Rick raised his gun, a complex light flickering in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Li Lin. I have no choice."
The depth of human betrayal pierced Li Lin's heart unexpectedly, but he quickly regained his composure and coldly asked, "Why?"
"Why?" Rick let out a bitter laugh. "Do you know how hard it is to survive in this world? The raiders gave me hope to live."
Li Lin clenched his fists, feeling the power surging within him. "Does surviving mean betraying everyone who trusts you?"
Xiao Xing squirmed uneasily in Li Lin's arms, letting out a low whimper. Li Lin gently stroked it, soothing this life that was connected to him by blood.
Rick's gun trembled slightly. "You don't understand my situation. My family is still in the hands of the raiders."
Alpha spoke coldly, "So you sold out the entire base?"
"I had no choice!" Rick's voice choked with emotion. "They threatened to kill my wife and children."
A flicker of blue light flashed in Li Lin's eyes as he sensed Rick's inner struggle and pain. "But your choice will lead to more deaths. Have you considered that consequence?"
Rick's hand began to shake violently. "I... I just wanted to protect my family."
At that moment, another violent explosion echoed nearby, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps and gunfire growing closer.
Alpha fixed his gaze on Rick. "This isn't the time for this discussion. We need to evacuate immediately."
Li Lin took a deep breath, knowing this wasn't the moment to assign blame. "Rick, come with us. I promise I will save your family."
A glimmer of hope flashed in Rick's eyes but quickly faded again. "No... it's too late. They won't spare me."
"It's not too late," Li Lin said firmly. "We can face this together."
Rick hesitated for a moment before finally lowering his gun. "What... what should I do?"
Alpha quickly entered the password, and the elevator doors opened. "First, we need to get out of here."
The four of them rushed into the elevator. Li Lin keenly noticed a flicker of something unusual in Rick's eyes, but he chose to trust this former comrade.
The elevator descended rapidly, and suddenly, a violent jolt nearly threw them off balance.
"What’s happening?" Li Lin asked nervously.
Alpha's expression turned serious. "They might have blown up the elevator shaft. We need to hurry."
As the elevator doors opened, they dashed into a dimly lit tunnel. Alpha skillfully felt along the wall until he found a hidden switch.
"This tunnel leads to a safe house," Alpha explained. "We can regroup there."
They moved quickly through the tunnel, explosions and gunfire echoing behind them. Li Lin held Xiao Xing tightly, feeling its rapid heartbeat.
Suddenly, Rick stopped in his tracks. "Wait... I can't keep lying to you."
Everyone looked at him warily.
Rick closed his eyes in pain. "The raiders... they set a trap at the safe house."
Li Lin instantly understood. "You told them all our routes, didn’t you?"
Rick lowered his head, unable to respond.
Alpha stared coldly at Rick. "Do you know how many lives you’ve put at risk by doing this?"
"I have no choice!" Rick shouted in despair. "They threatened to kill my family if I don't cooperate!"
Li Lin felt a wave of suffocation as he understood Rick's predicament, but betrayal was still betrayal. This world was already cruel enough; if even the last shred of trust was lost, what was the point?
At that moment, Xiao Xing suddenly let out a sharp cry. Li Lin sensed a strong aura of danger. "Watch out!"
Instinctively, he unleashed a blue energy shield, blocking the bullets that shot from the shadows.
"Damn it!" Alpha muttered under his breath. "They're closing in on us."
Li Lin shielded Xiao Xing and scanned their surroundings warily. "We're surrounded."
Rick trembled as he raised his gun. "I... I'm sorry, I really don't want to do this."
Li Lin looked at his former comrade, a mix of emotions swirling within him. "Rick, you still have a choice."
Rick closed his eyes in anguish, the gun wavering between Li Lin and the raiders as he battled with his inner turmoil.
In that critical moment, Xiao Xing suddenly emitted a clear, bright call. A surge of blue light erupted from it, enveloping the entire space.
Li Lin felt an unprecedented power coursing through him, his eyes shimmering with dazzling blue light as if he could see through the very essence of the world.
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