Capítulo 92: Chapter 92
Yan Su's car sped down the road at nearly 200 kilometers per hour. On this remote highway on a Wednesday afternoon, his was the only vehicle racing along.
Driving at such high speed, he narrowly avoided a squirrel darting across the road, causing the car to swerve dangerously—it almost threw him off the road.
Zhen Ai's phone was off. She always had to switch off her phone and remove the SIM card whenever she entered the lab. But in this emergency, even Owen's phone wasn't reachable. The wind roared as it rushed past, and Yan Su's back was soaked in cold sweat.
Had he already arrived too late? Was Zhen Ai... gone?
Even so, Yan Su remained himself—calm and analytical, even in the most critical moments. His mind raced as he quickly dialed Ryan, Zhen Ai's assistant.
After Yan Su delivered a near 500-words-per-minute summary of the situation, Ryan remained unmoved. He reminded Yan Su that everything in the lab was classified, and he believed that Zhen Ai was safe inside. After all, the lab was secured by seven or eight password-protected gates. The final door leading to Zhen Ai's private lab was locked by retina and fingerprint scanners, with a code that even Ryan didn't know.
Yan Su pressed, "Are you sure only Zhen Ai knows the password? Are you absolutely certain that no one else could obtain her retina or fingerprint data?"
Ryan faltered, hesitating for a moment, before reluctantly giving Yan Su the encrypted phone password to reach Zhen Ai's lab directly.
After a series of endless dial tones, someone finally answered on the other end.
It was Zhen Ai's voice, cold and unfamiliar. "Hello?"
Hearing that she was safe, Yan Su forced himself to stay calm. "Ai, leave the lab immediately!"
Zhen Ai's tone softened slightly, though she still sounded more detached than usual. "How did you get through to me?"
"Someone might be coming to kill you. You're in danger." His car roared down the highway, almost flying. "I've already called the police, but you're in such a remote location that it'll take them at least ten minutes to get there. I'll be there in less than ten minutes. Leave the lab now and find somewhere safe to hide. When you hear the sirens, come out."
"Oh." She responded quietly, with no panic or urgency in her voice.
An eerie silence stretched for a few seconds.
"Ai?"
"Mhm?"
"Get out. Now." His voice was sharp, almost a command.
Another second of silence passed.
Yan Su's car raced through the summer fields, the open landscape silent around him.
Then she answered, her voice still remarkably calm. "No."
Yan Su's heart sank, but he didn't press further. He waited for her explanation.
On the other end, the sound of keys clicking echoed steadily.
After a moment, she said, "I need to destroy the virus samples on the lab racks first."
The amount of virus stored there could destroy an entire city. If anyone managed to take it out, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Yan Su's throat tightened, and for a moment, he was at a loss for words.
The summer wind howled around him, and his eyes reddened.
After a long pause, Yan Su closed his eyes and whispered, "Ai, I can't believe I'm about to say this, but for a moment... I wished you'd just leave. Just..."
If it were him, he would stay behind without hesitation to destroy the virus. But this was her, someone more important than himself.
Zhen Ai, sensing his hesitation, softened her tone and finished his thought for him. "But you know I can't leave. If I ran now, I'd regret it for the rest of my life, and that guilt would haunt me until the day I die."
She cradled the phone as she activated the virus destruction program, step by step. "If it were you in my place, you'd stay behind without fear, even if it meant being blown to pieces in the next moment. Dear, I want to be like you... just like you."
Yan Su's heartbeat stuttered. He took a deep breath and said softly, "You're not just like me—you're better than me. Far better."
On the other end, she didn't reply. The only sound was the soft beeping of the equipment.
Each second dragged on like a lifetime.
Her silence made him more nervous. He tried to ease the tension with a smile. "Ai, ever since you became my student, you've become so obedient. I have to say, I'm impressed."
Zhen Ai chuckled lightly. "I have to say, you've turned back into your old narcissistic self." Her soft laugh echoed through the phone, pleasant and comforting.
Yan Su smiled too, but after a brief pause, her voice turned nostalgic. "God, I suddenly miss the way you used to annoy me when we first met."
Yan Su's throat tightened. Just as he was about to respond, Zhen Ai whispered, "All done."
Relieved, Yan Su spoke quickly. "Get out now. Don't go to the parking lot or head toward the neighborhood. Climb to the rooftop of one of the abandoned buildings—the police will be there soon..."
Suddenly, a sharp beep sounded through the phone.
A terrible feeling spread through Yan Su's chest. "Ai, what's happening?"
Her voice was light, almost indifferent. "Someone's here."
