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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Eighteen
Xiao Mei lay beneath the soft blanket, recounting everything she knew about the laboratory to Song Bunan. As she reached about a third of the way through her story, she turned to see that he had fallen into a deep sleep, lying peacefully beside her with one hand resting on his stomach, as serene as if he had ascended to the heavens.
She felt an urge to slap him awake for being so unresponsive, but realizing he was injured, she reluctantly withdrew her hand, silently cursing that she would take her revenge once he recovered.
The Jiang Family had been concerned about the laboratory long before Mighty Falcon and several other families. Back when the laboratory was thriving, a branch of their family experienced an accident. After a lengthy investigation, they learned that a descendant had survived but had since gone missing. All leads pointed back to the laboratory, but before they could act, news came that it had been sealed off. Fortunately, a few years later, that child was found and returned to the family.
After the sealing of the laboratory, all traces of it vanished from the market. However, many seemingly accidental incidents mirrored those that occurred during its operation. The Jiang Family sought revenge against the laboratory that had harmed their kin, but with its disappearance, all plans were put on hold. Leveraging their family's vast resources, they tirelessly searched for any usable information, only to find themselves thwarted at every turn.
Xiao Mei and Shui Su were among the few in their family who knew the most and could react quickly. They would chase down any vague leads related to the laboratory, traveling to various cities that could potentially be targets—even if those leads pointed to remote mountains and forests. Shui Su often joked that this pursuit was an essential part of their lives, and Xiao Mei understood how much it meant to him—both from a familial perspective and his own.
In addition to being the second son of the Jiang Family, Shui Su held a unique position in the world of funerals as one of the rare practitioners of spiritual rites. He maintained a close relationship with the Ghost Messenger and dealt with fewer trivial matters than Underworld Messenger; he only needed to collaborate with the Ghost Messenger when required. His status in this realm was unparalleled. After Underworld Messenger's incident, rather than being affected negatively, he was promoted and effectively became a living Ghost Messenger.
The Jiang Family was prosperous but allowed him considerable freedom to pursue his interests; schooling and work were entirely his choices. As a child, he often faced jealousy from his elder sister who claimed their father favored his younger brother. Now, however, their sibling relationship was harmonious; even the eldest sister, who was set to inherit the Jiang Family legacy, indulged her brother and often sought his help.
Thus, when the Ghost Messenger mentioned matters concerning the laboratory and Underworld Messenger's affairs, Shui Su was quick to suggest including Song Bunan in their plans for additional support—especially for situations where he couldn't step forward himself.
Xiao Mei agreed with his idea and readily accepted Song Bunan's invitation for gossip as a means to bring him into their circle more swiftly.
As night deepened, Xiao Mei soon felt drowsy after Song Bunan fell asleep. She set her phone aside and closed her eyes. In her hazy state, she heard someone push open the door and enter the room. Upon opening her eyes, she saw Shui Su—always dressed in white—approaching with a smile as he tucked them both in before heading to the adjacent bedroom.
The person who drew near carried a faint scent of blood; Xiao Mei guessed he must have had some success today. Closing her eyes again, she heard him rustling about before getting out of bed to head for the bathroom.
Song Bunan filled a void in her life that belonged to "friends." Despite being ten years older than her, he easily engaged in playful banter with her. On that day when she was rescued from a dark alley filled with malice, she knew he could become what Uncle Meng once comforted her by saying—a true friend worthy of heartfelt trust.
They had spent ten years together without ever having an argument; they could always discuss matters lightheartedly until reaching a conclusion. If they disagreed, they would complain about each other at home only to reunite the next day for more fun under similar pretenses. Song Bunan even helped her with homework once, holding up her assignment book and exclaiming how beautifully she wrote.
The person who crawled back was chilled to the bone as they slipped under the covers, shivering as they thrust two icy hands into his nightshirt, startling him awake just as he was about to fall asleep. The drowsiness vanished instantly. Xiao Mei, furious, pushed him back down and wrapped her arms around him tightly, insisting that they couldn't fight in the middle of the night, and that if they cuddled together, they wouldn't feel cold.
"You did it on purpose!" The two of them wrestled with each other, pinching wrists and gnawing on arms, their combined maturity barely reaching ten years. As sleepiness returned, the sky began to lighten with dawn. Song Bunan was the first to plead for mercy, claiming that the sun was rising and they needed to sleep.
Indeed. Xiao Mei nodded and instantly fell asleep as she cocooned herself in the blankets.
Shui Su entered the room feeling refreshed and intending to call them for breakfast. Upon opening the door, he was met with a scene of chaos unlike any other night: sheets and pillows strewn across the floor, and the two of them sprawled out under two blankets in a tangle.
