141 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

In the dimly lit corridor of the building, Chen Wan scarcely needed Athena's assistance as she delivered a powerful kick to the so-called infrared panel, sending it crashing against the wall. The loud bang echoed down the hallway, triggering alarms throughout the eighth floor. Instantly, twenty armed guards rushed in, guns drawn, advancing towards Chen Wan and her companions. Athena intercepted their attack with her shield, transforming the guards into stark statues. Without delay, Chen Wan and her team proceeded down the corridor. In the laboratory at the corridor's end, a second infrared sensor door barred their way. Beyond it lay the main lab. The personnel inside continued their routines, seemingly undisturbed by the commotion outside, certain of the building's security. As they reached the door, a voice crackled through the intercom from within, "Who are you? Step back! This is the 'Tomorrow' base lab. Everyone must remain outside the main entrance. How did you get in?" Ignoring the question, Chen Wan planted her foot firmly against the door. With a resounding crash, it flew off its hinges, dragging the speaker with it as it smashed into a table inside. The chaos of the situation dawned on the lab personnel, who froze at the sight. The lab's rigorous security meant none of them carried weapons. Chen Wan scanned her surroundings and drew her gun as she entered. Dr. Wen glared at them, furrowing his brow. "Who are you? Don't you know outsiders are forbidden here? Where are the guards? Have they all died?" His demands for intervention went unanswered, as the silence outside suggested annihilation. Chen Wan's gaze met his, challenging him, "How do you know there's no one left outside? I assure you, the eighth floor is clear, and we've dealt with the seventh as well. Ming Feng and Ming Jue, those maniacs, are gone too. Any other questions?" "Impossible. The Ming brothers' abilities surpass yours," Dr. Wen argued, reaching for his radio. Only static answered his calls to Ming Feng and Ming Jue. Continuing inside, Chen Wan and her team faced a horrific sight—a fully intact male Alpha restrained on an iron bed. Under heavy sedation, he lay unconscious with his chest sliced open, his heart beating independently on a nearby tray. His blood steadily drained into a bag via a machine, enough to make even Chen Wan shudder. Rushing over, she realized he had passed. Horror crawled over her skin as she spurned, "Using live humans for experiments? You're mad!" "Mad? You don't understand. We're pursuing a noble goal for humanity's sake. By deciphering the link between ability users, zombies, and mutated creatures, we can quickly develop enhancement serums for ability users and vaccines against the zombie virus. Our research will shield ordinary people from infection," Dr. Wen's face twisted with zeal. His eyes roamed over Chen Wan's group as he jeered, "You ability users come here for this too, don't you? To access the nutrients I've extracted from crystal cores? Admit it, you're no different from us." Chen Wan shook her head coolly, "No, we're nothing alike. We still retain our humanity. But you? You're just a deranged beast." As she spoke, she raised her gun. Panic gripped Dr. Wen. "No, wait, you can't kill me. I can elevate your powers, I promise. Trust me. I’ll serve you, just don't kill me!" "And what about those you experimented on? Weren’t they innocent? You're the real monster." Chen Wan ended his pleading with a shot. Stunned, the remaining lab staff looked on blankly. A male Alpha, stammering in fear, pleaded, "Please don’t kill us. We're coerced into this. It was all Dr. Wen’s doing." A female ability user, barely recovering from sedatives, struggled against her bonds. Chen Wan demanded of the staff, "Untie them, now." Terrified, they complied, freeing the remaining survivors, though four remained unconscious. The lab's prisoners bore marks of torment, a testament to their suffering. A woman tore off her blindfold, relieved to find Chen Wan and Dr. Wen's lifeless body. Panicked, she attempted to rouse her fellow captives, grateful for Chen Wan’s intervention. "Thank you for saving us." "No need. We came for something specific. The male Alpha was dead when we arrived," Chen Wan sighed. "Had you not come, we’d have met the same fate. They intended to compare our hearts to a zombie's today. We defied Ming brothers and paid for it. Our blood fed their research, they treated us like blood banks," the woman bitterly conveyed. Their powers lacked