ling retrieved a vial of sedative from a nearby case. She walked over to Ye Zheng and, while injecting it into her arm, nonchalantly changed the subject. "So, how did you end up becoming a Hunter?"

Xu Yiming let out a heavy sigh. "It’s a long story. One night, my dog suddenly started barking its head off. At first, I thought it was a burglar, so I grabbed a kitchen knife and hid behind the door. The ’burglar’ outside must have gotten pissed off by the barking, because it smashed through the window and charged in. It pounced on my dog and started biting it like a zombie, and it had horns on its head! It obviously wasn’t human! I’d had that dog for nine years. The moment I saw it get bitten, I just snapped. I grabbed the knife and just started hacking away. By the time I came to my senses... I had already killed the monster. A Card appeared on its corpse..."

Xu Yiming gave a bitter smile as he continued, "The Card was all shiny. I thought it was some kind of paranormal event and reached out to touch it. It was only later that I learned it was a Card from an Alien Species."

He looked at Feng Ling and added with a self-deprecating laugh, "I was pretty smug for a while after that. I thought my dog had blessed me or something—not only was I alive, but I even got a superpower. It was only after I got in touch with Ye Zheng and Su Yuqing that I found out they’d both had Cards for a while."