Chapter 66: Driving Toward the University Town

Lu Yao swept Jiang Qiyue up in his arms from beside the desk and effortlessly placed her on the bed. Her eyes remained tightly closed, her breathing steady and deep, and her cheeks flushed with a faint, wine-induced warmth. He moved with heightened care, taking deliberate pains to ensure even his footsteps made no sound.

Yet, a blanket carelessly tossed near the edge of the bed slid to the floor with a soft, muted thump. He froze, instinctively glancing toward the figure on the bed, and only let out a breath of relief upon confirming she remained asleep. Holding his breath, he crouched to retrieve the blanket, his fingers pausing the instant they brushed against the fabric.

His gaze lingered uncontrollably on Jiang Qiyue’s profile. Stripped of her customary stern expression, she looked exceptionally gentle, revealing a rare, fragile vulnerability he had never witnessed before. Reaching out with hesitant hesitation, he touched her cheek, finding her skin delicate and cool. Driven by a bold yet anxious impulse, his fingertips brushed across her forehead, gently sweeping aside a lock of hair that clung stubbornly to her skin.

"Is she... feeling a bit cold like this?" Lu Yao muttered under his breath, his tone laced with a quiet anxiety, as if trying to reassure himself. Forcibly suppressing the flurry of panic within, he clumsily unfolded the blanket, carefully draped it over her, and tucked in the edges.

At that moment, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed from outside the door, followed by the push of the latch.

"Lu Yao?" The woman’s voice carried a hint of hesitation, yet the tone effortlessly conveyed an inherent, unquestionable authority—like a sharp blade slicing through the silent tension of the air.

Hearing that familiar, cool voice, Lu Yao gave a start. Almost by reflex, his head snapped up, his gaze instantly locking onto Jiang Fengmian as she appeared in the doorway.

His heart tightened, captured instantly by her slightly raised eyebrows, which bore a trace of chill, resembling scrutiny and suspicion. The woman, whose presence was always formidable, looked even sharper and more alert than usual today, shrouded in an unknown wariness. She strode quickly into the room, her eyes never leaving him while pretending to casually scan every corner before fixing her gaze on the spot closest to Lu Yao—the edge of his fingers, or more precisely, the place from which they had just lingered over the blanket.

The air tightened instantly, like a stretched bowstring emitting a silent, creaking pressure. Lu Yao forced himself to stand straight, pressing his spine against the wall. Yet this did nothing to make his tall frame appear more secure; instead, it only heightened his present awkwardness.

He wanted to open his mouth to explain, but his throat was too dry to produce a sound. His lips parted and closed, frantically searching for a reasonable excuse, while every cell in his body warned him that any words right now would sound pale and feeble.

Before he could speak, however, Jiang Fengmian afforded him no time for prolonged contemplation. She stepped forward with an unyielding, irresistible steadiness, her footsteps clear and direct, striking his eardrums like a countdown clock. Her gaze pierced him like a sharp needle, easily shattering the clumsy intentions hidden deep in his heart and striking straight at the cautious facade he believed was well-concealed.

"What are you sneaking around in here for?" Jiang Fengmian’s voice was as cold as frost, carrying a trace of imperceptible tremor as her piercing gaze pinned Lu Yao. "Not sleeping in the middle of the night, yet you sneak into my sister's room." She paused, her tone growing more aggressive. "What were you planning to do to her while I was away?" Stepping closer with burning eyes, as though trying to see right through him, she added, "Don't think I don't know what wicked ideas you're hatching!" Lifting her chin with a warning edge, she demanded, "You'd better give me an honest explanation right now!"

Lu Yao’s brow knotted into a tight frown. His knuckles turned white from pressure, his distinct fingers curling slightly as if grasping for anything to alleviate the sudden tension. He jerked his head up, the panic in his eyes replaced by a dark shadow, his gaze turning sharp as he stared unblinkingly at Jiang Fengmian, filled with open hostility.