aggression, fostering plant growth or storing items, leading to their captivity and experimentation by the Ming brothers. Yi Yi scanned the lab, collecting all the crystal cores. Chen Wan focused on the surviving ability users. "How are you holding up?" she inquired. "I'm fine, just dizzy. The others suffered more. They implanted things in them, and the wounds just healed," said the woman, eyes on the ground. Her gaze fixed on a man in the lab, she added, "I owe it to Wang Shiyan for not being implanted myself, isn’t that right?" Wang Shiyan trembled, collapsing to his knees. "Kexin, I was powerless. Preventing implantation was all I could do. Without me, you'd be like them." "I’d rather die than owe you. How many have you killed?" Song Kexin accused, voice shaking. Once partners, she spurned Wang Shiyan when he succumbed to the lab's lucrative offers, refusing the Ming brothers' demands and ending up as a test subject. "Dr. Wen insisted our actions were for humanity's welfare. It's not our fault. Achievements demand sacrifice. You should feel honored to be part of this," Wang Shiyan retorted with increasing fervor, "Your sabotage delays salvation. You're the ones who should—" Qin Ke and Athena acted swiftly, silencing him with a coordinated attack. Those attempting to resist with surgical implements met Athena’s spear and shield, becoming statues. Song Kexin, relieved yet tearful, desperately attempted to wake her four male companions. Yi Yi scanned them. "They’ve been zombified. If left unchecked, they’ll awake as zombies, threatening everyone." Song Kexin's heart sank, "Is there no other way?" Yi Yi shook her head, "The virus has reached their neural pathways. Once awake, they'll become zombies." Jiang Yanxin nodded in grim comprehension and directed Athena to deliver the final release. Beads of cold sweat began to form on Jiang Yanxin’s forehead. She had manifested Athena twice today, each time for a considerable duration, totaling nearly an hour. Feeling her body grow weak, Jiang Yanxin quickly withdrew her mental energy. Chen Wan gently pulled Jiang Yanxin into her arms, allowing her to rest against her. With a tender voice, she said, "You've worked hard, my love." "It’s nothing, just need a little rest," Jiang Yanxin replied with a weak smile. Watching the interaction between Chen Wan and Jiang Yanxin, Wei Si Yu sighed inwardly: Their relationship is truly wonderful. When will I find someone I love? But her musings were momentary, as there was much for Chen Wan and her companions to handle. "This place has a substantial population; it already resembles a small-sized base. Without leadership, it could quickly end up with another Ming brothers situation," Chen Wan remarked with a sigh. Wei Si Yu furrowed her brow and nodded, then said, "My companions and I don't have a particular place in mind to go. Besides, Zhao Jing Jing and Qiao Shi Rui need time to recover. Perhaps I should stay behind." Chen Wan nodded and smiled, "If you lead the base, there shouldn’t be any problems. You could reorganize resources and gain much support from the ordinary people here." "And what about you?" Wei Si Yu inquired, having come to view Chen Wan and her group as trustworthy friends after spending even just a day together. She wished they could stay, providing mutual support. Chen Wan also felt positively about Wei Si Yu, recognizing both her character and the fact that she, as a co-main character, carried a protagonist’s aura and powers like "immunity." Remaining together would be ideal. However, they needed to search for the third level 3 zombie crystal. The pursuit for the second crystal had been perilous, requiring them to virtually upend the "Tomorrow" base to secure the valuable crystal. Without Wei Si Yu's assistance, they might have turned against each other, almost falling to Athena’s forces. Chen Wan worried about whether they could find the last crystal smoothly, as the post-apocalyptic world was unpredictable. Constantly improving their strength was crucial for survival. Ming Feng was the first control-type ability user they encountered; they could meet others with such powers, necessitating a reassessment of their capabilities. Chen Wan sighed and replied, "We still have tasks to complete and can’t stay indefinitely, but we can help for a few days. With the chaos following recent events, the base will need time to stabilize. Once things settle down, we’ll move on." "That sounds good," Wei Si Yu nodded, understanding that Chen Wan and her team had their own missions and refraining from further persuasion.