The Fallen Merman Chapter 128

Published at 30th of January 2023 07:40:44 AM

The He family brothers brought the army over to clean up the mess on the scene, and He Wenyi led the soldiers in putting out the fire. The building was bombed beyond recognition, but since Rimbaud was there, putting out the fire would only take a snap of his fingers.

They pulled out some people to form a team that would protect the prison guards and count the number of convicts in the cell block while PBB's Thunder Support Team raced against the clock to rescue the wounded. However, the number of resident doctors was limited. Dr. Char would be stretched to handle all the wounded patients alone. 

He Wenxiao carried a submachine gun, wore a steel helmet with goggles on his head, donned a bulletproof vest, walked over to Bai Chunian, and squatted down. From inside his bulletproof vest, he took out a black foldable bag and pried open the bag for Bai Chunian to place the broken pieces of body parts into the bag.

“You've worked hard.” Bai Chunian thanked him, and placed everything in, piece-by-piece, and sealed the bag, “Where's your team leader?”

“Team leader led people to M Harbor, I guess team leader would have already searched the office building of Ru Ruo Fangcheng's organization.”

Bai Chunian had passed on some of the information that Golden Silk Spider had told him to IOA headquarters early on before the battle had even started. It seemed that IOA had passed on the report to its soldiers in order to prevent any sudden accidents from occurring.

Golden Silk Spider said that his purchase slip was in the hands of the head of the Ru Ruo Fangcheng Organization. Ru Ruo Fangcheng Organization had illegally purchased various weapons for warfare. The higher-ups and seniors had been arrested and the police would be starting their investigations.

Although the Ru Ruo Fangcheng Organization was just a scapegoat for Red-Throated Bird, if the evidence was sufficiently convincing, whether any useful information could be pried from their mouths was still uncertain. After all, businessmen were easier to interrogate than terrorists.

Bai Chunian packed up the body of Patissier, folded up the body bag, and loaded it into the helicopter. Then, he went to check on Lu Yan and Bi Lanxing.

Bi Lanxing had overexerted himself. He laid in a cavern made of vines to rest, with Lu Yan nestling in to accompany him. Lu Yan occupied only a bit of space and stayed quiet, not talking. They had inevitably suffered a few injuries. 

“Are you alright?” Bai Chunian peeled apart the net made of vines and asked. The scent of soothing honey pheromones filled the air.

Lu Yan's ears drooped, he shook his head dully, and replied in a muffled voice, “We're alright, how is Instructor Han?”

“He's fine. He did pretty well.” Bai Chunian ruffled his hair, closed the vine net and left. These two fellas would need some time to digest the battle that just occurred.

After that, he went to look for Han Xingqian. 

Han Xingqian originally wanted to assist the rescue team, but his glands were injured, so the rescue team injected him with some soothers and instructed him to stay put, not wander around, and get some rest.

Xiao Xun knelt beside him, staring at him with his crystal-like, round, puppy-dog eyes. He wanted to hold Doctor Han's hand but felt it was inappropriate, and could only grip on the wrinkled fabric under his wrist while helping Doctor Han drink water with the other hand.

“Sorry, sorry.” Xiao Xun rubbed the sweat on his palms, continuously apologizing softly.

Han Xingqian sprawled on a sanitary cloth, propping his head up to look at him. “What's wrong?” 

Xiao Xun's tail unconsciously clamped between his two legs out of nervousness, and he kept rubbing the gun calluses on his fingers without stopping. One could tell that he was extremely anxious. Such symptoms often appeared in the past, but due to his solitary and powerful personality, it was easy to mistake this anxiousness for arrogance. He could trick anyone this way, but not Doctor Han.

“It's ok.” Han Xiangqian clasped his trembling hands, whispering to him comfortingly, “I can't release soothing pheromones for you right now. Calm down, and follow my instructions. First, take 3 deep breaths.”

Xiao Xun did as he was told, but once his hands were held by the warm and dry hands of the alpha, his heart rate sped up instead.

The state he was in was clearly displayed for Dr. Han to see, and Han Xingqian laughed out loud. The rescue team transporting the wounded just happened to pass by, Xiao Xun straightened up and wanted to step back to make a path for them. Han Xingqian took the opportunity and dragged him to his side. 

“There's no need to apologize, I was the one who hid my abilities from you. You didn't understand what my A3 ability was, nor did you know it would ignite and explode, this isn't your fault, it's mine.”

