Apocalyptic Island - Chapter 39

Chapter 39

“I was wondering why you were lingering here.”

You Ning was startled, and then she heard Ji Shuyi’s voice.

Relying on years of unspoken understanding, You Ning immediately tilted her head. The next second, a bullet grazed past her ear and hit Ji Shuyi.

Ji Shuyi looked at her chest in shock. The silencer made the shot nearly noiseless. She didn’t fall immediately; the bulletproof vest at her chest burst open, the entire garment ruined!

Ji Shuyi didn’t have time to care about the sharp pain in her chest; she turned to flee.

Wen Yishu frowned in dissatisfaction, feeling quite annoyed at the wasted bullet. She threw out the String of Pearls wrapped around her arm, which tightly strangled Ji Shuyi’s neck. Completely unable to fight back, Ji Shuyi was yanked to the ground, the plant causing her to suffocate instantly.

Ji Shuyi felt the world go dark. What was this? What was happening to her?

Wen Yishu gave her no time to think. She knelt down, picked up the spent casing, increased the strength of her grip, and tightened the hold on Ji Shuyi’s neck. She snapped her neck without a hint of pain; this was the most decent death Wen Yishu could provide her.

She discarded the optical computer on Ji Shuyi’s hand, which exploded the moment it hit the ground. Wen Yishu didn’t like bloody scenes; Ji Shuyi had pressed the switch the moment she fell, but she hadn’t managed to take it off. If she had been given just a little more time, the optical computer would have exploded in Wen Yishu’s face the moment she approached.

Wen Yishu tapped her glasses to scan the area and whispered, “Replay the footage. Was her optical computer modified?”

Bai Mi’s voice came through the earpiece: “Received. Waiting for data analysis.”

Wen Yishu dragged Ji Shuyi’s body like a dead dog to the opposite corridor.

This wasn’t her first time killing. Her first kill was that woman in blue who had completely turned into a variant. As an ordinary citizen protecting herself, she had been forced to eliminate someone; at that time, her hands shook and she felt nauseous. The second was Director Wang. Even though turning into a variant felt different from killing a human, Wen Yishu felt much better about it. Later, on the road back to the city, she had fainted and had no chance to deal with those blocking the way.

By the third time—killing You Zhi—someone who truly deserved to die, she ended his life in an instant without a shred of regret. Her hand was steadier, her purpose clearer. Yet, not once had she been the aggressor; she was always forced into ending a life.

But You Ning hadn’t seen those three times. This was the fourth, and the moment Wen Yishu saw her, she had proactively killed this woman who had spread rumors about her and left her with no place to hide. She was no longer afraid; she faced the predicament calmly and resolved the danger without hesitation.

“It’s over.” She tossed Ji Shuyi’s body off the corridor. The teams wouldn’t be coming up from this side; it wasn’t on their way.

Wen Yishu walked back from the darkness and saw that You Ning was still in a state of shock, barely having recovered from what just happened.

“You…” You Ning’s voice caught in her throat. She suddenly realized she was reflexively backing away until her back hit the cold wall.

Wen Yishu looked up, her wet hair sticking to her face from the rain. She looked no different from how she did a week ago in Rong City.

“Ning?” Wen Yishu frowned. She tucked the pistol back into her waist and reached out to touch You Ning’s shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

You Ning jerked away. This reflexive movement made them both freeze. Wen Yishu’s hand hung in mid-air. She stood beneath the hole in the ceiling, rainwater dripping from her fingertips.

A look flashed in Wen Yishu’s eyes that You Ning had never seen before—not anger, not hurt, but a sort of indifferent weariness.

“Why like this?” Wen Yishu said softly. “Is this your first time seeing someone die?”

These words were like a slap that woke You Ning up. She suddenly realized that You Zhi must have been killed by her as well—that clean, efficient method, different from Bai Mi’s cruelty. If a tortured person had intended to resist from the start, there wouldn’t have been so much evidence of torture left at the scene.

She always thought her friend was the same person she used to be, but for Wen Yishu, killing had perhaps become as mundane as eating. This terrifying realization made her stomach churn. Her mind was a mess. What should she say? Should she say thank you, or ask her exactly how many people she had killed?

None of those were things she should say. Her friend watched her quietly. It was Wen Yishu’s calm nature that had originally attracted her and made them friends. But the silence now was torturing her to the point of madness; she desperately wanted Wen Yishu to say something to comfort her.

Wen Yishu sighed, her voice softening as she patted You Ning’s shoulder again: “Don’t think too much. Get used to it early.” There were many such days ahead; she couldn’t always be by You Ning’s side.