It was bound to happen. He sighed and stepped outside to inform Uncle Meng that the two had been gaming until midnight and were still asleep. The elegant old butler nodded, indicating that he would cut off their WiFi that evening and could even block signals in their room if necessary to resolve this issue.
Xin Yi held a small group meeting with her teammates regarding their current mission. The leader laid out a clear line using all available information for the newcomers who were unclear about the details. He spoke from the establishment of their laboratory all the way to discovering their abandoned lab, covering every detail. When recounting an incident from Xin Yi's former team, he specifically noted that it had been a betrayal.
The newly unsealed documents clearly stated that someone from within their ranks had infiltrated the laboratory with intentions to sabotage their mission and eliminate everyone involved. Although the leader avoided mentioning that Xin Yi had been present at the time, there were still knowing glances cast in her direction, revealing dark emotions in those watching from the shadows.
"This matter is severe. Even disregarding the despicable experiments conducted on people in our laboratory, just looking at what was done to our team is worthy of thorough investigation. These documents were sealed as confidential not to evade responsibility but to await an opportunity like this one. We will conduct a sweep throughout Rongcheng; any location suspected of harboring laboratory personnel or potential sites will be investigated. The abandoned lab in Mang Mountain already has a technical team conducting a thorough search, and any information will be reported back to us immediately. Additionally, we have received leads about a batch of old equipment bearing laboratory insignia appearing on the market—though used recently, they are numerous and scattered across various sellers, requiring focused tracking of both buyers and sellers."
At the end of the meeting, the captain entered and distributed special communication devices designated for this operation. The woman now dressed in uniform had striking black-and-white almond-shaped eyes with slightly raised brows that exuded bravery; her voice rang strong and resonant, striking chords within them.
"This time we fight for our lost brothers and family. Therefore, in all future operations, I do not wish to see anyone betray their own again. You may utilize anyone who can provide leads, regardless of whether they belong to Mighty Falcon or not. As long as you ensure your own safety and that of your teammates, you have complete freedom of action—go forth brothers; it’s time for us to take our revenge."
Mighty Falcon operated on a pay-for-service basis as a foundation; however, built upon that was an unbreakable bond with comrades who fought alongside them through thick and thin. They all understood that no one would ask them how they dealt with the laboratory; only allies or enemies would emerge—those who would either assist them or hinder them.
This world did not require compassion for anti-human entities; anything threatening cities, ordinary residents, or their safety would be eliminated—especially those traitors.
"We can adjust the number of participants at any time, and we won't be organized by teams. You can form groups or act alone, as long as communication and safety are ensured."
Xin Yi chose to act alone. Before fully launching his investigation, he returned home and reopened the Display Board that had been untouched for years. It was covered with a tangled web of threads connecting numerous photos and materials, most of which were of those who had perished in that incident.
He had never chosen to give up the investigation. Over the years, within his capabilities, he had done everything he could. Every usable clue and every piece of information that could be explored was meticulously recorded on the Display Board.
Those fallen brothers were among the few he had been close to in his long career. Before the tragedy, they would often come over without his permission, bringing food and drinks, laughing and joking around. Even if he didn't participate, their presence kept the atmosphere lively. Since then, however, the house had transformed into a place he despised, much like the village where Song Bunan's shop was located—dying in solitude.
"Don't take extreme actions; ensure your safety." His boss had seen his Display Board and warned him more than once. He remembered a time when they were both drunk; a person who rarely opened up patted his shoulder, pointed at the moon in the sky, and hazily said he never regretted pulling him out of the orphanage. "When I heard about your team's failure, I didn't dare go to the hospital. It wasn't until the captain said you were the only survivor that I had the courage to suggest bringing you into my team. Holding onto you gives me peace of mind."
The drunken man couldn't hold onto his bottle; it slipped from his grasp and shattered on the floor. In the eyes of someone weathered by time, Xin Yi saw a rare glimmer of emotion.
That was the first time he felt a sense of kinship, though he couldn't confirm if it was genuine because it lasted only a fleeting moment before evaporating with the alcohol.
He stood in front of the board, lost in thought until night fell, recalling nearly all his past experiences. As the sun set and moonlight streamed into his room, his phone on the coffee table suddenly vibrated. It was a notification from a messaging app that wasn't commonly used by Mighty Falcon.
A user with a hamster avatar sent him an animated image: a creature whose species was unidentifiable peeked out from behind a tree, its face appearing with each reveal accompanied by two words: "Are you there?"
The typing indicator flashed several times before a message came through: "Hello, Brother Xinyi! Do you have some time? I want to ask you something. No rush; just reply when you're free."
Accompanying this message was a bright pink heart with a laser-like glow that pierced his eyes in the darkness.
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