Chapter Twenty-Three: Stirring Up Troubled Waters

The long, unbearable night finally ended. At the very moment dawn broke, the black mist shrouding the suspension bridge vanished without a trace.

No one had managed a peaceful sleep that night. Hu Bi had specifically assigned people to stand watch at the bridge in shifts—partly to guard against any new incidents, and partly, as a last resort, in hopes that Laili's group might yet return.

But the result was wholly unexpected. Just as the sun peeked over the horizon, that deep, all-devouring mist melted away as quietly as the morning fog.

With the mist gone, the bridge was laid bare. As Laili had described, it was completely unremarkable. The bridge ended at the other side of the canyon, winding downward; if all went well, at the end of the path would be the famed Domed Fishery Reservoir.

"What the hell is this supposed to mean?" Hu Bi grumbled, chewing on an unlit cigarette butt as he stepped onto the bridge, giving the ropes a shake. The bridge swayed, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Zheng Nanfang spread his hands, thinking to himself, "If you ask me, who am I supposed to ask?" He had suggested they wait until daylight, but Laili hadn’t listened.

"So what do we do next?"

Hu Bi was at a total loss. If Zheng Nanfang’s guess was right, and the black mist was the entrance to the Hive, then the entrance had disappeared, and the domed fishery was probably just an abandoned reservoir. What were they even doing here anymore?

Zheng Nanfang, embodying the fine tradition of Chinese virtue, smiled. "Let’s go have a look inside. We’re here already."

Hu Bi watched his expression, but the young man’s face gave nothing away.

"Why are you looking at me?"

With a snort, Hu Bi lowered his voice. "Right now, you and I are the closest allies here. If you discover anything, you’d better share it with me. I keep feeling like you’re up to something."

"You’re overthinking it." Zheng Nanfang grinned, wrapping an arm around Tang Suan and Shu Yangcong. "If we’re talking about loyalty, I’m closer to these two. Why would I cozy up to an oversized bear like you?"

"I’m serious!" Hu Bi glared.

"You, with all your paranoia." Zheng Nanfang relented, shaking his head. "I know as little as you do. I only guessed about the mist. If that was the Hive’s entrance, where’s the exit? I’ve heard that wherever the Hive appears, it always has some effect on the area. Now that the danger on the bridge is gone, maybe we can check below for clues."

"Like what?"

Zheng Nanfang rolled his eyes. "How would I know before we look?"

...

With the Deep Blue Sanatorium’s mistress ruined, the gunmen began to pick sides.

The clash last night had only happened because Hong Xiangcai had targeted Zheng Nanfang, making them uneasy. But after a night had passed, and Zheng Nanfang showed no monstrous transformation, their suspicions faded.

In this world where the strong prey on the weak, shifting allegiances was routine. With Hong Xiangcai no longer able to lead, and the gunmen lacking the means to fend for themselves, they now looked to Zheng Nanfang and Hu Bi.

Zheng Nanfang had no interest in forming factions, but Hu Bi gladly accepted, taking up the olive branch from the gunmen and unhesitatingly becoming the sanatorium’s new master.

"When we get back, you’ll be my right-hand man," Hu Bi boasted, his arm around Zheng Nanfang’s shoulders. "We’ll build up the sanatorium, recruit men, stockpile food and weapons, flatten Hoarse Manor, and unite the lower city. Didn’t you want to get to the upper city? Once we have enough men and guns, forget the highway race—let’s just storm the place, then hit the ring road when we get bored and take over there too!"

"Something’s wrong with your head." Zheng Nanfang knew he was talking nonsense, and just laughed it off. "So long as you don’t betray me again, I’ll be grateful enough."

"Tsk. You’re no fun at all. Can’t you let that go?" Hu Bi blushed; the whole ‘guide’ incident had become a stain he couldn’t wash away.

Tang Suan and Shu Yangcong trailed behind, snickering quietly, feeling a surge of emotion at life’s unpredictability.

Who could have imagined that just days ago, Hu Bi was a prisoner of the Deep Blue Sanatorium, and today he was its new master?

Fortunately, they followed Zheng Nanfang, so the sanatorium’s change of ownership meant nothing to them.

...

Hu Bi was sentimental. No one knew exactly what history he and Hong Xiangcai shared, but the way he had people look after her showed their connection ran deep.

Zheng Nanfang had no interest in other people’s secrets, but he was oddly moved by Hu Bi’s tenderness beneath his tough exterior. It brought back memories of old friends and times past, making him warm to Hu Bi.

...

After a brief meal and some water, the new generation of the Deep Blue Sanatorium’s exploration team set out.

They crossed the bridge, which had been so uncanny the night before, without incident. They followed the narrow mountain path down and finally reached the fishery reservoir.

Nothing happened along the way. The journey was dull, so much so that the heavily armed gunmen felt out of place, as if they’d wound up to throw a punch only to hit a pile of cotton.

