The first rays of morning sun pierced through the holes in the warehouse roof, casting mottled columns of light. A faint, almost imperceptible smell of gunpowder still lingered in the air, a reminder of last night's brief but fierce conflict.
Chen Shouzhou stretched, feeling a sense of well-being spread through his body. The physical boost from the system's upgrade had swept away days of fatigue and weakness. Though his stomach was still growling with hunger, his spirits were higher than ever.
Su Wan'er had woken up even earlier. She had already organized all the edible supplies in the warehouse and had even collected rainwater dripping from the eaves in a broken clay pot. She placed it over the fire to heat, a small water purification tablet ready beside it. Though she couldn't speak, her actions always brought a sense of order to their lives.
"Morning, Dr. Su!" Chen Shouzhou sidled up, eyeing the murky rainwater in the pot and smacking his lips. "You know, this apocalypse lacks everything except this kind of pure, all-natural, pollution-free… mud soup."
Su Wan'er shot him a look, then tossed the tablet into the pot. A stream of tiny bubbles rose to the surface.
After a simple breakfast of compressed biscuits and "disinfected mud soup," Chen Shouzhou took out the metal dog tag dropped by the mutant dog "Bai Bai" last night and examined it on the table.
"No. 07, Test Subject 'Bai Bai'..."
The words swirled in his mind like a mantra. How could an ordinary pet dog be connected to the term "test subject"? What secret was hidden behind this?
He took out the notebook Da Liu had given him and flipped to the section about the "black market," but there was no mention of anything related to "test subjects."
"Looks like this is more complicated than I thought," he muttered, frowning.
Su Wan'er came over, her interest in the dog tag clearly greater than Chen Shouzhou's. As a former surgeon, she was highly sensitive to the markings on medical equipment and lab supplies. She picked up the tag and examined it closely.
Soon, she discovered an anomaly. On the back of the tag, besides the faded string of numbers and letters, there was a minuscule symbol, almost invisible to the naked eye, cleverly etched in a corner.
She immediately retrieved a portable magnifying glass from her first-aid kit and peered at the symbol.
A few minutes later, her expression changed drastically. Shock and a hint of… fear flickered in her eyes. She quickly scribbled a line on her notepad and showed it to Chen Shouzhou.
"This symbol… I've seen it before in a classified file in the hospital archives! It belongs to a company called 'Sky-Curtain Biotech.' About six months before the outbreak, they were shut down for illegal human experimentation!"
Chen Shouzhou's heart leaped.
Sky-Curtain Biotech! He remembered that name! The company's headquarters was located in an abandoned industrial park on the outskirts of Luocheng. He had passed by it during his wandering days and had always found the place creepy, never daring to get close.
"The industrial park… it's not far from here!" Chen Shouzhou immediately unfolded the map and circled the location. He felt as if he had grasped a loose thread that, if pulled, would unravel a massive conspiracy.
"You think that dog, Bai Bai, escaped from there?" Chen Shouzhou asked, looking at Su Wan'er.
Su Wan'er nodded emphatically, adding another line to her notepad: "It's very likely. The term 'test subject' was probably their internal designation."
"Alright then," Chen Shouzhou slapped the table, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "We have to go check it out! Maybe we can even scavenge some vaccines or serums. That would be a huge score!"
He sounded nonchalant, but he knew deep down that a sealed-down biolab that had conducted illegal human experiments was, in the apocalypse, a place of almost certain death. But with a [Main Quest] issued and his curiosity piqued, he had no reason to back down.
He was about to discuss an action plan with Su Wan'er when Xiao Hei, lying by the door, suddenly stood up. It began to pace anxiously, letting out uneasy whimpers. It kept nudging the dog tag on the table with its nose, as if the scent was both intriguing and repulsive.
"What's wrong, Xiao Hei?" Chen Shouzhou asked, confused.
Just then, the system's prompt sounded in his head again.
[New Mission Issued: Tracing the Origin]
[Mission Objective: Following the existing clues, investigate the 'Sky-Curtain Biotech' lab and uncover the mystery of Test Subject 'Bai Bai's' origin.]
[Mission Reward: Unlock crafting blueprint for 'Simple Medical Station', Minor physical enhancement.]
"A Simple Medical Station!" Chen Shouzhou practically drooled at the reward. With that, Su Wan'er's professional skills could be fully utilized, and the quality of life in their safe house would improve dramatically.
This mission was a must-do.
As night fell, after the trio had eaten their dinner, Chen Shouzhou was about to reinforce the fence in preparation for the next day's exploration.
Suddenly, Xiao Hei shot up from the ground, its fur bristling, and began to bark frantically at the warehouse entrance. The sound was filled with warning and hostility, far more intense than ever before.
Chen Shouzhou and Su Wan'er tensed, immediately grabbing their weapons and ducking behind cover.
