"We need to leave." Bai Jindong looked back at Ning Yu’er, her face full of sorrow.
"Okay."
Ning Yu’er quickened her pace to keep up with Bai Jindong as they darted down the deserted streets, occasionally dodging nearby patrolling soldiers.
As they sneaked into a local farmhouse, Ning Yu’er stopped and looked at Bai Jindong.
"Uncle," Ning Yu’er called out.
"What’s up?" Bai Jindong turned to respond.
"Is my dad... is he dead?"
Bai Jindong fell silent. Looking at the hopeful Ning Yu’er, he didn’t have the heart to give her the harsh truth. Yet, he knew that keeping the secret would serve no purpose, either.
The air seed to freeze for a mont. Bai Jindong solemnly nodded in affirmation.
Seeing Bai Jindong’s nod, Ning Yu’er turned paler, her body trembling slightly, before she lowered her head.
"I see. Thank you, Uncle Bai. Let’s go."
"Okay."
Without exchanging further words, they continued walking toward the eastern wall.
The sounds of gunfire from the battles between the governnt forces and Chenhua Technology beca louder as they moved eastward. Gradually, mutilated corpses began to appear on the roadside. Ning Yu’er couldn’t bear to look and kept her eyes on the road ahead. She couldn’t understand why things had co to this.
Why was there a war?
Thick flas erupted nearby, followed by a loud "boom" as several disfigured bodies were thrown into the air, brutally landing just ahead of them on the road.
Amid the constant screams and charging battle cries, Bai Jindong quickly sidestepped the bodies. He turned to find that Ning Yu’er had frozen in place.
"Let’s keep moving."
Ning Yu’er grit her teeth and closed her eyes as she walked past. The wide-open eyes of one of the corpses seed to stare directly at her, amplifying her fear.
"Try not to worry about these things. We need to get out of here first. Once we do, we’ll be safe, okay?"
"Okay."
Obediently nodding, the two continued onwards.
They were now nearing the area controlled by the governnt and Chenhua Technology. Once they entered there, soone would co to their aid.
Maneuvering through the complex streets, they found themselves in a bomb-cratered area. Seeing soldiers passing by now and then, they imdiately hid themselves.
"Put your hat on! And the mask." After putting on his own hat, Bai Jindong then cut open a nearby corpse with his knife so blood poured out. He rubbed his hands in it then sared it onto his face, disguising himself as a refugee.
This was the only way to elude those who might be on their tail.
"Co, Yu’er, put so on."
After so hesitation, Ning Yu’er also sared so of the blood onto her own face. What was once her beautiful complexion was now marred and mottled. After a glance at the body on the ground, she got up and kept moving.
The road ahead opened up into a broad avenue, on which were tents engulfed in flaming trellises. Inside, they could vaguely see burned and contorted bodies—the innocent victims of the war.
But what was their innocence worth? In a ruthless world, no one cared whether you were innocent or not.
Suddenly, several gunshots rang out, followed by a hailstorm of bullets whizzing past them along the avenue.
"Enemy detected!"
"Shoot! Show no rcy. All of Chenhua Technology’s people must die!"
"Kill!"
Upon identifying Chenhua Tech’s new human soldiers up ahead, the governnt forces hurriedly prepared to engage.
The man who was previously conversing with Zhe Mu was also caught off guard. He never expected to encounter governnt forces here. In his plan, the governnt forces should have already penetrated Zhongqin Avenue and would not appear in this area.
But now they had shown up, and there was no use debating why.
The new humans under his command were not fast enough in reacting. As soon as the governnt forces were detected, they rolled quickly to find nearest cover.
"Fire!"
The rapid gunfire spooked the two into ducking their heads.
"We can’t go this way anymore. Let’s go back and find another route."
Bai Jindong, seeing the situation worsen, chose to retreat. However, after a few steps, they found new assailants blocking their way—several people in black uniforms with a spiral symbol on their chests. It was obvious; they were from Chenhua Technology!
Bai Jindong’s eyes narrowed, and Ning Yu’er also sensed sothing was amiss, but she had no idea where to go.
"Halt!"
One of them called out to the duo, stopping them in their tracks.
"Who are you?"
Bai Jindong forced a strained smile before answering the approaching new human soldier, "We’re innocent. Our ho has been destroyed, so we’re..."
Offering up a flimsy excuse, Bai Jindong hoped to bypass them. However, these new human soldiers, tasked with pursuing a specific girl, only wore suspicious looks at his story.
Without getting swayed by Bai Jindong’s excuse, the leading soldier stepped up to encounter him, scrutinizing him closely.
"Remove your hat. What’s your na?"
"My na is Zhang Dong."
"And your identification card?"
"I lost my identification card in the chaos. Look, there’s a fight up ahead. Shouldn’t you be attending to that?"
Under the impression that these people were Chenhua Technology’s new human soldiers, Bai Jindong gathered that a clash between governnt forces and Chenhua personnel had possibly comnced. So, he remarked on it, hoping that these people would go to aid their comrades.
But contrary to his expectations, the group did not show any signs of concern or intention to assist in the conflict up ahead.
Their mission was not to fight, but to capture soone. Once they succeeded, they could rest for a while.
"Lost it, huh? And who is she? What’s your relation with her?"
The questioning new human shifted his focus towards Ning Yu’er. Despite her dirt-encrusted face and loose clothing, her silhouette indicated she was unquestionably a woman.
"She... She is, ahaha, my niece. Her parents just... perished. We are heading toward the protected area."
After a chuckle, Bai Jindong initially planned to say that her parents were killed, but fearing it could be a sensitive topic, switched it to "perished".
The interrogating soldier squinted, oblivious to Bai Jindong’s words and instead beca even more suspicious.
"Who has a towel?"
"I do!"
"Give it here!"
After receiving the towel, he directed his gaze at Ning Yu’er and remarked, "Wipe your face. Let’s see who you are. If there’s no problem, you’re free to go."
"Hey, hey, that’s not necessary. We truly pose no... "
"If there are no problems, then why are you so anxious?"
Bai Jindong was taken aback; Ning Yu’er also looked at him, confused, feeling an unsettling aura emanating from these people.
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