Still, compared to Laili’s convoy—whose fate was unknown—or Hong Xiangcai’s current misery, a boring journey didn’t seem so bad.

The reservoir was vast, like a round mirror reflecting the encircling canyon. On one side, the cliff face was riddled with cave dwellings, connected by rope ladders, all leading to a catwalk on the edge.

Zheng Nanfang inspected them, finding the catwalk had long since collapsed. The section still clinging to the cliff was rotten; even if they managed to climb up, it wouldn’t hold their weight.

"Wasn’t the domed fishery supposed to be thriving?" Shaman looked around. All she saw was ruin and desolation—nothing like the bustling market she’d imagined.

Tang Suan, ever close to her boss, whispered, "Maybe it’s the Hive’s fault. Looks like it’s been abandoned for ages."

"By the way, where’d you get your information?" Hu Bi suddenly recalled, puzzled. "Who would just hand over info about the Hive, and for it to be true? What were they thinking?"

"What’s so strange about that? You can’t eat a Hive, so what’s the point of keeping it secret?" Zheng Nanfang replied, feigning ignorance. He circled the reservoir but found nothing unusual.

"Boss, what are you looking for?" Shu Yangcong asked curiously.

Zheng Nanfang frowned, thinking. "Fish."

"What?"

"Fish." He pointed at the reservoir, addressing the puzzled group. "Didn’t you all say this was the largest, and in fact the only, fishery for a hundred miles? So why, in such a huge reservoir, is there not a single fish?"

Hu Bi still didn’t follow his line of thinking.

Zheng Nanfang explained, "If the Hive was at the bridge, and the people of the domed fishery discovered it and took action, which caused everyone to disappear—fine. But what about the fish? Surely they wouldn’t have taken all the fish with them into the Hive?"

Hu Bi, half understanding, asked, "So you came here looking for fish? Planning to skip the Hive, catch fish, and open a restaurant in Raw Meat Town?"

The three women were speechless at his focus.

Zheng Nanfang sighed, exasperated. "What I mean is, the Hive’s influence is broader than I thought. If the fish have disappeared too, we’re still within its affected zone; our situation hasn’t improved just because the black mist is gone."

Silence fell. Zheng Nanfang’s words yanked them back into fear, just when they’d been feeling lucky to have survived.

Hu Bi quickly caught on, stunned. "Did you just realize this, or had you thought of it before we came?"

"I suspected before, but seeing the reservoir confirmed it," Zheng Nanfang replied honestly.

"What’s wrong with you?" Hu Bi was on the verge of losing it. He dragged Zheng Nanfang aside. "Yesterday you were the one who refused to enter the black mist; today you know there’s danger but you bring us here. What are you really after?"

"I wanted to test another theory." Zheng Nanfang remained calm. He turned to the group. "You all remember marking each other yesterday, right? Not counting those who stayed behind, remember who’s next to you now."

The gunmen exchanged looks, then paired off as instructed.

Zheng Nanfang looked at Hu Bi, who was still frowning, trying to make sense of it all.

"Hu, do you trust me?" Zheng Nanfang asked.

After a pause, Hu Bi replied, "Honestly, on the way here you were the one I trusted most, but now I’m not sure."

"Then I need you to trust me now." Zheng Nanfang’s tone grew serious. "Remember the red bird we saw outside the fishery yesterday? I’ll be straight with you: during that sandstorm on the way here, I noticed something off. It was too chaotic then to be sure, but when Hong Xiangcai showed up yesterday, I realized it wasn’t a hallucination."

Hu Bi’s brow knitted. "What did you see?"

"Laili." Zheng Nanfang lit a cigarette, recalling the vision in the sandstorm. "And two others—I didn’t see their faces, but they seemed familiar."

Hu Bi opened his mouth, then closed it again.

"I later asked Laili. She said during the sandstorm, her group found shelter and was separated from us. But I remember clearly—it was Laili who saved me in that storm. My memory isn’t wrong."

Hu Bi sucked in a breath, startled. "Did you tell her this?"

"I mentioned it." Zheng Nanfang exhaled smoke, still perplexed. "I watched her closely; she didn’t lie. The Laili I saw in the sandstorm and the Laili who rescued us in the dead city are not the same person."

"But both are Laili?" Hu Bi’s mind reeled.

"Yes." Zheng Nanfang nodded. "Just like the Hong Xiangcai in the tent now might not be the same Hong Xiangcai who set out with us."

"Clones?" Hu Bi’s expression changed. Suddenly, his intellect sharpened. "The Hive here can clone people?"

Zheng Nanfang shook his head. "I don’t agree with calling it cloning."

"What do you mean?"

"I can’t explain yet. That’s why I need your trust. You’re the only one I’ve told—Tang Suan and the others know nothing."

He flicked away his cigarette. Standing side by side with Hu Bi, the glaring sun hurt their eyes, the shimmering water reflecting their wavering shadows.