Just minutes earlier.
Zhou Hanxiang, who had been pinned down and unable to raise her head, suddenly noticed the enemy's fire weakening before ceasing completely seconds later.
Though suspicious this might be some enemy tactic, she couldn't pass up this golden opportunity.
She needed to eliminate the threat quickly and return to Tianming.
With this thought, Hanxiang pushed herself up and began crawling forward on all fours.
Her hands, tucked inside her lab coat sleeves, gently swept aside broken glass and chemical spills on the floor.
Some irritating and corrosive liquids seeped through the thin fabric onto her skin.
Pursing her lips, Hanxiang endured the stinging, burning sensations as she moved swiftly yet silently toward her target - a lab bench storing concentrated sulfuric acid.
During her recent work as a lab assistant, she'd personally stored the leftover acid in the small cabinet beneath this bench.
Opening the cabinet quietly, she reached inside and soon found a slender glass bottle about the size of a thermos.
Her face lit up as she carefully removed and gently shook the bottle, feeling the heavy, viscous liquid inside slosh.
With years of study and practical experience, Hanxiang's familiarity with chemicals far exceeded most. She was 90% certain this untouched bottle contained the concentrated sulfuric acid.
In the thick iodine mist, Hanxiang closed her eyes and recalled the lab layout. She retrieved a test tube rack from the bench and placed it on the floor.
Her fingers moved left to right across the rack, the familiar shapes, sizes, and openings forming clearly in her mind through touch alone.
Opening the sulfuric acid bottle, she poured it precisely into each test tube despite being unable to see.
As the acid reacted with air, releasing an acidic odor, Hanxiang quickly recapped both the bottle and test tubes.
Suddenly, gunfire erupted again.
Hanxiang immediately ducked.
But this time the bullets struck overhead, shattering ceiling panels that rained down with clouds of dust.
Curling protectively over the sulfuric acid containers, Hanxiang took the impact of falling debris.
The lightweight fragments posed little danger beyond covering her in dust and grime.
As one set of gunfire ceased, another began from a different location.
Still not receiving any fire herself, Hanxiang grew puzzled.
Her original goal had been to obscure the enemy's vision. Though the situation had developed strangely, she'd achieved more than intended and decided not to overthink it.
Gripping the sulfuric acid-filled test tubes, Hanxiang noted both gunfire locations and prepared to strike.
The opportunity came quickly - the sound of someone colliding with lab equipment near the doorway.
Instantly mapping the enemy's position through her familiarity with the room, Hanxiang raised her arm and hurled the acid-filled test tube.
Chapter
The moment the test tube left her hand, her heart gave a sudden jolt, and a wave of panic surged through her.
At first, she thought she had been discovered and was about to be attacked, so she hastily retreated under the lab table. But the panic persisted, her heartbeat accelerating.
Had something happened to Tianming?
The thought flashed through her mind as Zhou Hanxiang pressed her lips into a tight line, her brows furrowed.
Then, gunfire rang out.
The mere thought of her Tianming being in danger made it impossible for her to stay still. Ignoring the danger, she immediately stood up.
Amid the thick mist, gunfire flashed in the distance. Hanxiang first threw two sulfuric acid test tubes toward the ceiling.
The tubes shattered upon impact, raining down concentrated sulfuric acid like droplets.
The gunfire abruptly ceased, replaced by a man's agonized scream.
Without hesitation, Hanxiang hurled another sulfuric acid test tube toward the source of the scream.
A piercing shriek followed, accompanied by the sound of a body crashing into a lab table.
Seeing her attack succeed, a faint smile flickered across Hanxiang's anxious face.
But the thought of the remaining two men hiding in the iodine mist only deepened her unease.
She glanced at the door, tempted to rush out and return to her child, but reason held her back.
Tianming can't move. I can't get hurt and burden him.
Suppressing her agitation, Hanxiang crouched down, gripping two more test tubes of concentrated sulfuric acid, and listened intently for any movement.