"What is it? Did Zhao Tie's men come back?" Chen Shouzhou whispered.
He peered through a gap in the fence but saw nothing. The outside was dead silent, save for the wind whistling through the ruins.
But Xiao Hei's barking didn't stop; it grew more urgent.
Just then, Chen Shouzhou saw a small figure poke its head out from behind a pile of scrap metal not far from the fence.
It was a dog, a tiny puppy that looked like it had just been born. It was filthy, its fur matted, and so skinny it was just skin and bones. But its eyes were exceptionally bright, staring timidly towards the warehouse with a look of pleading and longing.
It seemed to have been drawn by the light and the smell of food from the warehouse.
Chen Shouzhou was stunned. He had expected a powerful enemy, not a pitiful little creature on the verge of starvation.
He was about to lower his guard when an idea flashed in his mind. Wait a minute! They had cleared this area. The zombies and mutants nearby had all been taken care of by last night's "disco party." How could such a fragile puppy appear out of thin air?
He immediately gestured for Su Wan'er to stay put while he quietly climbed up the prototype of their watchtower—a high stack of shelves—and scanned the surroundings with his binoculars.
Sure enough, in the deeper shadows, he saw several vague human figures moving about.
Another trap! Those bastards were relentless!
Chen Shouzhou sneered inwardly. It seemed last night's lesson wasn't harsh enough.
He was about to climb down and teach them another lesson with his "Hope-No.1" plan when the system's voice chimed in again.
[Ding! Special biological reaction detected!]
[This organism contains a faint genetic sequence of Test Subject No. 07, suspected to be its offspring.]
[Hidden Mission Triggered: A Bloodline Continued]
[Mission Objective: See through the trap and successfully rescue the special organism.]
[Mission Reward: Unlock skill 'Beast Tongue (Beginner)'.]
"Holy crap!" Chen Shouzhou almost fell off the shelf.
This little puppy was Bai Bai's offspring?
Now things were getting interesting. He looked at the trembling puppy, his expression becoming complex. This was no longer about just saving a dog. This was connected to his main quest, to the secrets of Sky-Curtain Biotech.
This risk was worth taking.
He quickly formulated a plan, slid down from the shelf, and made a few hand signals to Su Wan'er, indicating she should cooperate.
He swaggered out of the warehouse, holding a bowl of clean water.
"Well now, whose little cutie is lost out here?" he said, a harmless smile on his face, as he walked toward the puppy.
The ambushers saw him take the bait so easily and smirked, tightening their grip on their weapons.
Chen Shouzhou acted as if he hadn't noticed a thing, approaching the puppy step by step.
"Here, little guy, have some water," he said, crouching down and offering the bowl.
The very instant the puppy lowered its head to drink, and the ambushers prepared to rush him...
Chen Shouzhou moved!
He didn't grab the puppy. Instead, with lightning speed, he flung the bowl of water at a nearby pile of goods covered by a tarp.
The water splashed onto the tarp, soaking a large area instantly.
Then, he pulled something wrapped in cloth from his coat, lit it, and threw it.
WHOOSH—!
Hidden under the pile of goods was a barrel of gasoline! It ignited instantly, creating a massive wall of fire that erupted right between the ambushers and the warehouse.
"Shit! We've been tricked!" The ambushers stumbled back from the sudden wall of fire, cursing loudly.
Chen Shouzhou seized the opportunity, scooped up the puppy, and sprinted back into the warehouse.
"Close the gate! Quick!"
Su Wan'er immediately slammed the heavy iron gate shut and jammed it with a steel bar.
Blocked by the wall of fire, the ambushers couldn't get close. They could only watch as their prize slipped away, screaming in frustration before finally retreating in anger.
Once again, a crisis had been averted by Chen Shouzhou's cunning and unexpected tactics.
He held the trembling puppy in his arms and breathed a sigh of relief.
"You're with me now, little guy," he said, stroking its head. "Since you're Bai Bai's kid, a relative of No. 07, I'll call you… Xiao Qi (Little Seven)."
The system's prompt sounded right on cue.
[Mission Complete! Skill 'Beast Tongue (Beginner)' acquired!]
[Special organism detected. Activate 'Beast Tongue' immediately?]
Chen Shouzhou chose "Yes" without hesitation.
He felt his hearing become incredibly sharp. The low growl of Xiao Hei nearby, the sound of the wind whistling through the ruins, even the squeaking of a mouse in the corner—it all seemed to be translated into some understandable "language" in his ears.
He looked at Xiao Qi in his arms and tentatively thought, It's okay now. You're safe.
Xiao Qi seemed to sense something. It stopped trembling, lifted its head, and gently nudged Chen Shouzhou's hand with its wet nose, letting out a soft "whimper" as if to express its gratitude.
Chen Shouzhou grinned.
"Looks like our safe house has another 'official employee' who can communicate," he said to himself with a smile.