Chapter 147 - 146: Paradox Spiral

Chapter 147: Chapter 146: Paradox Spiral

Wang Zhong’s eyes narrowed instantly. Even though he had anticipated this, he hadn’t expected it to happen so soon.

Even Ye Qingzhou, standing beside him with her perpetually stoic expression, turned cold.

With a sharp CLICK, Ye Qingniao, standing behind the two of them, racked the slide on her rifle. She raised the muzzle, aiming it at the not-so-distant Zhao Cheng as a faint, dark blue light flashed in her eyes.

CLICK-CLACK!

The men behind Zhao Cheng instantly raised their muzzles as well, aiming them at the group before them.

"Cyan Bird!"

"Stand down!"

Ye Qingzhou and Zhao Cheng shouted in unison.

"Colonel Ye, let’s not make this ugly. Like I said, every bullet, every person, is a resource for this convoy... We haven’t known each other long, but I don’t want to point my gun at a comrade-in-arms..."

Reaching out to push down his subordinate’s rifle, Zhao Cheng continued slowly,

"Little sister..."

"Pah! Disgusting!"

Ye Qingniao frowned and spat quietly in his direction. Even though Ye Qingzhou pressed down on her rifle, she refused to lower it.

"Are you going to kill us?"

Ye Qingzhou said coldly.

"Colonel Ye, what are you saying? Why would I kill you? Like I just said... Sigh..."

Zhao Cheng finally revealed his true objective.

"How about this: from now on, I’ll be in charge of allocating all personnel and supplies for the convoy. Your people can go if you want, but the vehicles stay..."

The vehicles were his real goal. Only by controlling mobility and supplies could he ensure his people wouldn’t become cannon fodder for some so-called "mission." It was their only chance of reaching the isolation zone alive.

"We drove those vehicles out of the military base!"

Ye Qingniao squeezed out from behind the other two, rifle in hand, and shouted.

"But now they belong to everyone!"

Although Zhao Cheng was facing the muzzle of a gun, he didn’t show the slightest weakness.

"These few men here were to protect *you* on the way to the isolation zone, but not us! We’re doing this to get to the isolation zone alive for ourselves!

That guy Zhou is dead, so the mission’s over... But this convoy is still heading to the isolation zone. From now on, there’s no mission to protect anyone. There are only combatants and non-combatants."

Ye Qingzhou watched Zhao Cheng, her face expressionless. More and more people were gathering around, including some civilians from the bus. Her group was completely outnumbered.

Besides, he wasn’t wrong. The mission was over. Even if Zhou Chaoxian hadn’t died, the mission was already over.

"I can agree, but..."

"Sis!"

Before Ye Qingzhou could finish, Ye Qingniao anxiously tried to stop her, but Ye Qingzhou ignored her and continued,

"Our people must be allowed to keep their own equipment. You can have the armored car and the assault vehicle, but we must keep one truck. We’ll handle our own food and water."

Behind Ye Qingzhou weren’t just these few veterans and Ye Qingniao, but also the researchers.

Even if the mission wasn’t important anymore, that didn’t mean the people weren’t. Every researcher with her was a key member of the Jishan Research Institute. They had to stick together.

After hearing Ye Qingzhou’s words, Ye Qingniao understood her intentions and fell silent, though she kept her brow furrowed and her finger tight on the trigger.

Nearby, Wang Zhong rested both hands on his rifle, quietly observing the "militia" that surrounded them.

His stance seemed casual, but he was positioned to shield both women. His gaze flickered between the dark muzzles of the guns and Zhao Cheng’s forehead.

He was confident that, facing these men, he could kill Zhao Cheng before taking his last breath.

"Fine..."

Zhao Cheng agreed without hesitation. This was the line he had drawn in the first place, but he was surprised Ye Qingzhou was so compliant. He even shot a provocative glance at Wang Zhong, whose killing intent was undisguised. Then, he motioned for his men to lower their weapons and said with a smile,

"Colonel Ye, you’re a smart woman. But I have to remind you, that guy Zhou is definitely dead. No one could have survived that explosion. If you don’t believe me, go see for yourselves, but don’t expect a ride in our vehicles!"

With that, he led his men away to continue repairing the generator, leaving only four or five behind to watch Ye Qingzhou’s group.

Once the crowd dispersed and the tense, confrontational atmosphere finally dissipated, the surrounded veterans hurried over. They looked to Ye Qingzhou and Wang Zhong, unsure of what had just happened.

"Colonel, what are they trying to pull? A mutiny? Should a few of us go pay them a visit tonight...?"

one of them said, sliding a hand across his neck.

