Lin Weihao's grandfather and Pei Huangyi's grandfather were old friends, but the two younger n did not share the sa camaraderie as Feng Ran and Lin Weihao.
The soldiers saluted Pei Huangyi uneasily.
Wang Chul, Bingwen, and Hei Qian's expressions dimd, their postures stiff with caution.
Pei Huangyi ignored them, his gaze dismissive, as though they were beneath his notice.
Suddenly, a young soldier carrying a tray of food trembling, walked unsteadily. When he reached Pei Huangyi, his face turned ashen.
The scene before him blurred, and his grip on the tray slipped. It clattered loudly to the floor along with his collapse.
Everyone held their breath as the soup splattered onto Pei Huangyi's pristine winter jacket.
Pei Huangyi's veins throbbed, his eyes narrowing with venom as he glared at the unconscious soldier.
But before he could react, another soldier near the counter fainted, followed by another lining up the beverage station.
Three of Wang Chul's team mbers fell as well, and Hei Qian soon followed.
Bingwen was startled.
He only heard Hei Qian mutter faintly about feeling hot just before his losing consciousness.
Bingwen quickly caught Hei Qian before he hit the ground.
The canteen erupted into chaos.
"What's happening?!"
Colonel Tang rushed to the fallen soldiers.
"Move them to the side! Check their vitals! Soone call the dics!"
Pei Huangyi, ignoring the commotion, calmly walked away, his expression detached, as if the chaos had nothing to do with him.
Colonel Tang imdiately contacted the higher-ups, the hospital, and Lin Weihao to report the escalating crisis.
....
The private underground hospital of the Military Base was hidden several levels beneath the surface—a sprawling, high-tech facility built for ergencies in the apocalyptic era.
The air inside was sterile and cool, a faint hum of machinery filling the space like a heartbeat.
Sleek, tallic walls embedded with glowing strips of white light illuminated the halls without harsh shadows.
Doorways were equipped with biotric scanners, opening with soft hisses, their chanisms smooth as silk.
At the far end of the hospital, the quarantine wing was heavily fortified.
Thick, reinforced glass separated it from the rest of the facility, and airlocks ensured complete isolation.
The facility was constructed in just two months and was still unfinished. At present, it could only house 40 patients.
In one of the in-patient wards, Grandfather Lin Jianjun, wiry and resolute, sat firmly on a stool. His sharp eyes, unyielding as winter winds, bore into his grandson.
He gripped his cane like a general guarding his fort.
Across him, was Mother Daxia wearing a thin down jacket, stood with a regal posture, and with a stare sharp enough to cut steel.
Between them, Lin Weihao laid on a hospital bed, his torso bandaged and one leg awkwardly elevated on a stack of pillows.
"Where do you think you're going, you stubborn boy?" Grandfather Lin barked, thumping his cane on the floor as Lin Weihao attempted to swing his leg off the bed. "Back down you go before I tie you to that blanket like a pig bound for market!"
Lin Weihao remained calm, used to his grandfather's sharp words. "Grandfather, I just need so fresh air—"
"Fresh air?!" Mother Daxia's voice hit a pitch that made even the nurses flinch. "You think you're a bird now, flying with a broken wing? Where is this fresh air in the middle of winter? Lie back down before I sit on you myself!"
Lin Weihao sighed, reluctantly swinging his leg back onto the bed. His mother was not one to bluff.
"My wounds are healing, Mother. I can move now."
But in truth, his mind was elsewhere. He wanted to see Zhi Zhi.
How was she? Did she sleep well last night?
"Better?" Grandfather Jianjun leaned in, his hawk-like eyes narrowing. "You think I'm blind? Foolish boy, you can't fool !"
"It's true, I'm fine—" Lin Weihao began, only for his mother to cut him off with a sharp wave of her hand.
"You're not going anywhere. Don't think your bones are as strong as those heavy tanks! You will stay here and rest until your wounds scab over!"
Lin Weihao frowned. That would take at least a week. He couldn't bear not seeing Zhi Zhi for that long.
"I still have sothing important to do," he said, his eyes eting his grandfather's.
"Don't even think about it," Grandfather Jianjun said, his cane tapping the floor with finality.
Lin Weihao frowned. He wanted to tell them about Lu Nanzhi, but he knew how they'd react. He could already picture them gifting her pig trotters and discussing about their plans of having grandchildren.
He didn't want Zhi Zhi to be force on such things.
Just then, Feng Ran and Pei Zhi entered the room.
Grandfather Jianjun's eyes sharpened when he noticed Feng Ran's bandages.
"Feng boy, why are you wandering around instead of resting? Do you want to be crippled?"
Feng Ran, grinning cheekily, trying to straighten his posture. "Grandfather Lin, my injuries are lighter than Brother Lin's. The doctors said I could be discharged today."
Grandfather Jianjun snorted. "Then why are you limping?"
"I'm not," Feng Ran said, forcing a smile as he straightened his legs.
"Don't pretend! Sit down before your wounds worsen," Mother Daxia said.
Feng Ran sheepishly limped to the couch, not hiding his limping anymore.
Pei Zhi smiled at the chaotic yet warm atmosphere.
Lin Weihao knew he wouldn't escape with his mother and grandfather guarding him. Picking up the satellite phone, he intended to call Zhi Zhi.
But before he could dial her number, another call ca through.
It was Colonel Tang, and his words brought terrible news.
Lin Weihao sprang from his bed.
"Where are you going?!"
...
At the Mission Hall, Nanzhi and Yu Baoyin stood by the exit, watching soldiers carry fainted civilians on stretchers into the troop trucks.
Yu Baoyin's face was pale with worry. "How strange… so many people fainting at once. Is it the weather? Sister Nan, should we go back ho?"
Nanzhi's sharp eyes flickered as she observed the scene.
The image overlapped with a mory of the past—an earthquake after a harsh winter, sirens blaring as the ground shook beneath her.
Her brows furrowed.
"Sister Nan, let's leave. This place feels uncomfortable," Yu Baoyin urged.
Nanzhi agreed.
Before stepping into the snow, she took an umbrella from her bag, raising it over Yu Baoyin's head.
She advised others to cover themselves tightly, but they dismissed her words and ran out.
Yu Baoyin clung to her arm. "Sister Nan, I'll miss you when I start working."
Suddenly, Nanzhi stopped, her stomach twisting into a tight knot, an ominous tension settling over her like a dark cloud.
Her instincts scread that sothing bad was about to happen.
Gripping Yu Baoyin's hand tightly, she quickened their pace.
(A/N: I'll pray for those who are victims of the LA wildfire that you may able to find strength and hope during this difficult ti.)
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