You Ning had subconsciously blamed Bai Mi for the previous deaths. The details she had ignored told her that her friend was actually completely different now—or perhaps, she had always been this way.

She prepared to pull You Ning into the room. You Ning swallowed hard: “Wait, I need… I need to process this.”

Wen Yishu stood before her, the light of day hitting her face. In this moment, she looked like the college classmate You Ning knew again—if one ignored the gear on her and her drastically different aura.

“Yishu, why kill Ji Shuyi? Even though I know you hate her, you didn’t have to get your hands dirty. If you just handed her to me, we could have used more legitimate means.”

Wen Yishu blinked, rain dripping from her eyelashes. “Why hesitate?” she asked back, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible. “What she wanted was more than just your life.”

Footsteps echoed from the other end of the corridor. A woman’s impatient voice drifted over: “Why is it taking so long? Haven’t you finished her off yet?”

You Ning’s heart skipped a beat. Before she could react, Wen Yishu flew out like an arrow from a bow.

In the darkness, two crisp snaps of breaking necks rang out.

Wen Yishu walked out holding two optical computers. She had just raised her hands in front of the two people, using their retinas to unlock the devices; the command issued on them was to dispose of You Ning at will. Their words clearly indicated they weren’t there to play nice. Wen Yishu dragged the two bodies to the other side, clapped her hands, and said:

“It seems you’re in more danger than I am, Ning. No time to talk, I’m loading the stuff. Take care of yourself.”

Wen Yishu considered this an indirect favor, but it would be the last. She turned the handle, slipped into the room, and tore down the curtains. Using the packing bags Bai Mi had prepared, she began to pack against the clock.

She had to take all the food. Fortunately, there wasn’t much on the second floor; as long as she packed everything from the first floor, it would be enough. As she hauled everything out of Bai Mi’s tool room, Wen Yishu felt like a titan, packing everything in the room without tire. She even grabbed the warm yellow blanket Bai Mi often draped over herself on the sofa.

You Ning stood at the door watching, then couldn’t help but come in to help. The two exchanged a tacit look and quickly established a division of labor, moving everything in the house into boxes.

In about twenty minutes, everything was organized. Wen Yishu crawled inside the shipping container. Above were triangular fixed chains, very stable; as long as the helicopter didn’t flip over, the entire container shouldn’t turn over completely. She specifically chose this box filled with supplies, leaving the other for You Ning to pack Rhine’s materials.

Chaotic footsteps came from below. Wen Yishu gave her an “OK” gesture and pulled the door shut herself.

Pitch-black darkness arrived as the door closed. A faint light glowed from her optical computer—a message from Bai Mi.

“How is it? Is everything smooth?”

Wen Yishu’s fingers flew across the screen as she replied truthfully: “Of course. Should be back in two hours. Wait for me.”

The loud clanging of the cage being secured drew Wen Yishu’s attention. She turned off the optical computer, sinking into total darkness, but the sounds from the outside became even clearer. A woman’s voice passed through the container, muffled as it reached her ears.

“Quick! We’re returning immediately! Damn it, the vanguard didn’t finish off these beasts! The Captain’s hand is injured! Quick!”

The scar-faced woman was carried on a team member’s back. You Ning stepped forward to help; the woman had fallen into a coma, completely unconscious. You Ning looked around but didn’t see the woman who had been sitting across from her by the cabin door.

“Where is that person?”

The security officer carrying the heavy weapon looked at her in surprise, then fell silent for a moment. It was unclear if it was out of annoyance at her “damned kindness” or guilt for her earlier insults.

“Dead.”

She dropped the single word, strapped the Captain to herself, and climbed the steel ladder with effort. The new superior following behind patted You Ning’s shoulder: “Let’s go, Ning.”

Xue Ruisi looked behind her and spoke in a low voice, her hand tightening on You Ning’s shoulder: “I’ve had all the data moved up. Did you see Ji Shuyi and the others?”

You Ning felt her heart beating fast. She didn’t dare look at the Director beside her, staring straight ahead and trying to say in a calm tone: “I saw them.”

Xue Ruisi looked left and right, seeing no one other than the special task force: “Why don’t I see them?”

“Director, they’re dead.”

Xue Ruisi’s foot slipped, nearly causing her to fall and take You Ning with her. She let go of her hand in surprise, looking at You Ning’s face, which showed no sign of lying.

“How did they die?” The moment the words left her mouth, Xue Ruisi covered her own mouth. “Fine, you don’t need to say anything, I understand. Well done.”