"Cyan Bird, Wang Zhong, you two go to the gas station entrance and find a vehicle. Use your ability. Any car will do..."

Ye Qingzhou waved her hand dismissively at the suggestion. She first sent the two to get a vehicle, then turned to the other five men and said:

"What’s the point of killing him? If we kill him, another leader will take his place, and then the deputy leaders. Can you kill them all? When so many of them swarm us, can you win? Once morale breaks..."

She shook her head calmly.

"Remember, no matter the outcome of internal conflict, our mission always suffers the greatest loss...

Jiang Jing, you and the others go move all our weapons and ammunition from the armored car to the truck—the one the researchers are in. We’ll all be riding in that from now on."

Jiang Jing, having been called out by name, looked astonished. He asked in confusion:

"We’re giving them the armored car, too!?"

"Yes. The autocannon on that armored car is busted. I was planning on abandoning it anyway. Let them have it..."

Ye Qingzhou glanced at the distant armored car and spoke faintly. What she left unsaid was that the vehicle was more than just transport; it was a symbol. Giving it up wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

With Zhou Chaoxian around, two armored cars were equipment. Without Zhou Chaoxian, this one armored car had become a symbol of status.

"Even if they act like this, all of us still have the same goal. We can’t afford internal strife. Surviving to reach the isolation zone is what’s most important..."

"Sis!"

The whirring sound of an electric motor approached as an all-electric SUV slowly drove over from the side of the gas station. Ye Qingniao was leaning out of the passenger-side window.

"Whether Chaoxian is dead or not, we have to go and see. After all... as long as there’s even a sliver of hope, we can’t give up."

Once the car pulled to a stop beside them, Ye Qingzhou continued speaking to her men,

"We’re low on ammunition... Wenyuan, it’ll be the three of you again. Try to avoid firing your weapons.

Cyan Bird, as soon as you’ve confirmed the situation at the armored car, come right back. You can’t maintain that state for too long...

Everyone else, start organizing our supplies. As soon as the fuel pumps have power, refuel immediately. Be ready to leave at a moment’s notice."

"Okay..."

Seeing the look on Ye Qingzhou’s face, Ye Qingniao, for once, wasn’t impatient. She just agreed quietly.

"Right!"

Zhang Wenyuan opened the car door and got into the back seat, while the others acknowledged the orders and got busy.

Qingzhou watched as Ye Qingniao and the other two drove off, then returned to her own duties. She began packing up equipment with the researchers and repairing a drone’s camera lens. If they could fix it, they would have another card to play.

Not long after they left, an assault vehicle drove around the bus, exited from the other side of the gas station onto the road, and, avoiding everyone’s notice, quietly headed south.

In the distance, the orange-red clouds on the horizon grew darker, and night once again swallowed the land.

A few vehicle-mounted outdoor lights and floor lamps illuminated the open area in front of the gas station, pushing back the encroaching darkness. Guards with night-vision goggles patrolled the perimeter, their guns ready, vigilantly watching the highway.

The civilians who had gotten off the bus only dared to use their flashlights to search the nearby warehouses for useful supplies and food, not venturing far.

Most of the others remained huddled together on the bus, waiting for dawn to arrive...

And beneath that darkening, crimson night sky, on a rooftop across the road from the gas station, a slender figure was nimbly leaping between buildings.

Like a sprite that had escaped the pull of gravity, or a flying squirrel gliding with a stalk of straw.

The night wind lifted her short, chestnut-colored hair, creating an image both eerie and beautiful against the backdrop of the orange-red sky.

The figure’s every leap far surpassed human limits. Each time she landed, she would take just a couple of running steps before launching into the air again.

She hopped from one rooftop to the next along the street, heading south toward the orange-red night sky.

"Sister Qing... someone’s at the gas station. A lot of people, a lot of cars, and a tank!"

The figure spoke in a low voice into the walkie-talkie she was holding.

"*KSHHH*... Okay, we know. Zhaozhao, you must ensure your own safety. Keep your distance from the explosion site, and come back immediately after you contact Lin Fan!"

"Okay!"

Chu Zhaozhao put away her walkie-talkie and, spear in hand, stopped looking at the gas station, instead focusing on the path beneath her feet.

The two Flying Swords were simply tied with iron wire to an external belt, jostling with her every leap.

Although the sky was dim, her ability allowed her to sense all metal objects within a five or six-meter radius: rebar, outdoor air conditioning units, wall expansion bolts, electrical cables...

In this man-made jungle, even without using her eyes, Chu Zhaozhao could move like a spider traversing a web of steel, every foothold perfectly clear to her.