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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 245: Deep Sleep - Awakening
The Northwest Wind howled as always, carrying a chill that swept through the air, stirring waves on the sea and lifting dry leaves in the city, ultimately crashing into the desolate wilderness blanketed by snow.
The Gobi Desert was a true reflection of its current state, with mountains resembling silver serpents and vast plains akin to waxen elephants. The Launch Tower stood tall on the frozen ground of the wasteland, draped in white, rendering its original form unrecognizable; the gray buildings were also cloaked in a layer of silver, almost blending into the earth. The entire expanse was dazzling and blinding, with a continuous stretch of pristine white snow, dotted here and there with faint marks.
In front of the familiar yet strange buildings, Copper Containers formed a barrier, concealing the wounds of the walls. Between two rows of Containers lay a narrow path trampled down by heavy boots, the light snow compacted into a crystalline walkway after being battered by cold winds and low temperatures. The doors of the Containers swung inward, revealing many burly men in black gathering in groups, clutching bottles of strong liquor, steel guns, and women, expressing their discontent with the harsh cold in various languages. These men and women had different skin tones and faces; their voices were rough and their behavior crude, with bursts of laughter echoing starkly across the deserted wilderness.
Inside the 'walled city' formed by the Containers, fires burned brightly. The main entrance to the building was half-open, allowing glimpses of people moving about inside. Compared to the bustling barrier outside, the crowd within was much quieter. They too gathered in small groups but mostly smoked cigarettes or drank quietly; few engaged in conversation, most wore stern expressions that suggested they were not in good spirits.
If someone were to look up against the flurry of snowflakes, they would notice a window opened on a building behind high walls, where a graceful woman stood.
The woman appeared indifferent; an unshakeable chill lingered between her brows. Her long black hair fell over her shoulders, dancing in the cold wind. As she opened the window, snow accumulated on the Cement Windowsill began to melt slowly due to the contrasting temperatures inside and outside. Water trickled down from the window ledge onto her feet. She shifted slightly, tightening her loose shirt around her body, exhaling a puff of misty breath before stepping back to sit on her disheveled bed. At the head of her bed sat an old Quartz Clock ticking softly, its hands precisely landing on nine o'clock when someone quietly entered through the door behind her.
"Awake?" Kenny closed the door behind him with a swift motion; his glasses fogged up slightly as he adjusted them on his nose.
"I’ve been awake for a while," Su Lan replied with a smile over her shoulder as she stretched languidly. The thin fabric of her shirt did little to conceal her curvaceous figure; as she stretched, it lifted slightly to reveal a glimpse of pale skin at her waist that matched the falling snow outside.
"Where did you go?" Su Lan asked casually while fixing her tousled hair.
"Downstairs," Kenny approached the window and shut it before turning back to her. "Wen Tao hasn’t returned yet."
"Oh," Su Lan replied lightly; she wasn’t particularly interested in these matters.
"Do you want to go down and take a look?" Kenny had grown accustomed to Su Lan's occasional aloofness and laughed lightly. "I can wait for you."
"Oh," Su Lan nodded and walked into the bathroom.
To this day, Su Lan still felt unfamiliar with this building; there used to be lively chatter but ever since heavy snowfall arrived, both inside and outside had fallen silent. Not only had the buildings quieted down, but Su Lan had also become increasingly listless lately; her overall spirit had declined significantly. She ate little and slept briefly; her only way to fend off loneliness was standing by the window feeling the wind while observing those outside Inside the Wall—listening to their conversations and watching their movements for hours on end. Even when Old Yang returned that day, she hadn’t gone out to greet him.
Su Lan did not care about the unusual changes in her body and mind; she understood the reasons behind them and felt no concern. Compared to her own issues, she found the weather to be far more abnormal. In previous years, aside from certain special regions, there had never been a snowfall that lasted this long. Fortunately, the base had long been prepared for the Winter Famine, with ample supplies of food and necessities, completely avoiding the impact of the unusual climate.
"Strange phenomena in the sky must herald monsters," she said lightly, glancing at Kenny with a half-smile as they approached the long-absent Elevator.
Kenny pressed his thin lips together and chuckled softly, replying ambiguously, "It's a bit early and a bit late."
The Elevator Passage was no longer guarded by Security personnel. The two walked side by side into the cabin, pressed the button for Underground Level Two, and with a whirring sound, the cabin began its slow descent. It paused for a moment before the doors swung open. The entire Laboratory had not changed much; black-clad Security personnel were nearly absent, replaced by men and women in white lab coats bustling about. Beyond the glass partitions, it was eerily quiet as they observed those inside busily engaged in their tasks, resembling a silent group performance.