"She isn't just your sister alone," he retorted word by word, his voice low and raspy, charged with suppressed anger. "You're always like this—making decisions for her and arranging her entire life with your own self-righteousness." He paused, his tone dripping with mockery. "You don't care about her at all; you only care about yourself!"

His voice gradually rose, the final words practically ground out between his teeth.

Jiang Fengmian’s expression instantly darkened. She let out a cold laugh and shot back without the slightest courtesy, "What do you know? I am her real sister! Since when is it your place, an outsider, to interfere?" As she spoke, she reached out unceremoniously to adjust the blanket over Jiang Qiyue, but at that exact fraction of a second, Lu Yao coldly raised a hand to stop her.

"Don't touch her." His voice was low, chilled to the point of freezing the air, carrying a suppressed fury and an undeniable possessiveness. His hand clamped onto Jiang Fengmian’s wrist like an iron vise—a grip that was neither a simple obstruction nor pure anger, but a contradictory declaration of territory, brooking no intrusion.

Jiang Fengmian frowned slightly. The pressure on her wrist was uncomfortable, though not painful enough to force a struggle; rather, it was a sharp sting born of emotional confrontation.

Raising her gaze, she leveled a cold, searchlight-like stare at him, showing no retreat, her eyes growing increasingly aggressive as if determined to forcefully peel away every secret he kept buried.

Lu Yao remained completely motionless, fixing her with a cold glare without loosening his grip by a fraction. His knuckles tightened further, silently escalating the unspoken resistance.

After several seconds, the gunpowder in the air slowly intensified.

Jiang Fengmian let out a light hum, pulling her wrist away with a sharp, forceful jerk. Though the movement was slight, her confidence and decisiveness laid her toughness bare. Maintaining her piercing gaze, the corners of her mouth twitched upward into a mockery of casual indifference. "Hmph—do you like her?" The brief utterance was like a fine needle piercing the epicenter of the standoff, instantly dropping the ambient temperature to absolute zero.

Lu Yao swept a cold glance over her without answering, shifting his attention back to the person on the bed.

"No matter what," Jiang Fengmian warned, watching him with cold eyes like issuing an ultimate ultimatum, "remember this: I am her sister—you have to get past me first."

Lu Yao offered no reply, merely curving his lips into an ambiguous, cold smile. With a scoff, Jiang Fengmian turned and left, slamming the door shut with a dull thud.

When quiet finally returned to the surroundings, Lu Yao stared at Jiang Qiyue’s face, his lowered fingers slowly tightening.

"Get past her..." His voice was low and hoarse, wrapped in an irrepressible, faint chuckle. "So what if I do?"

This wave of the zombie horde was ultimately repelled through the joint efforts of the entire base. Despite the heavy casualties, the survivors successfully defended the sanctuary's safety.

Standing on the defensive fortifications with her hands behind her back, Jiang Qiyue watched the smoke gradually dissipate, feeling a profound peace in her heart.

During the headcount, the number of injured reached 32, seven had fallen during the evacuation, and 54 combat-capable personnel remained. As she recorded the figures, Jiang Qiyue rapidly calculated the rationality of various mission assignments in her mind. Although the force appeared slightly diminished, morale remained unbroken; instead, tempered by repeated brushes with life and death, these individuals had evolved into a cohesive, nascent combat team.

The equipment situation, however, was far from optimistic. Although the ammunition depot had received an emergency resupply just before the horde's attack, consumption had been heavy, leaving only enough stock for the base to fight two more hordes of similar scale. Protective gear had suffered frequent use, with several pieces sustaining irreparable damage. In terms of weaponry, close-quarters combat gear was relatively sufficient, but firearms were critically scarce: only a single sniper rifle remained operational, alongside just four intact assault rifles, while the rest of the small arms required urgent repair or replacement.

Jiang Qiyue quickly organized the statistical results into tables, categorizing them within the territory system's terminal before returning to the command room. Spread across the table was a map detailing their next target: the university town.

Clutching the tactical map of the university town and listening to the intelligence brought back by Lu Yao, Jiang Qiyue’s gaze grew even darker.