She leaned in close to You Ning, but this time she didn’t embrace her; she kept a certain distance, her tone carrying a hint of imperceptible respect. You Ning was momentarily between laughter and tears, but she didn’t clarify; it was better for them to be mistaken than to mention Wen Yishu.

The two boxes containing the mermen were loaded into the containers. Within two minutes, the helicopters took off one by one. Wen Yishu felt a moment of weightlessness, and as the chains rattled, the container began to fly steadily.

Wen Yishu turned on her optical computer again. There were no messages from Bai Mi. She contemplated how to use You Ning’s identity to secretly transport these goods away later. Perhaps disposing of them as “trash” would be faster and more convenient.

The return journey was fast. The helicopters refueled while running at maximum power; the special task force members were badly injured and needed to return to the city for treatment. Besides the Captain being in a coma, other members had varying degrees of injury. One person had an arm bitten off; their face, having lost too much blood, was already a deathly white.

The emergency doctor on board gave the injured special medicine, but it had little effect on wounds caused by variants. They couldn’t swallow nutrient supplements, so the doctor could only perform temporary debridement and hemostasis.

Xue Ruisi and You Ning were on the same flight. The injured and the doctors were on the other helicopters. This flight held those with minor injuries, and the atmosphere was extremely heavy. No one spoke the whole way, so You Ning could only stare out the window.

The helicopter blades spun rapidly. Wen Yishu didn’t know how much time had passed when she felt a jolt from the outside. She curled her body up warily, gripping the small card You Ning had given her before she entered. If anything went wrong, she could use this to open the door and get out immediately.

In the helicopter cabin above, the security officer who was still in a coma suddenly sat up from the sickbed. This startled everyone around her. An emergency doctor stepped forward with a thermometer gun, preparing to observe her condition. The person before him opened a pair of dead-fish eyes to look at him and pulled her lips into a grin.

“Thank you for the IV, Doctor. I’m so hungry. Can you help me fill my stomach?”

Heart-wrenching screams rang out in the cabin. The security door to the cockpit suddenly opened without warning, a red mechanical failure icon appearing on the green door. The pilot let out a roar of despair. Since this new generation of helicopters entered service, the AI locks had never been breached, even if the fuselage was blown up: “Mayday! Mayday! Variant organism in the cabin, injured person has mutated, requesting—”

His voice cut off abruptly. The control stick was pulled up; the helicopter pitched up sharply, leaving Wen Yishu almost standing upright in the container. Fortunately, there was a tilted angle, so she wasn’t crushed by the cargo. She cursed under her breath; she couldn’t be this unlucky. She had only thought about it earlier—she didn’t actually want to experience a stunt flight!

Two helicopters flew up and down wildly. After such high-intensity maneuvers, the smart navigation completely failed and shut down. Wen Yishu felt like she was about to vomit. In a daze, she heard Bai Mi’s inquiry through the earpiece: “What happened? Why has the plane stopped moving?”

The movement of the light on the computer was minimal. Bai Mi’s fingers slid across the screen, a bad premonition rising in her heart.

Wen Yishu’s voice came through, she was panting heavily, and the surrounding environment was noisy: “I feel like I need to parachute, but I didn’t bring a pack, what do I do?”

The helicopter was like a bird that had been hit, spinning wildly in the air. The packed cargo couldn’t withstand the powerful inertia and began flying around inside the container. Something grazed Wen Yishu’s cheek; warm liquid immediately dripped down her chin.

Bai Mi’s voice came through in an out-of-control roar: “What time do you think it is to be joking! There are many branches below. Hold on tight, exit the cabin now, and jump onto a tree when you go down! Do you hear me! Wen Yishu! Answer me!”

Wen Yishu smiled and used the card to swipe open the container door. She felt like she was going to puke. She quickly shut the door and climbed to the top, her hands death-gripping the chains holding the container. Once outside, the icy rain and gale-force winds lashed her face, and she immediately felt much better.

“Aix.” She gritted her teeth, the howling wind making it hard to hear. “Update the data.”

The voice in the earpiece was turned to maximum: “Pre… predicted survival rate before impact: 0.069%.” The usually steady electronic voice had a subtle lag, like a skipping needle on an old record player. The voice seemed to hold infinite regret: “Suggest… suggest…”

The helicopter overhead had completely lost control. For some reason, it began to climb rapidly. Wen Yishu opened her eyes to see the low-hanging clouds. A flash of lightning across the sky illuminated half the firmament; the grey sky looked like an endless abyss wanting to swallow her whole, making her unable to tell for a moment if she was in the sky or already in the sea.