“A3… sir, your level is so high, why would you still come to teach us, and even take care of me so much.” Xiao Xun's wording suddenly became very cautious. While an A3 differentiation level was very rare, it also meant that their social status could be very high.

“Sir?” Han Xingqian continued grasping his hands, wiping off the sweat on his palm easily. “I'm just an ordinary doctor. Now, we are teacher-student partners, I hope that, in any aspect, you won't keep any secrets from me.”

“I'll be truthful.” Xiao Xun nodded his head, his tail gradually relaxing from being tightly clamped up, wagging slightly behind him. 

Bai Chunian suddenly popped out from behind them. Seeing Doctor Han freely holding onto his small hands, “Han ge, taking advantage of students out in the open, you're really shameless. It was a waste for me to worry about your injury.”

“Worry about yourself first, ba.” Han Xingqian let go of Xiao Xun's hands and sat up while pressing the gauze on the back of his neck. “The issue with Patissier already occurred, I don't even know how much pressure you will have to face in the future, it's already hard enough for you now.”

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Confusion showed on Xiao Xun's face, and the wagging of his tail slowed down.

Han Xingqian snorted.

“Yo, you're not scared of me anymore?” Bai Chunian put away his strange pose and began to play with the gun in his hand out of boredom. “That's enough. I don't expect too much from you now.”

“I'm gonna go relax.” Bai Chunian patted Xiao Xun on the head, “Han ge is pretty good, he's not some kind of old pervert, he's pretty decent to be with. He just really likes dogs, thank god you're not a golden retriever, otherwise, you would've been hugged and kissed by him. He really likes seeing little dogs wagging their tails, mm” 

Han Xingqian picked out a ball of gauze from the medicine box and pressed it into his mouth. “Go and bandage Rimbaud's scales.”

Once Bai Chunian walked off, Xiao Xun squatted on the ground and hugged his knees while looking at him. He looked at Xiao Xun as well and couldn't help but explain, “…That was just some meaningless chatter.”

Before he even finished, Xiao Xun began to wag his tail while looking at him.

Bai Chunian took a look at all the casualties and found that the rescue operations were well-organized, nothing really needed his help. Thus, he silently slinked off to find Rimbaud. 

Rimbaud sat on the roof of a tall building, his light blue fish tail hanging off the building, as he gazed at the twilight sky. Below him, rushing water slapped against the rocks.

Bai Chunian climbed up and sat cross-legged next to him.

“What are you looking at?”

“A dead star.” Rimbaud lifted his chin and motioned to a corner of the sky. A shooting star zipped past. 

“Actually, it has been dead for a while now, its light has only reached us now, that's why we can still see it.”

Rimbaud, “Why?”

Bai Chunian, “It was written in a human book. Their science researchers are pretty impressive.”

Rimbaud, “Humans are the creatures with the least understanding of romanticism. It's not strange that they would say that.” 

Bai Chunian, “But, I feel that they have a point. Calculating based on the speed of light and the distance of the star from us, the results are as they said.”

“No.” Rimbaud cupped both hands and a pool of water rose slowly in his palms, reflecting the sky above, “All dead things return to the sea, I've picked up the corpses of stars at the bottom of the sea before.”

“You're talking about starfish?” Bai Chunian gestured, “Five arms that suck onto the reef, and you can even use them to cook hotpot, that starfish?”

“Yes, it has a lot of arms, just like a star.” 

Bai Chunian, “I think stars are all round though.”

“They have a lot of arms.”

Bai Chunian, “Because you're a deep-sea creature, your eyesight is poor.”

“No.” Rimbaud seemed to be convinced that he was right, and said seriously, “All things return to the sea to be reborn.” 

“Don't starfish die too?”

“Because they've already returned to their place of origin, the sea just temporarily shelters them from being homeless.”

“Will he do so too?” Bai Chunian took out the pink marble that Patissier was condensed into from his pocket, holding it up to the light.

“Definitely.” 

On the other end of the roof was the raging sea, Bai Chunian silently sat there for a long time. Finally, he got up and threw the glass marble into the sea.

Rimbaud stared at the tiny splash made by the glass marble hitting the water. “This counts as evidence too, why not hand it over to headquarters?”

Bai Chunian, “He gave me an extra slice of cake, I can also write up an extra report for him.”