There was a brief pause, and then, as if sensing that she might not survive long enough for him to reach her, her tone softened. "Dear..."
The way she called him in that moment made his heart stop.
"Ai, I... I was going to tell you something today..."
Before he could finish, the call cut off. The line went dead—no sound, no breathing, nothing but emptiness.
Yan Su gripped the steering wheel so tightly that the veins in his hands bulged. He tried calling again, but the call wouldn't go through.
His hand trembled as he clutched the phone. Biting his lip, he blinked rapidly to hold back tears.
I was going to propose to you tonight...
In the lab, Zhen Ai looked at the red light glowing on the monitor and set the phone down.
The final gate—whose password even her assistant Ryan didn't know—had just been unlocked. The killer was already inside, moving steadily toward her down the 50-meter corridor leading to her lab.
Staying put meant certain death. She wouldn't go down without a fight.
With calm precision, Zhen Ai removed the computer's data card and used safety shears to cut the main power line.
The lab and corridor were instantly plunged into total darkness. The only remaining light came from the virus destruction program, which blinked once before fading away completely.
Even Zhen Ai's eyes couldn't adjust to the pitch-black environment—it was absolute darkness, impenetrable.
She couldn't see anything.
Relying on memory, she carefully felt her way to the lab door and slowly opened it. In front of her stretched an endless abyss of blackness. Not a single speck of light.
What had once been a sterile white corridor, 5 meters wide and 50 meters long, was now a pitch-black void. Somewhere in the darkness, the killer was lurking, waiting to strike.
It felt like a black tomb.
Her only chance of survival was to navigate the darkness without crossing paths with the killer.
She strained her ears, but the silence was suffocating. Maybe the killer was still at the far end of the corridor—or maybe the thick carpet had absorbed his footsteps.
Zhen Ai crouched down and wedged a small snail-shaped alarm clock into the doorway to hold it open. Then, she stepped onto the soft, dark path of the corridor, moving forward silently and steadily into the black void.
The corridor was 5 meters wide.
Should she go to the left or the right?
The killer might follow instinct and approach from the right, so if she went right, they'd pass by each other without confrontation. But what if the killer anticipated her thought process and blocked her on the right? Should she then go to the left? But if the killer was clever enough to predict her strategy and assume she'd go left...?
A deadlock.
What about going down the middle? Without any visual reference points, humans can't walk in a straight line in complete darkness.
Zhen Ai felt a wave of nervousness wash over her. She rubbed her eyes hard, but there was no use—this sealed underground corridor was pitch black, and she couldn't see anything. The only sound in the world was her own thunderous heartbeat, which quickened with every step she took.
She didn't want to die. She had promised Dear they would have dinner together.
The thought made her legs tremble slightly. Though her body felt out of control, a strange happiness filled her heart, so intense it made her eyes sting. In the past, danger had never fazed her—she had faced down the barrel of a gun against her throat without her pulse skipping a beat.
But now, with someone she cared about, with things to lose, fear had crept into her heart.
Oddly enough, the fear itself made her feel happy.
She rubbed her eyes again and took a deep breath, trying to calm her pounding heart. Then she steadied herself and moved forward slowly and silently, step by step, into the suffocating darkness.
Every step felt agonizingly long. Cold sweat soaked her back. No light, no sound—there was nothing to see or hear. She had never imagined that 50 meters could feel so endless.
It felt like an eternity had passed, though she wasn't sure how far she had walked.
Maybe 20 or 30 meters?
Just as a flicker of hope arose within her, a faint breathing sound brushed against her ear. She could even hear the subtle rustling of the carpet—mere inches away.
The killer was right in front of her—no more than 30 centimeters away!
Zhen Ai froze, her mind going blank. The killer also stopped, making no further movement.
Had they sensed her?
She held her breath, staying as still as a statue.
Her hand instinctively reached for the backup virus syringe in her pocket, but she quickly let it go. She wouldn't use it unless absolutely necessary. For one thing, the gruesome memory of her brother Amper's death still haunted her. And more importantly, Yan Su was on his way. She didn't want him to see her resorting to such monstrous methods.
In the oppressive silence, the two of them stood facing each other—still and unmoving.
Sweat dripped from Zhen Ai's brow as her entire body tensed.
Then, at some point, her sharp ears caught the faint rustling of the carpet beneath the killer's feet. In a flash of instinct, she sidestepped silently, sliding her body just past the killer without making a sound.
They passed each other by!
