Chapter 38: A Rescue
1265 Words
The underground garage lay deserted, a silent hell.
Before flicking on his flashlight, Zhou Lin stowed away his night-vision goggles. He had assumed he’d need time to readjust, only to discover that his vision remained astonishingly acute. While Huang Mengying might have thought the beam of his torch the only light in the darkness, Zhou Lin could see far beyond its narrow cone—every shadowed corner rendered in sharp relief.
Had evolution heightened his senses as well? He resolved to test his sight in total darkness later.
The walk from the garage to Building 7 was only a few minutes, yet Zhou Lin insisted on escorting Huang Mengying all the way upstairs.
“Thank you so much,” she murmured, straightening her torn coat. The stairwell’s chimney effect made it far colder here.
“Don’t you have warmer clothes?” Zhou Lin asked. “At this level of cold, you won’t return to the logistics park.”
Huang Mengying managed a wan smile and shook her head. Though wealthy, she was neither a mountaineer nor an outdoors enthusiast. She could not possibly have packed specialized cold-weather gear. Her fur coat was more fashion than function — cumbersome to move in, even if modified.
“I’ll check at home and bring you something suitable. We should move early tomorrow.” Zhou Lin offered, not asking if she still planned to be involved the property management. Among the truly wise, little needed to be said; had Huang Mengying insisted on that course, he would never have come to her rescue in the first place.
“How about we set out at ten tomorrow?” she asked, teeth chattering. “I’ll carry the walkie-talkie, so you won’t need to come up again. Where shall we meet?”
“In the lobby of your building,” he replied.
“Perfect. And when I arrive, can I rest for a bit?”
“No need,” Zhou Lin refused, returning her torch.
“But how will you see without a flashlight?” she protested.
“I have one,” he said, vanishing into the corridor. Darkness swallowed his departing footsteps — yet she could hear his sure stride.
Indeed, he could see.
A smile curved his lips in the blackness. Evolution had sharpened his senses; in terms of sight, he would now rival any feline. Though the image remained grainy, it guided him safely down the stairs without so much as a stumble. He knew that in such conditions, any enemy lacking similar acuity or night-vision technology would be utterly blind.
That was impossible.
Meanwhile, back at the Zhou residence, Tang Yili and Sun Chenghao were trading grievances.
Sun Chenghao cradled his left hand with his right, the fingers grotesquely twisted and mottled red and purple.
“How did you manage that? Didn’t you notice when they attacked?” he snapped.
“I’m not a dog with ears!” Tang Yili protested, half-apologetic, half-irritated. “Why should I have heard? It’s not like I’m a woman you coddle!”
“I… I only meant to grab her first!” Sun Chenghao retorted, glaring.
“That’s your own fault!” Tang Yili shot back. “You froze up around a woman — and you got beaten for it. Serves you right!”
“Me? You’re no better! You were the one groping her, then trying to bribe her with a pack of noodles! Only you would think that was a smart move!”
“So what if it was a pack of noodles?” Tang Yili sneered. “I offered it because I respected her! Bet you I could charm her with just a single pack!”
“Enough! Let’s find a doctor for my hand — d*mn, it’s numb!” Sun Chenghao groaned.
“Only our boss can help,” Tang Yili said. “You’d better be polite when you see him.”
Tang Yili and Sun Chenghao had been friends for years; bickering was normal. Yet Tang Yili couldn’t walk away from his friend’s plight.
“A doctor?” Shao Hang looked at Sun Chenghao’s hand and couldn’t resist asking.
Too embarrassed to reveal the truth, Sun Chenghao and Tang Yili had agreed on a cover story: “I got it caught in a closing door.”
“You got your hand mangled by a door? Are you stupid?” Shao Hang’s polite façade dropped. He grew blunt: “I’m not some refined gentleman — I’m a rough man, and I’ll boss you around. Don’t listen? Then go starve and freeze!”
Yet even a scrap of toilet paper had its use; once torn, it lost much of its value. To preserve Sun Chenghao’s usefulness, Shao Hang opened his little notebook.
As a property manager, how could he not know his clients?
He had recorded every owner’s background and occupation in meticulous detail.
“In our community, there are eight households in this line of work. Skip the one in 8-16 — they’re too difficult. Try 2-301. The couple there are both Asharan doctors; the husband runs a physiotherapy clinic. Business must be good. I don’t know how skilled he is, but it’s worth a try — a dead horse can be treated as if alive.”
“Bring some food as gifts — you’ll collect them from Captain Zhang. This is the only time — no repeats!”
Carrot and stick, Shao Hang’s approach was masterful. Sun Chenghao realized he’d been outplayed but couldn’t protest. Tang Yili was nearly ready to kneel in gratitude — especially when he learned he didn’t need to pay for the gifts.
Which landowner still had surplus food? Daylight? Moonlight? No — Tang Yili lived hand to mouth!
When Zhou Lin returned home, he inevitably had to explain matters again. He had kept it simple, yet Cheng Yali was so impressed that she hurried off to fetch the walkie-talkie to comfort Huang Mengying — though in truth she just wanted to hear Huang Mengying praise Zhou Lin. After all, a mother bears children to swell her pride; otherwise, she might as well have delivered a placenta and tossed it in the toilet!
“Sis-in-law, do you believe me now? ‘Those who trust shall live forever; residents never become slaves!’”
Wu Xue, shy to be called “sis-in-law” in front of Zhou Lin, stole a glance at him — finding his expression unmoved, she could no longer restrain herself. She seized his arm.
“Ah?” Zhou Lin gasped.
“Stop your whining — time for a check-up!” Wu Xue commanded.
As Zhou Lin was led away, Zhou Li’s eyes lit up. She called Black Dog over.
Confused, the dog approached — only to have a tiny camera strapped around its neck.
“To the tiger’s den, to seize the cubs — capture everything on film. A prodigal’s return is worth more than gold!”
Black Dog, initially unperturbed, finally wavered when Zhou Li produced a strip of dried beef.
Dried beef!
Even the proud Black Dog could not resist this temptation. It crept into the gym, its head disappearing into the doorway.
“Wow! You’re incredible!” Zhou Li exclaimed.
“Even after the same workout, your heart rate drops faster!”
“You’ve bulked up another centimeter. At this rate, you’ll be a Dwayne Johnson clone!”
“Tch, so solid—who can stand this?”
…
Perhaps every gentle-looking fairy harbors a devil within. Zhou Lin didn’t know what Wu Xue thought of all this — he only knew he could think of nothing else!
- Writer