Rimbaud, “I recall that you don't like eating cake though.” 

Bai Chunian, “Correct, but to him, that cake was precious.”

The glass bead weighed a thousand catties in his pocket, and Bai Chunian felt relief after it was thrown into the sea.

“Save the whole world… I thought of myself too arrogantly, I can't save anyone at all.” Bai Chunian dipped his head to stare at his palms, rubbing the blood slightly, “We will all die someday, perhaps there is no use in doing anything great.”

Rimbaud raised his brows, “I won't die, and I am the king of the Sea Clan, is this not sufficiently great?” 

“…Alright, you're really amazing… anyway, I spent six years accepting the reality that I'm not destined for great things, then I realized that being able to not break the law is already pretty good.”

Rimbaud suddenly raised the tip of his tail. “What a delight, I actually thought you were no older than five.”

“……” Bai Chunian did not think this way. He frowned and his brows squeezed together into three lines, “Don't interrupt me, I can't start feeling happy now.”

“Just be a bit happier. In the big sea, no one ever really dies.” Rimbaud spread open his hands, and in his palm, the pool of water projected an image of the glass marble Bai Chunian had just thrown into the ocean on its surface. The glass marble, after being sent into the deep sea, fell into a giant white butterfly shell, the shell began to secrete and produce mother-of-pearl and gorgeous pink corals grew around it. 

“Ah.” Bai Chunian was stunned for a while, staring at it in surprise as he lay on the ground.

Rimbaud's eyes curved into half moons as he smiled, “Your clones, as well as the white lion cubs that died at M Harbor, have all been planted into the sea by me. Every time they breathe, I can hear it.”

Rimbaud's heart was the ocean's heart, thousands of creatures grew with his every breath.

Bai Chunian suddenly hugged him by the waist, stuffing his cheek into the crook of his neck, “You really are amazing.” 

Early in the morning, Bai Chunian stood in the corridor, waiting to meet the warden on behalf of the IOA Secret Service. Rimbaud, as always, stood on the other side of the glass, waiting for him.

Last night, nobody was able to sleep. Du Mo stood beside him with two dark eyebags and bloodshot eyes.

Bai Chunian seemed more relaxed. With his hands in his pocket, he nudged Du Mo with his elbow, “If you get fired, come to work for IOA.”

Du Mo was not in the mood to banter with him. A major security breach had occurred at the prison, and all the prison guards on duty would not be able to escape punishment. The warden might even have to shoulder the blame and resign because of it. 

The staffroom door opened, and the warden called them in.

Bai Chunian walked in calmly. He had put on his suppressor again. The chip from before was a decoder. As long as it was stuck on the digital screen of the suppressor, it would be unlocked within three seconds, and would not damage the suppressor device.

The warden sat behind a mahogany desk, his back slightly hunched, both hands resting on the desk with fingertips touching. His black umbrella rested against the side of the table, yet it was not raining outside.

“You helped the prison suppress the experimental subject that deteriorated for no reason. According to regulations, I will commute your sentence.” The warden said with a smile. 

Experimental subjects without supervision by an organization needed to serve 40 years in prison, and could only be released after confirming that they showed no intention of harming humans.

Bai Chunian immediately corrected him, “It didn't happen without reason, no experimental subject would deteriorate without any rhyme or reason. It was the killer from Red-Throated Bird who escaped from prison and injected Patissier with an AC enhancer from the 109 Research Institute. This was what caused the deterioration.”

The warden half-smiled at Bai Chunian. “How can you prove it?”

“I captured the killer alive and handed him over to prison guard Ling Que, the Bell-Bird omega.” 

“But he's dead.” The warden laughed, “The killer you speak of already died of blood loss while being escorted, so I can only believe that Patissier deteriorated for no reason. An experimental subject is, in itself, dangerous. Even if this matter is publicized, how do you think people will react?”

Bai Chunian gaped at the warden. He knew that they would rather die than to admit anything. People like the chairman would never talk bad about people behind their backs, yet he still called the International Prison a Gangsters' Prison. It would be wholly inaccurate to say such names were baseless.

“Ok.” Bai Chunian leaned against the wall, “I'll count this as your win.”

“You have made outstanding contributions to maintaining the security of the prison. If the IOA comes to bail you out, the bail can be waived.” The warden said, “As a reward, I'll even let you in on a piece of information. The International Prison does not take part in any illegal research or reselling of experimental subjects. Everything we do is in the name of the safety of society. Next time I attend a meeting, I will request that the 109 Research Institute  stop manufacturing and selling experimental subjects.” 

