Chapter 150: Stitched Body, a Monster from Illegal Experiments

The sound of gunfire grew increasingly dense, and several white marks from bullet impacts had already been left on the airplane windows.

"Old Qi will find a way," Xing Tianyang actually trusted Qi Zhengxun at this moment, "Their target isn't necessarily Chief Yang; Old Qi and the Review Board are equally valuable."

The three of them stopped talking, but they were all nervously focused on the things they cared about respectively.

Yang Shuo's convulsions were intensifying, but Xing Tianyang, who was already very familiar with the mutation process, did not panic in the slightest, his hands moving with steady precision.

Just then, the airplane fuselage emitted a low hum and vibrated gently; the engines had been started.

Bang—

Just as Zhuo Qing wanted to retreat to a nearby window to check the situation, the cabin door was struck with great force, the sound making her heart jump violently.

Sensing something, she immediately swapped the standard handgun in her hand for a gun specifically designed to deal with mutants, and quickly put distance between herself and the cabin door to give herself sufficient firing conditions.

Fortunately, her reaction was fast enough; in those few short seconds, the cabin door was struck three more times in succession, each time with greater force than the last.

The final impact actually caused the cabin door to crack open, leaving a gap three fingers wide and about thirty centimeters long.

One had to know that this was a reinforced Military Transport Plane; let alone impacts, even a Sniper Rifle shouldn't be able to pierce the fuselage.

Through this gap, the three of them—Zhuo Qing and the others—saw the thing they least wanted to see at this moment.

It was a pair of massive, lethal weapons shaped like scorpion tails, the upper ends covered in transparent spikes, the tips sharp and tough; that gap was cut by one of them.

"Is it a mutant?" Shen Wan's voice trembled, and he was so scared he slid to the floor, almost crying, "What do we do? We've really been attacked, what do we do? We're dead!"

Xing Tianyang was already annoyed by Qi Zhengxun using his future to threaten him, and now he was even more irritated by Shen Wan's cowardice, "Death is death, whether it comes early or late, what are you afraid of? If we die, you won't be the only one."

Ignoring the two of them, Zhuo Qing stared only at the gap being used as a breach, then heard a sound from the headset placed to the side. After picking it up, she heard Qi Zhengxun's voice inside.

"This is Zhuo Qing, Old Qi, what is the situation outside right now?"

Qi Zhengxun, who already had a short temper, sounded even more exasperated now, "Those sons of bitches brought a team of mutants; we have to take off immediately. How is little Yang?"

Zhuo Qing glanced toward the hospital bed and said with some guilt, "Chief Yang's condition is stable, but the cabin door has been attacked and won't hold much longer."

"We see it. You just focus on taking care of little Yang; my people will deal with that thing!"

After Qi Zhengxun finished speaking, he cut the call. A few seconds later, the gunfire outside moved closer to the cabin door, and the mutants temporarily stopped their assault.

Zhuo Qing pondered for a moment, still unwilling to sit and wait for death, "The plane is taking off soon, you two be careful, I'm going to help!"

Her gun was the most effective against mutants; rather than letting Qi Zhengxun and his people make ineffective attacks, it was better for her to seize an opportunity to act from here.

Fortunately, the commotion outside was so great that when she approached the cabin door, she did not attract the attention of the mutants at the entrance, allowing her to successfully extend her muzzle out through the crack.

Bang—

A sneak attack from behind hit the mutant's vital point. It immediately let out a high-pitched, insect-like shriek, followed by the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground, causing the plane to sway slightly.

But what made one's scalp tingle was that another layer of faint, scratching sounds 'stuck' to the outside of the fuselage, as if countless beetles were crawling all over it—above, below, left, and right.

"What is that sound?" Shen Wan was so scared his legs went weak. He had originally wanted to find a seat to buckle his seatbelt upon hearing they were taking off, but the movement outside was truly terrifying, and he shrank back.

"Take off, quickly!" Xing Tianyang's expression suddenly changed, and he shouted toward the cockpit in front. However, as a researcher, his physical strength was poor to begin with, and he rarely had the chance to shout; his voice cracked.

"Do you know what it is?" Shen Wan asked with a trembling voice, suppressing a shameful urge to urinate, "What is it?"