Kenny was familiar with this place; he led Su Lan through the Aseptic Passage and into a sterilization room to change clothes before casually entering a Level Four laboratory nearby. Inside the lab were many people. Upon hearing a noise behind them, someone glanced back and nodded in greeting without exchanging further words. Su Lan's eyes brightened with curiosity at this scene. She looked at Kenny, who nodded slightly to indicate that she could move around freely.
The laboratory was well-lit, with two medical lights brightly illuminating the crowd. Su Lan leaned closer and caught sight of Yang Liangduo and An Zheng wearing masks. They stood side by side in front of an operating table where a naked female body lay horizontally. Various life-sign monitoring devices were attached to different parts of her body; some were implanted within while others adhered to her skin, as if they had become part of her.
Yang Liangduo's gaze darted between the female body and the instrument screens beside the operating table, while An Zheng squinted carefully as he injected a dose of liquid into the woman's vein. The surrounding crowd was silent, holding their breath as they intensely focused on the operating table, their eyes filled with fervor.
Su Lan's curiosity grew stronger as she glanced at Kenny again; he remained outside the crowd, seemingly indifferent to what was happening inside as he strolled toward the cold storage room. With no help from him, Su Lan had no choice but to squeeze further into the crowd. The attention of those on either side was fixed on the operating table; no one noticed this 'boss lady' cutting in line. When she brushed against someone, they merely shifted slightly to give her space without turning around. Unfortunately, the operating table was small while there were many people surrounding it. Although they made way for her somewhat, those in front still did not yield their spots. Su Lan wasn't wearing high heels today and found herself straining on tiptoe but still unable to see everything clearly, which left her feeling frustrated.
Just as she was about to push her way out of the crowd again, a sudden hoarse roar erupted in the previously silent laboratory! The sound was all too familiar; Su Lan instinctively took a step back. In that instant, she saw a white figure darting through the gaps in the crowd before everyone around her erupted into enthusiastic applause! Completely bewildered, Su Lan found herself pushed out of the throng, staring blankly at those gathered around the operating table cheering, clapping, and whistling… It wasn't until Kenny appeared behind her and patted her shoulder that she snapped back to reality.
"What... what is going on?" Su Lan furrowed her brows and shot him a look that suggested he was crazy.
Kenny did not answer her but smiled as he moved closer to the crowd and said aloud, "Looks like it worked?"
The excited crowd gradually calmed down as those in white coats made space for Kenny at the front row viewing area. Old Yang spotted his beloved disciple approaching and removed his mask to wave at him with a hearty laugh. "Thanks to Xiao An's data, it succeeded." An Zheng did not remove his mask; his expression was unreadable from his narrowed eyes as he briefly met Kenny's gaze before returning his focus to his work on the female body.
As the crowd dispersed, Su Lan stepped forward a few paces and finally got a clear view of the female body on the operating table. However, just moments after regaining her composure, she fell into another state of shock.
“……”
Su Lan raised her hand, struggling to find the words, but it was Caroline who noticed her and smiled, saying, "Aso, long time no see."
"Y-yeah, long time no see... Caroline..." Su Lan swallowed hard, watching An Zheng carefully remove the various monitoring devices from Caroline's body. Caroline remained patient, waiting for An Zheng to finish before swinging her long legs off the operating table.
"Kenny." The blonde woman greeted her boss and slipped on the coat that An Zheng handed her.
"How do you feel?" Kenny's gaze shifted from An Zheng to his right-hand woman, a rare note of concern in his voice.
"Everything's normal." Caroline replied as she moved her joints, producing a series of crisp popping sounds. She laughed lightly, "I slept too long and have no strength."
"Go rest. If you need anything, just tell Dr. An." Kenny looked quite satisfied, waving away the onlookers and leaving only Old Yang and An Zheng behind. The two doctors supported Caroline as they walked toward the exit. The foreign girl walked oddly, and Su Lan couldn't help but stare at her, feeling that this way of walking seemed familiar.
"Thank you for your hard work." Kenny approached Old Yang with a smile, offering a casual word of encouragement.
With only four of them left in the lab, Old Yang took off his lab coat and tossed it to An Zheng. He plopped down on the operating table, wiped his sweat, and sighed, "I'm getting old; I really can't keep up anymore. Thankfully Xiao An is here to help."
Kenny lifted his eyelids and glanced at An Zheng, who was busy on his own. He sighed, "Teacher, you don't need to say that; I understand her value."
"Alright, alright, let's not talk about that." Old Yang seemed a bit displeased as he turned to see Su Lan standing dumbly to the side. His eyes suddenly lit up with excitement as he jumped off the operating table and exclaimed, "Little Su!"
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