The International Prison had to maintain its own image to avoid causing societal panic. When it came to this point, if Bai Chunian continued to argue, he would seem extremely unappreciative, and it would still be impossible to get the International Prison to admit its mistake.

The air in the room was a bit tense. Suddenly, a staff member came running to knock on the door.“Sir, the PBB Special Forces have arrived, their hypersonic cargo plane is also parked on the island already!”

Bai Chunian's eyes glinted. He guessed that Team Leader He had brought evidence of the invoices to come and bail out Golden Silk Spider.

The warden shrugged it off, “They don't have the right to storm into the prison.” 

The staff member said frantically, “Major Xia Jingtian has already entered the building!”

The warden clenched the fountain pen in his hand wordlessly.

The heavy door of the office was slammed open. A cougar alpha wearing the PBB military uniform, tasseled epaulets, and a military cap walked in. Once he stepped in, even the air was filled with a kind of heavy pressure that suffocated them.

Rimbaud watched from outside the window, raising the tip of his tail in vigilance, ready at any moment to handle any unexpected emergencies. 

Bai Chunian had beast-type glands just like him, and even though his level was not inferior to his, he still felt the pressure materialized on him. He had heard before that this Major's differentiation ability was related to gravity, not just that, but he also had an imposing aura from his age and experience.

Xia Jingtian took off his military cap and held it in his hand. He surveyed the office, before turning to the warden.

Though his military rank was lower than that of the warden, it was clear that they were in completely different camps, and Xia Jingtian was not scared of him at all.

He removed his glove, and took a document from a team member behind him, putting it on the warden's table. He spoke in a dignified and steady manner. “This is the invoice for Experimental Subject 211, Golden Silk Spider. He will be released on bail to the PBB Military Base.” 

The warden slightly smiled, “It's just bail, what's the use of such a commotion?”

Xia Jingtian pulled out a second document that had been stamped with multiple seals and pushed it towards the warden. “Sir, upon evaluation, the International Prison is not qualified to supervise experimental subjects. From today on, all experimental subjects will be supervised by the PBB Military Base for domestication and guidance. Please send someone to carry this out.”

The warden breathed a sigh of relief, “These few seals could not have been obtained overnight. It seems you prepared for this early on.”

Bai Chunian did his best to stand in the corner, thinking, “That's a given! If not, what am I here for?” Although the situation did not develop as expected, it was leading to the same outcome. 

The warden slightly pursed his lips, and glanced towards the corner, where Bai Chunian was standing with his hands in his pockets and pretending to be invisible. Then, he took the documents, got up, and left.

He Suowei followed the Major while holding his gun close. Taking advantage of the handover between the two parties, he began whispering to Bai Chunian.

He Suowei gave him a punch on the chest, not lightly, but also not too heavy, “I thought you defected and I was sincerely sad for a while. Pay me back for the feelings I wasted on you.”

“Between the two of us, who's really the follower?” Bai Chunian dipped his head and rifled around in his trouser pocket. “Did you bring a smoke, a five-dollar one is also okay.” 

“Who'd smoke that kind of shit?” He Suowei used the muzzle of his gun and pried his hands away, “The Major is right there, even if I have one I can't give it to you, scram!”

While the duo were muttering in the corner, Bai Chunian glimpsed Major Xia approaching from the corner of his eye. Reluctantly, he straightened up, put his right palm over the left side of his chest, and saluted.

Xia Jingtian also handed him a document, “Your president has already checked and approved for you to go to the PBB military base for guidance and training.”

Bai Chunian raised his eyebrows, “Why am I still involved?” 

“This is an invitation for an officer. I admire your abilities and hope my team members can learn more comprehensive skills from you. At the same time, IOA will form a group of members who will go to the military base for exchange studies.”

Bai Chunian hesitated, he smiled weakly and said, “You… know about my situation right…”

Xia Jingtian did not think of this as a joke and said calmly, “The military base does not just have one experimental subject. In the beginning, some were bought as cutting-edge weapons when little was known about them, some were adopted out of desperation. Our comrades-in-arms are humans and experimental subjects. Our foes are also humans and experimental subjects. PBB Special Forces only distinguish between friends and foe, not race.”

Chapter end