"Don't ask, just hurry and go, it's not something we can deal with!"

Xing Tianyang couldn't explain it clearly; he hadn't expected to encounter this kind of thing here. Those unscrupulous researchers really hadn't given up.

"It's a stitched mutant, an illegal experiment," Zhuo Qing explained in one sentence. As for who did it, or whether these people outside were in on it, no one could draw a conclusion right now.

She saw a human face through the gap; it was severely deformed, but it was indeed on the same body as the arthropod limbs.

No, not just the face. If one had to say, it seemed more like the human spine had been replaced with the spine of an arthropod that had grown legs—though, of course, normal arthropods shouldn't have spines.

"It must be some kind of man-made thing to be able to fix a human body together with long limbs similar to a mutant scorpion tail, thereby using the human brain to execute simple commands. Like ramming, attacking..."

"It can do that?" Shen Wan thought of something, whipped his head around to look at Yang Shuo on the bed, and hesitated to speak.

"Worry about yourself first," Zhuo Qing was also a bit puzzled by Shen Wan's cowardice. How could someone with such a tiny amount of courage dare to conspire with Xing Tianyang to swap the medicine? It was unthinkable.

"Zhuo Qing is right, you two take care of yourselves first. I'm fine now," Yang Shuo, who had regained consciousness ever since the medicine took effect, was finally able to speak.

Xing Tianyang held him down, "Don't move, you used very little medicine; it only saved your life for the moment."

"Can you tell how many..." Yang Shuo lay back down, but halfway through the question, he swallowed it back, "Never mind what's outside, prepare to leave."

The propellers spun faster and faster, but because there were too many stitched mutants crawling over the plane, the glass outside the cockpit was almost completely covered by them, making it impossible to take off for a moment.

"You guys wait!" Zhuo Qing no longer hesitated; she pulled open the cabin door on the other side, hanging from the door frame above with one hand while firing her last two bullets with the other.

The Explosive Bullet hit the stitched mutant outside the cockpit, and the medicine within it took effect instantly, causing the already unstable mutant to collapse immediately.

Its deformed body twisted and warped, falling apart as it slid down the outer wall of the plane.

"Go, quickly!" Zhuo Qing pulled the cabin door shut and shouted to the cockpit, "I'm out of bullets."

The propellers accelerated, and the transport plane began to ascend, but Zhuo Qing did not relax because of this.

If the entire airport was controlled by the opposition, they would have weapons capable of shooting down the plane; being in the air was no different from being a live target.

Over there, Shen Wan was still muttering about fuel and the people left behind, only to be suppressed by a cold, inhuman look from Xing Tianyang.

As a veteran of the battlefield, Qi Zhengxun had naturally thought of this long ago, which was why he had struck first.

Before the transport plane had even left the airport airspace, two Missiles were fired downward.

The people in the cabin even saw the rolling fire and mist on the windows, as well as the massive shockwave that almost tore the transport plane apart.

Xing Tianyang, who hadn't managed to return to his seat, used the Binding Strap of the hospital bed to tie himself to the underside of the bed, which also secured Yang Shuo on top, but the intense impact still caused him to break several ribs.

As for Xing Tianyang, he was a research fanatic, an academic idealist, and a self-absorbed dogmatist. He seemed like someone who could give everything for his career, but he was even more willing to risk his life for the views he held.

For instance, he believed Yang Shuo could ensure the peace of the East Three Provinces and also protect his research, so he didn't hesitate to gamble his own future.

But for a man like this... he was afraid of pain!

"Ahhhhh!"

Hearing Xing Tianyang let out a desperate, agonizing scream, Zhuo Qing's expression became indescribable.

Even Shen Wan, who had been shivering on his seat, was startled and hurriedly shouted with a sobbing tone, "Doctor Xing, are you alright? You haven't suffered any fatal wounds, have you? Tell me the situation, let me diagnose you."

"His ribs are broken," from Zhuo Qing's position, she could see Xing Tianyang perfectly. The thin research worker wanted to hug his injury, but fearing he would worsen the condition, he pulled the Binding Strap tight, keeping his arms stiffly circled in front of his chest.

"Secure yourself, you should know what to do, Doctor Xing. Once the plane stabilizes, we will help treat you; we can perform surgery here."

"I don't need you people!" Xing Tianyang gritted his teeth, but his arrogance didn't last half a minute, "When will it be considered stable? The bone is going to pierce my lung!"

Zhuo Qing was so angry she laughed; if she could, she would really like to put a bullet in this eccentric man.

But she couldn't, so she decided to turn her head and look at the situation outside the window.

The explosion was spectacular; the shells fired by the transport plane did not hit the army on the tarmac, but one took out the airport's Signal Tower, and one finished off a Defense Turret.

Just when Zhuo Qing thought that was enough for them to leave safely, the plane shook, and two more Missiles whistled out.

Amidst the thick smoke, one was intercepted, and the other finally landed on the tarmac.

Seeing this, they had already left the airport area; Zhuo Qing withdrew her gaze, guessing that Qi Zhengxun must have been prepared long ago.

Ordinary transport planes are not equipped with strike capabilities; before the disaster, aircraft of this scale would have fighter jets escorting them. But the one they were riding in must have been modified.

The problem was, before boarding the plane, she had clearly paid attention and did not see any devices capable of dropping bombs.

Also, what was the purpose of those people who attacked them?

At first, she guessed it was to kill Yang Shuo or Qi Zhengxun, or both together. But now that she had calmed down, Zhuo Qing realized something was wrong; if it were really targeting the two of them, they could have just fired a shell when the plane was about to land or after it had already landed to achieve their goal.

Unless, there was someone on the plane they wanted?

Zhuo Qing thought through the remaining people one by one, and finally, her gaze landed on Xing Tianyang; is it possible... that those people knew Xing Tianyang was on the plane?

Assassinating two high-ranking officials is very valuable, but taking Xing Tianyang away is equally valuable.

Liu Mu handled this matter too foolishly; at a critical juncture where all parties are vigorously researching Mutation, Xing Tianyang is undoubtedly the Tang Monk—everyone wants a piece.

"The cabin door! The cabin door!"

Xing Tianyang's voice, filled with pain and anxiety, interrupted Zhuo Qing's thoughts.

As the plane flew, the pressure difference between inside and outside grew, and the gap in the cabin door brought a hurricane into the interior; if it continued to accelerate, the airflow would likely tear this plane apart.

"Come help me!" Zhuo Qing left her seat, rummaged through the toolbox, and found some heavy-duty tape.

Shen Wan originally tried to decline, saying he couldn't stand up, but he was asked by Xing Tianyang, "Do you also want to taste the feeling of Mutation?"

After patching the cabin door, the door to the cockpit also opened.

Qi Zhengxun and a guard entered; the latter's chest was wrapped in Bandages, and the seeping blood had not yet dried.

"There is reserve fuel on the plane, which can support us in reaching a flight Base in Central China."

Qi Zhengxun did not ask about their situation, only simply stating what needed to be done now, "My guard team has three people left; I need one person to go to the lower deck with Xiao Zhang to refuel the plane."

"I'll go," Zhuo Qing knew Qi Zhengxun was pointing at her, "But you must ensure their safety and give me new weapons."

"Lieutenant Colonel Zhuo, you truly are the new head of the Special Operations Team; you think about things more carefully than even Xiao Tan." Qi Zhengxun drew his sidearm and a spare magazine, throwing them to Zhuo Qing, "Go, I'll watch over things here."

"Mm, cough cough..." Xing Tianyang, whose coughing stopped abruptly halfway, lay under the hospital bed; afraid that the bone would pierce his lung, he didn't dare move at all, "No, she has to stay here to treat me, let someone else go."

"Young man, two people are needed to pilot up front, and the only one available here is the injured Xiao Zhang; if Lieutenant Colonel Zhuo, who knows something about the plane, doesn't go, are you expecting me to go?"

Qi Zhengxun had already sat down on a nearby chair; his blood-stained fingers unbuttoned his coat, and as he pulled it open, one could see the white shirt underneath, almost soaked through with blood, turning into a solid red.

Only then did Zhuo Qing notice that Qi Zhengxun's complexion was very poor, and she hurriedly asked, "Old Qi, were you shot?"