The core objective of this operation was to rescue a team of professors who had achieved remarkable success in the field of scientific research within the university town, as well as to scavenge untouched technical instruments, vital documents, and usable resources from surrounding enterprises. These could prove pivotal for the territory's technological advancement.

Lowering her head, she drew several marker lines across the map, having already mentally rehearsed the route of operations.

"The core area of the university town is right here. The professor team should have evacuated toward the biochemical experimental building at the time. The location marked by the intelligence source is here, temporarily deduced as their hiding spot." Pointing with her pen to the laboratory building, she outlined a cluster of adjacent blocks. "And these places... are all well-known corporate parks nearby. They were once relatively safe escape routes, but now they are likely dense zones of infection. Without thorough clearance and searching beforehand, it will be difficult to guarantee the safe extraction of the professors."

"Corporate parks?" Lu Yao leaned in from the side, his fingertip tapping the region Jiang Qiyue had marked. "This area used to be heavily concentrated with companies in biopharmaceuticals, mechanical manufacturing, and information technology. But given the time that has passed, the infected population is massive. Won't we..." He paused, looking at Jiang Qiyue with added concern in his eyes. "...won't our manpower be insufficient, causing us to bog down?"

Looking straight at her, Jiang Qiyue replied in her usual tone, "If there were no risks, we wouldn't need a plan."

Her words were crisp and decisive, devoid of superfluous fluff. She then lifted her pen to break down the tasks further: "Listen up. The entire team will split into two groups. The reconnaissance squad is responsible for locating the professor team and marking risk points, while the search operation falls to the main strike squad. Key search targets include reserve pharmaceuticals in the biotech plants, semi-finished goods, and research equipment, all of which will prove immensely useful in the future. During clearance, no uninfected technical documents must be left behind."

Lu Yao raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like we're packing up the entire industrial park."

"Exactly," Jiang Qiyue nodded. "Success is difficult, but the risks are not without reward. Either we don't go, or if we go, we do it thoroughly. I don't intend to let slip a single resource capable of driving our technological progress." Staring at the map, she lightly traced several key sections along the planned evacuation route. "If time permits, the neighboring mechatronics engineering company and drone R&D center should also undergo preliminary searches. Preventing the infected from surrounding the central district is the primary prerequisite for saving lives, so those routes must remain open."

Pushing the map toward the center of the table, she organized the combat assignments:

"Team One, led by Lu Yao, will take charge of assaulting and clearing the experimental building floors, locating the professor team as quickly as possible to ensure their safety. Shi Chao will serve as deputy leader, tasked with deploying roadblocks in the tech park to prevent infected units from converging."

"Team Two, led by myself, will initiate clearance from the north gate, sweeping southward in a pincer movement while searching the pharmaceutical plant and R&D center. If we encounter heavy resistance during the operation, priority is given to tactical withdrawal and rescheduling. Our objectives carry equal weight, but keeping the evacuation routes open is mandatory."

Scanning the assembled faces, she added, "During combat, local squads must maintain strict order, operating strictly at the squad level without acting rashly or startling the regional horde. All communication equipment must maintain synchronized reporting without unauthorized positional changes."

"As for ammunition, each person will be issued thirty safe rounds, backed by energy tower batteries for mechanical support." Standing nearby, Lu Yao offered his assessment. "Too much of the territory's latest tech equipment still has a slow production cycle. If we run into a large-scale horde this time, it still feels a bit tight..."

Morning sunlight washed over the walls of the Vimo base, bathing them in a golden hue.

Zhou Zhou and Lin Xiaoxiao stood by the gates, watching the fully prepared convoy with gazes filled with reluctance and worry. The members of the combat unit stood fully equipped, rolling out toward the direction of the university town.

Seated in an off-road vehicle near the center of the convoy, Jiang Qiyue looked out the window as the base gradually receded into the distance, her heart brimming with anticipation.

The trip to the university town was not merely a rescue mission for the professors, but a quest to acquire vital resources capable of propelling technological advancement. As long as this operation succeeded, the base's strength would reach a whole new level.