Her body remained rigid with tension, not daring to relax even slightly. Listening intently, she heard the killer's steps grow fainter as they moved away behind her. Only then did she shift toward the wall, feeling her way along it, quickly and silently making her way forward.
In her mind, she began counting down: 10, 9, 8...
Finally, her fingers touched the thick security door. The keypad and fingerprint scanner could be used in total darkness, but the retinal scanner required light—even the faintest bit.
Zhen Ai took a deep breath, counting down.
3, 2, 1!
Suddenly, a shrill ringing sound pierced the blackness. A faint blue light flickered into existence, cutting through the dark corridor.
The killer lunged toward the light source, thinking it was a phone—only to grab a slow-moving snail-shaped alarm clock. Realizing the trick, the killer pivoted swiftly, sprinting back toward Zhen Ai.
But by then, she had already used the retinal scanner to unlock the heavy door.
Light from the room beyond sliced through the darkness like a blade.
The sudden brightness stung Zhen Ai's eyes, but she ignored the pain and threw the door open, ready to escape. As soon as she stepped one foot through, the killer pounced like a lion, grabbing her ankle and yanking her backward.
She hit the ground with a thud.
The killer jumped up and slammed the heavy door toward Zhen Ai, crushing it against her waist, pinning her to the ground.
Zhen Ai let out a scream of pain, her mind going blank for a moment. It took several seconds for her to fight through the agony and regain some sense of control. Instinctively, she shoved against the door with both hands and kicked wildly at the figure holding her down.
Her foot connected with the killer's head. A woman's voice cried out in pain.
Zhen Ai froze for a moment, stunned, and turned to see the killer's face—Suki. In the eerie half-light, her pale face looked terrifying, like a ghost materializing from the darkness.
Zhen Ai's first thought was clear: No matter what happens, she must not use the virus syringe.
If Suki died here, Yan Su would never escape the suspicion hanging over him.
In the split second Zhen Ai hesitated, Suki recovered. She lunged forward, grabbed Zhen Ai by the collar, and punched her hard in the head.
Zhen Ai collapsed back to the ground, coughing up blood as her skull seemed to explode with pain. Her mind buzzed uncontrollably.
Suki's strength, honed by years of training as a CIA agent, was far beyond anything Zhen Ai could match—she could take down even several professional male fighters.
Pressing her bloody lips together, Zhen Ai tried to speak. "Suki, you..."
Suki, seeing her attempt to rise, stomped on her back, forcing her down. Leaning close, she hissed, "I recognized you at the bank on Maple Street. You're with them—you're with the people from the Holy Gold Club! I saw you there, and I'll never forget it!"
Pinned under Suki's foot, Zhen Ai struggled to breathe. "I've never seen you before... I've never even been to..."
Suki's expression darkened as she pressed her foot harder against Zhen Ai's back, causing her to cry out in pain. Zhen Ai could barely get any air, and it felt as though life was slipping away.
Suki's voice was cold and venomous. "Don't bother denying it. Why did you survive the explosion at the bank? Why were you unharmed when Miller went to Silverland? I knew it—you're a spy, just like Amper. You're part of the same murderous game!"
Suki's hatred for the organization that ran the club had consumed her, and she now believed Zhen Ai was part of it—a scapegoat for her rage and twisted sense of justice.
Lying on the ground, Zhen Ai smiled bitterly. "Suki, you're the one playing the game. You killed those people—not me."
Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "That mastermind of yours taught you how to kill, didn't they? If you hate them so much, why did you follow their orders? You've already become a deranged killer—do you really need a reason to kill me too? When you murdered that little girl at the kindergarten, how did you justify it to yourself? And when you killed your boyfriend Miller—what did you tell yourself then?"
Suki's face twisted with rage, her body stiffening for a moment.
Seizing the chance, Zhen Ai exploded with strength, throwing Suki off her. With lightning speed, Zhen Ai grabbed the iron chair by the door and smashed it against Suki's head.
Suki collapsed back into the dark corridor..
Zhen Ai scrambled to her feet and grabbed the door handle, trying to pull it shut. But Suki was already on her again, grabbing her ankle and dragging her down. With both hands, Suki twisted Zhen Ai's foot violently.
"Ahhh!!!"
Zhen Ai screamed in agony, on the verge of passing out, but instinctively she clung to the door frame, desperate to crawl away.
Suki's strength was terrifying, like a relentless force of nature, wrapping around Zhen Ai like seaweed and dragging her deeper into the darkness.
Cold sweat poured down Zhen Ai's face as she gritted her teeth, holding on as tightly as she could. But inch by inch, she felt herself being pulled into the suffocating black abyss.
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder