Chapter 574: This Was the Original Plan

Wei Gong's order pressed into the channel.

L stared at the main console.

The countdown froze in the upper-left corner of the screen.

In the cache pool, the abnormal image structure had already breached the third firewall. Black-and-white snow filled the preview window, that orderly smile shattered into countless data blocks, crawling outward along every external line.

She pressed the authorization panel with her left hand, her right hand flying across the keyboard.

Her fingers began to go numb.

The pads of her fingers were worn raw, leaving a speck of blood on the keycaps.

On her computer casing, the cat sticker peeled at a corner. The player in the lower-right corner still paused on last night's unfinished TV drama, where the heroine had just discovered the hero hid secret money, the frame stuck on a line of dialogue.

You actually lied to me.

L usually doesn't like this kind of thing.

But the people in the show would argue over a meal, cry over an unanswered message, and seriously worry about what to wear tomorrow even before the apocalypse arrives.

These data are meaningless.

But she wanted to finish watching episode eighteen.

The five thousand people in the Square also deserve a tomorrow.

The countdown read 00:00:02.

The keyboard suddenly jammed.

L's index finger twitched, then hung in midair.

She lifted her other hand, pressed down on her wrist, and forced the trembling fingers back.

The final segment of code popped out.

The confirm key lit up red.

L pressed it.

The page broadcasting the lecture worldwide went black at the same moment.

All streaming platforms left only a line of white text.

Signal cut off.

The large screen above the Square went dark.

That smile vanished.

But the crowd did not quiet down.

Those already afflicted still laughed, lunged at nearby facilities, banged their heads against walls, tore at their protective suits with their hands. Those not yet afflicted jammed the Exit, crying and shouting to get out.

Jiang Yuan looked up at the ceiling.

"Wrong."

The shadow beneath his feet suddenly recoiled.

It wasn't him retracting it.

From behind the surrounding partitions came the metallic scrape of something falling.

The first blast gate dropped.

Then came the second, then the third.

Exit, vents, equipment passages, emergency evacuation doors—every possible way out was sealed shut by heavy alloy gates.

Bang.

The final gate slammed shut.

The Square became a sealed iron box.

Someone lunged at the gate and pounded on it.

"Open the door!"

"My wife is still out there!"

"Let us out!"

"What is the Investigation Bureau trying to do?!"

Jiang Yuan stood where he was, the cards in his Card Bag frozen.

He looked toward the command vehicle.

In the channel, Wei Gong's tone had no inflection.

"Final contingency activated."

"New Order Square has entered Zero-Containment status."

"No one may enter or leave."

Qin Zhixia stood beside the containment unit, her mechanical prosthetic arm slowly clenching.

She understood what this order meant.

Lu Dou's contamination lurked in the crowd.

If one person ran out, ten would see.

If ten went out, a city would suffer.

Sealing the Square is the most effective method.

It is also the cruelest method.

Liang Wen turned to look.

In the center of the Square, a little girl huddled in her mother's arms. The mother covered the child's eyes with both hands, yet she herself stared at the chaotic crowd, even holding back her tears.

The old patrol officer beside them sat on the ground, his hat falling to his feet.

He stared at the sealed gate, his lips moving slightly.

"Just now Representative Tang said, the law doesn't ask what resides inside a body."

"And now?"

No one answered.

Su Ming rose from beside the cable well, his hem dusted with ash.

He had an abrasion on the back of his hand, left from just now pulling open a young man who had slammed into the power box. That young man was now bound to a pillar by shadows, still laughing, tears streaming down his face.

Su Ming stared at him.

In his previous life, he had seen too many such choices.

Seal a building, protect a district.

Abandon a city, preserve a province.

Everyone said there was nothing to be done.

Yet those left inside also have parents, names, and unfinished meals.

"Lord Wei."

Su Ming spoke.

"Sealing the gate is possible."

"Rescue cannot stop."

Lord Wei watched the monitors.

"Do you have a rescue plan?"

"None."

Su Ming answered bluntly.

"Then we'll make one on the spot."

Jiang Yuan raised his hand.

Shadows split along the ground into dozens of thin lines, separating the afflicted crowd from ordinary civilians. He controlled them carefully, afraid of breaking anyone's bones and also of missing someone.

"I am responsible for restricting movement."

Qin Zhixia glanced at the containment box.

"I'll lead the medical team, screening each person individually."

"The source of contamination isn't on the screen."

L's projection hovered above the command vehicle.

Her hand still rested before the keyboard, fingertips trembling.

"The screen is merely a detonator."

"The first thirty-seven who manifested have the same kind of rule residue in their bodies."

Su Ming asked, "Can we trace it back?"

"We need a sample."

"The sample is right here."

Jiang Yuan turned his head.

Lao Zhou was pressed to the ground by shadows, the smile on his face cracked into exaggeration. He winked at Jiang Yuan, his eyes holding no plea for help.

"Don't save me."

"Save my wife."

Jiang Yuan's motion halted for a beat.

Lao Zhou still remembered his wife.

This shows the person isn't completely gone.

"Medical team!"

Two members rushed over.

But Lao Zhou suddenly opened his mouth and bit his own tongue.

Jiang Yuan raised his hand, and shadows clamped his jaw.

Too late.

Blood flowed from the corner of Lao Zhou's mouth.

He was still laughing.

"Happiness."

"Don't resist."

"Resistance only brings pain."

Qin Zhixia drew the Tail-Head Snake, striking the back of Lao Zhou's neck with the blade's spine.

Lao Zhou lost consciousness.

She looked toward Jiang Yuan.

"First, preserve the people."

Jiang Yuan nodded.

At the edge of the Square, someone suddenly burst out laughing.

They were not infected.

That person wore a white shirt, still clutching an entry pass. He sat in the crowd, crying a moment ago, then lifted his head, his face blank.

Why am I laughing?

He raised his hand and touched his own face.

His palm froze in midair.

The corner of his mouth was lifting upward.

The people around him fled in fright.

Don't come near me!

The man covered his face and stepped back.

I didn't look at the screen, I really didn't!

His wife stood two meters away, holding the child, crying and calling his name.

The man heard it.

He wanted to turn back.

But his steps were already walking toward his wife and daughter.

Jiang Yuan's poker flew over, cutting the ground's tile seams, and blocked in front of the man.

Stop.

The man grinned, tears streaming down.

Captain, kill me.

I don't want to touch them.

Jiang Yuan didn't move.

He had seen too many weird things, and killed too many monsters.

But this man before him had been taking photos of his daughter just half an hour ago.

You won't touch them.

Jiang Yuan raised his hand.

Shadow wrapped around the man's limbs, pulling him back to the open space.

You stay alive first.

The man's laughter wouldn't stop.

He closed his eyes, a burst of unstoppable laughter squeezed from his throat, sounding more painful than crying.

Tang Guo'an walked down from the podium.

Staff grabbed him.

Representative Tang, it's dangerous.

Where here isn't dangerous?

Tang Guo'an pushed aside the staff's hand and walked to the edge of the inner circle.

He didn't approach the infected, merely picking up the broadcaster that had fallen to the ground.

Everyone, listen to me.

No one in the crowd paid him any attention.

Don't crowd the door.

Don't hurt the people around you.

The Investigation Bureau hasn't abandoned you.

Someone shouted at him.

The doors are sealed, and you still haven't given up?

Tang Guo'an gripped the broadcaster, the veins on the back of his hand jumping.

The doors are sealed to keep more people from coming in.

That's hard to hear.

I don't want to say it either.

But I'm staying here.

The crowd grew a little quieter.

Tang Guo'an stood at the bottom of the steps, only a few steps from the blockade line.

He did not retreat.

Jiang Yuan glanced at him.

This old man was terrified, yet his hand remained steady.

Jiang Yuan withdrew his gaze, preparing to let the shadow expand the containment range.

The ground suddenly rose with gray mist.

It wasn't coming from the vents.

The mist seeped out from the crack at the center of the square, passing through the shadow, through the containment equipment, and along everyone's shoe edges.

Jiang Yuan's shadow retreated backward.

It was dodging.

The poker in Jiang Yuan's palm made a soft sound.

Su Ming lifted his head, his pupils constricting.

Everyone, step back.

Qin Zhixia stood before the crowd with her sword held horizontally.

Liang Wen scratched his head, the black windcoat brushed by the gray mist, and the hem showed a tiny tear.

This new friend's entrance is a bit over budget.

In the gray mist, there were footsteps.

The white umbrella appeared first.

The canopy was clean, the ribs straight.

Lu Dou walked out of the mist, his white long robe unstained by even a speck of gray. He stood in the center of the square, lowered his head to look at the sealed gate, then glanced at Tang Guo'an on the stage.

He raised his hand and clapped.

The applause was soft.

But everyone's movements stopped.

Director Wei is very decisive.

Lu Dou lifted his face, his tone gentle.

Cut off transmission, seal the samples, first protect those outside.

That is a very mature management approach.

Jiang Yuan's poker hovered around Lu Dou.

What do you want to do?

Lu Dou looked at Lao Zhou bound by shadows, then at the mother clutching her daughter.

Conduct an experiment.

You closed the door, which actually saved me a lot of trouble.

Su Ming took a half step forward.

Use five thousand people for an experiment?

Not take.

Lu Dou gently shook his head.

It's an invitation.

Liang Wen rolled his eyes.

Lock people in a box, then talk about invitation?

Lu Dou was not angry.

Captain Liang, humans always understand choice as leaving.

Actually, accepting is also a choice.

He held up the white umbrella, his gaze sweeping over the entire venue.

I originally only intended to borrow Tang representative's speech to conduct a large-scale observation.

This system is still unstable.

Since it's unstable, we shouldn't rashly expand it to more people.

There are too many people outside.

They have jobs, families, and lives not yet prepared.

Lu Dou paused.

And here, we happen to have five thousand complete samples, enough.

Tang Guo'an's facial color faded.

What do you treat people as?

Lu Dou looked at him.

Patients.

I once also believed that people should retain the right to suffer.

Later I have seen too much.

Some are bullied, some abandoned, some lose everything because of others' power.

Your laws are being repaired.

But the repair is too slow.

He raised the umbrella handle, pointing at the weeping crowd in the square.

They only need to accept happiness to no longer be afraid.

No anger, no greed, no harm.

Nor any pain.

Jiang Yuan stared at Lu Dou.

Those without choice are not truly alive.

Lu Dou nodded.

This is also something you often say.

But Captain Jiang, do most people have a choice?

Jiang Yuan's fingers tightened.

Cut the nonsense.

Lu Dou smiled.

Humans have always forced themselves to live correctly.

I just want everyone to be a bit more relaxed.

The gray mist drifted past his feet, spreading toward the crowd.