Bear virus

2.Conspiracy

A few minutes later, the patrol car pulled up outside the Phoenix International MALL. To avoid tipping off any potential suspects, I parked the car around the corner and stepped out.

Outside, the aftermath of rain left the air cold and dark, casting an eerie atmosphere over the city. In a bid to conserve energy, streetlights were shut off on the onset of the hibernation period, leaving only a few emergency lights flickering, casting multiple shadows.

As I passed an alley, several dogs suddenly bolted out, startling me.

"Damn it!" I cursed as I watched the pack of valuable pet dogs sprinting across the street. Some were even leashed with collars, likely sneaking out while their owners entered hibernation.

Beasts were beasts—without human control, they reverted to their wild instincts in a matter of days. Just like some mutants who, ordinarily blending into society, shed their benign facade the moment hibernation began, indulging in wanton mischief.

I had no time to deal with the dogs. Turning on the searchlight attached to my arm, I approached the entrance of the mall. The specialized tempered glass doors were shattered, blown open with explosives, indicating that indeed, some rats (mutants) had gotten in.

I drew my gun cautiously, proceeding inside. The waves on the locator on my arm were expanding, signaling that I was nearing the scene.

Following the locator, I soon arrived at the second floor of the mall. This floor was lined with stores selling gold, silver, jewelry, and other high-value items. I had been here with Yang Xiaomeng before the hibernation period, on her birthday, intending to pick out a piece of jewelry as a gift. Back then, it had been bustling with people, a far cry from the desolate atmosphere now.

To prevent theft, all merchandise in the stores had been stored away prior to the hibernation period, and stringent anti-theft measures were in place. However, no matter how much security was upgraded, some adept "rats" always found a way to circumvent the safeguards and achieve their objectives.

I continued forward a few meters until I heard some rustling noises ahead. Leaning against the wall, I glanced ahead and saw three tall men dragging a large bag, standing in front of a high-end boutique, surveying the area, their intentions unclear.

Drawing a breath, I contemplated my approach strategy when someone tapped my shoulder. Startled, I turned around, squinting in the dim light—it was Cheng Zhuo!

"Why are you here?" I whispered, "How did you get here?"

Cheng Zhuo was my best friend and a fellow hunter. We had known each other for seven or eight years, having enrolled together in the hunter school training program. Our relationship was rock solid—besides family, he was the person I trusted the most.

"I was patrolling nearby and heard the alarm, so I rushed over. Didn't expect you to beat me here," Cheng Zhuo replied in a low voice.

Relieved, I said, "Good timing. There are three rats here, and I was worried I couldn't handle them alone."

Cheng Zhuo smirked and gestured for me to stay put while he flanked around to the other side.

I nodded, and Cheng Zhuo patted my shoulder before walking away.

I kept a close eye on the movements ahead. After a while, Cheng Zhuo's figure reappeared on the other side. After a few seconds of silent communication, we both brandished our guns and charged forward. "Don't want to die? Get down! Get down!"

The men were startled, fleeing like rats when they saw a cat. They dashed into the nearby corridor.

"Stop! Stop or I'll shoot!"

To no avail. I gave up yelling and fired a shot at one of them.

After the gunshot, the man in the jacket fell to the ground, wounded but not dead. He lay there groaning in pain, shot in the leg. Meanwhile, the other two men showed no signs of stopping, sprinting towards the exit of the corridor.

Just as I was about to attend to the wounded man and assist in the pursuit, I heard two more consecutive gunshots.

Rushing over, I found that the injured person wasn't one of the rats but Cheng Zhuo. He had been shot in the shoulder, writhing on the ground in agony. The two men had vanished without a trace.

"Are you okay?"

"Sloppy of me," Cheng Zhuo winced, clutching his shoulder. "Thought they were just ordinary thieves, didn't expect them to be armed."

"These men came prepared," I said, picking up a broken shell casing from the ground. "I don't think their purpose here was just for money."

Cheng Zhuo looked at me. "If not for money, then for what?"

The surroundings were eerily silent, our voices the only sound. Trying to locate the two fleeing men now seemed like searching for a needle in a haystack. I decided to abandon the pursuit, tossing away the shell casing and helping Cheng Zhuo up. "Let's get you looked at first."

After a moment, we arrived at the spot where the man in the jacket had been shot. The thought of Cheng Zhuo being injured angered me, so I gave the man a kick. "What are you doing here?"

The man's face scraped against the ground, emitting painful cries, but he remained silent.

"Playing dumb, huh?" I seethed, delivering another kick. "Where did you get the gun? What are you doing here?"

The man rolled over, looking at me with a smirk.

I sensed something peculiar in his gaze but couldn't quite pinpoint the issue.