In the middle of the white shirt, a small hole was still oozing blood.

The guard Xiao Zhang clearly didn't know that the person he was protecting was injured either, and he hurriedly took a step forward, "Chief, how are you?"

"Ricochet, just a graze," Qi Zhengxun beckoned to Shen Wan, "Doctor Shen, please help me remove the shrapnel; it shouldn't be deep."

"Old Qi, let me..."

"You go refuel; those bastards made their move when we only added a base amount at the airport!" Qi Zhengxun pulled a long face, "There isn't much reserve oil, you all hurry. Back in the day, what kind of wounds haven't I suffered on the battlefield? It's just a graze, what the hell is there to be afraid of!"

"Shen Wan!" Zhuo Qing sternly called out to the doctor, who was almost scared out of his wits, "Perform the surgery on Old Qi, I'll be back soon."

"O-okay, I, I'll do it..."

Shen Wan was shaking all over, but he still unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped forward amidst the rhythmic vibrations of the plane.

Zhuo Qing did indeed return very quickly, but she was covered in blood.

She held a dripping Scalpel blade between her fingers and rushed directly to Qi Zhengxun, who had just had the shrapnel removed and hadn't yet had time to bandage the wound.

"What do you want to do? Qi Zhengxun, what exactly is your goal?"

"Killed him?" Qi Zhengxun's seat was adjusted to a reclining position, his neck stretched out; his neck, covered in a few age spots, was exposed to the air so vulnerably, "Well done, Lieutenant Colonel Zhuo, I didn't misjudge you; you girl are worthy of being Xiao Tan's wife."

"You knew that guard was a mole?"

Zhuo Qing had been wary of Qi Zhengxun before, so naturally, she would be careful of his people.

As it turned out, this guy wanted to kill even while crippled, and he had his throat slit by the prepared female Lieutenant Colonel without her even needing to use a gun.

"You didn't know?" Qi Zhengxun was confused instead, "Didn't I give you a wink just now?"

"Where did you wink? Did you all see it?"

Those who could shake their heads did so; only Yang Shuo, who was in the middle of Mutation, coughed heavily, "Old Squad Leader, how many times have I told you, ordinary people can't understand your winks, why won't you listen? How can you wink by staring directly into someone's eyes? What can you even see from that?"

Zhuo Qing did not put down the Scalpel because of Yang Shuo's words, "What about the two flying the plane?"

"Those two can be trusted." Qi Zhengxun had a clear grasp of the situation of the people around him; usually, he left them there to follow the vine and find the melon.

If it weren't for the special circumstances today, or if Xiao Zhang hadn't been in such a hurry to make a move, Qi Zhengxun could have let him stay longer.

"I hope you're right," Zhuo Qing said somewhat impolitely.

The Review Board has spies, the guards have moles; is this old man playing a game of internal affairs with himself?

"You, get up," Zhuo Qing glared at Xing Tianyang, who was still lying under the hospital bed; the latter immediately expressed his refusal, "I cannot move, the broken bone will..."

"It won't kill you!" Zhuo Qing gritted her teeth, "How can I bandage you if you don't come out?"

Doctor Xing, who considered himself severely injured, finally released the Binding Strap of the hospital bed and moved his body horizontally at a painfully slow speed, as if he were a set of assembled building blocks that would fall apart if he moved.

... Haicheng Barrier, the first meeting of middle and high-level officials was held one day after Yang Shuo left.

The matter of suddenly having Liu Mu act as the highest official of the Barrier naturally caused dissatisfaction among more than half of the people; even those who supported Yang Shuo's decision on the surface could not help but question Liu Mu's ability in their hearts.

Facing a large group of middle-aged and elderly cadres, Liu Mu herself did not feel the slightest pressure.

Yet there are always people who like to get in one's face and start trouble, even acting as the first to stick their necks out without knowing anything about Liu Mu's life.

"I disagree. What qualifications do you have to act as a proxy for the Barrier and the military?"

"I agree with the Internal Affairs Minister; she wants to lord over us at such a young age, on what grounds?"

"Everyone listen to me, I was present when the Chief made this decision; he was clearly not in his right mind, so his words cannot be taken as valid."