Dense rain hammered against her. She thought, today really is terrible weather. Perhaps she shouldn’t have been so eager to finish everything today.

“Suggest what?” she asked softly.

Aix’s voice in the earpiece was silent for a second—for an AI, that felt like a century.

“Suggest preparing for impact.” Aix’s voice suddenly became unusually flat, stripping away all emotional modifiers.

Wen Yishu gripped the chains and stood up on top of the container. She looked down; this was not a good position. Below was a familiar sight: the giant Banyan King tree stood quietly on this vast expanse of land.

Bai Mi’s voice continued to ring out in the earpiece. Wen Yishu found her anxious state somewhat amusing, but there was no time to listen further.

She asked: “What do you smell?”

Bai Mi’s hands, moving so fast they were a blur, paused. She was calculating every possible solution, trying to hack into the still-functioning smart flight controls. “Now is not the time for this. Listen to my instructions, take out the impact pillow from the backpack.”

Wen Yishu tucked the bag under her neck. At this height, she wouldn’t even have time to open a parachute before she died. Unless the plane went a bit lower—but things couldn’t always go her way.

There was no answer from the communicator, only increasingly rapid breathing. Wen Yishu saw Bai Mi’s holographic projection flickering before her. This was the extremely power-consuming emergency communication mode. Her hand pointed precisely to the top of the Banyan King and the posture for a climbing landing.

The next second, the helicopter and the container plummeted. Wen Yishu was thrown upward by the feeling of weightlessness, then yanted back down by the String of Pearls. The plant’s crying was so loud it made Wen Yishu’s eardrums ache: “This Old Pearl never wants to go to the sky again, waaaaah!”

She saw Bai Mi’s projection flickering constantly in the static interference. Intermittent voices came through the earpiece:

“Error… operational error, smart flight not activated, emotional module unauthorized for activation.”

Bai Mi’s lips were moving, saying something. Amidst the disorganized electronic noise, she couldn’t understand what it was. Wen Yishu suddenly realized something; a fear stronger than the crash gripped her heart.

Bai Mi was crying. She had no tears, but she was crying silently—not the mechanical emotion implanted in a cyborg, but a real, out-of-control sob. Her lips trembled, unable to form a complete sentence.

Wen Yishu instinctively wanted to grab her hand: “I’ll definitely be fine, don’t worry!”

Bai Mi’s projection suddenly solidified and vanished. Wen Yishu leaped just as she approached the top of the tree canopy. In the final glance, she saw the main rotor of the helicopter above fly out like a guillotine blade, shearing off the branches in front of her.

When humans are near death, the brain secretes a large amount of dopamine to create a false sense of peace. She felt that in this moment, time moved truly slowly. Wen Yishu’s hand missed. In such a dense thicket of branches, she happened to fall into an empty space. The String of Pearls hanging on her tried to use itself to hook a nearby branch. In the moment it tightened to buffer the fall, it was sliced into two sections by a banyan branch and began to wither rapidly.

Wen Yishu felt branches constantly scraping her body. The impact sent her consciousness instantly into darkness.

The helicopter disintegrated, and a raging fire broke out among the dense leaves of the banyan tree.

Bai Mi stared at the motionless dot of light and bit her lip hard. She couldn’t understand her current feelings; she only felt an unprecedented pain in her heart. It was a sensation that no experimental pain could replace.

You Ning watched this happen in shock. Everyone in the cabin looked out the window, their bodies feeling numb, almost to the point of fainting. She watched as the planes flew further away and the container Wen Yishu was in hit the ground.

She roared: “Turn back! Turn back, I want to go back and see!”

The pilot did not follow her suggestion; the orders were to bring the mermen back to the base as quickly as possible. They had no way to land in this jungle, and turning back would be a futile effort.

Xue Ruisi, confused, held her down. Other people in the cabin had comrades on that plane, yet none were as out of control as You Ning. She advised: “Having compassion is good, but we can’t act on impulse. Someone will come to handle it.”

At this moment, the corpses locked in the boxes below were undergoing mutation. They weren’t the corpses of mermen, but two special security officers who hadn’t yet stopped breathing.

The woman sitting on another helicopter glanced outside, retracted her gaze in dissatisfaction, and muttered under her breath: “Stupid pigs who only know how to eat.”

The person sitting next to her glanced at her with inorganic eyes and said mockingly: “Alright, stop pretending. The pot shouldn’t call the kettle black; you were like this at the beginning too.”

The two looked at each other and grinned together, revealing mouths full of sharp teeth.

Support Apocalyptic Island