As time passed, the screams gradually weakened into pained groans, and the iodine mist began to thin. The other two men remained eerily silent, as if dead.
Hanxiang's heart sank. She hadn't expected them to be so ruthless—their comrade's agonized cries hadn't drawn even the slightest reaction from them.
Gritting her teeth, she stood up and cautiously peered out.
To the left lay a corpse, its flesh melted and charred black.
Near the door on the right, Long Hair and Bearded lay in pools of their own blood.
Hanxiang frowned in confusion, but relief washed over her upon confirming all three were dead.
Thinking of Zhou Tianming, still unconscious and waiting for her, she hurriedly got up and dashed toward the door.
As she reached the exit, her peripheral vision caught a pair of small, furry feet with pink paw pads peeking out from under a nearby lab table.
Had there been a stuffed toy in the lab before?
The question flickered through her mind, but it was quickly dismissed as unimportant. Hanxiang's thoughts were consumed by worry for Tianming.
At the doorway, she cautiously looked left and right. Seeing no one, she stepped forward quickly.
The sound of her shoes tapping against the beige waterproof tiles echoed loudly.
Hanxiang immediately stopped, took off her white sneakers, and stepped onto the cold floor in her socks. A chill shot up from her feet, making her shiver.
The coldness cooled her overheated, frantic mind slightly, bringing forth details she had overlooked earlier.
That stuffed toy… Had she seen it somewhere before?
How had she never noticed such a large toy before?
…
Were there any children in the research facility?
A wave of dizziness hit her. Her legs weakened, and she slumped against the wall.
Her lips trembled, opening and closing soundlessly. Her already pale face turned deathly white.
No! No! No!
Tianming is still in the room, unconscious, waiting for me to take care of him!
…
Her stomach churned violently, and Hanxiang suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
Leaning against the wall, she staggered forward a few steps, tears streaming down her face.
Her heart ached. She couldn't breathe.
Her once bright and lively black eyes dulled as she swayed like a lifeless corpse, stumbling back into the room toward the furry stuffed toy.
The originally beige rabbit costume was stained a faint purple by the iodine mist, riddled with bullet holes and splattered with large patches of blood here and there.
Her gaze slowly traveled upward until it landed on that delicate, pale face.
His eyes were closed, brows furrowed in evident pain.
Zhou Hanxiang didn't scream. Her body went limp as she collapsed, her head hitting the hard ground with a heavy thud, yet she lay there motionless like a corpse.
...
Though Zhou Tianming had been directly hit by bullets, [Unyielding] had already taken effect—the shots weren't fatal.
What left him unconscious was his critically low Mental Power, now reduced to just 49 points.
Within his consciousness, the golden sphere had shrunk, growing increasingly transparent.
Suddenly, the symbol representing [Trust] among his 18 Mental Commands lit up.
A steady stream of Mental Power flowed like water from the mark, starting small before swelling in volume.
The golden sphere gradually solidified—49 + 69 = 118.
Zhou Tianming's awareness slowly returned. Pain radiated from his bullet wounds, and his lips twitched as he let out a pained groan.
Zhou Hanxiang abruptly heard the sound. Her eyes widened, a light flickering in their dark depths.
Cough—!
She hurriedly pushed herself up, but the earlier violent impact left her dizzy and unbalanced, sending her crashing back down.
Yet she paid it no mind, scrambling on all fours to Zhou Tianming's side. Seeing he was alive, her heart swelled with joy. Trembling, she reached out to touch his face.
He was warm!
Feeling the icy palm against his cheek, Zhou Tianming opened his eyes.
Their gazes met.
Far more beautiful than the face pieced together by [Analyze].
"M...Mom..."
His voice was hoarse, the words slurred and grating.
But to Zhou Hanxiang, it was like hearing celestial music. Tears welled up. "Yes! Yes!"
She pulled him into a tight embrace.