Chapter 6

The next day, Shen Shu didn't linger in bed. He went to work feeling refreshed and clear-headed, inexplicably willing to go in.

This must be the magic of money!

He dressed and went downstairs, already scanning the QR code for his electric scooter, when he suddenly remembered it was Saturday and he had the day off.

Ah, well, I've already scanned it. Let's grab breakfast out!

Shen Shu couldn't remember the last time he'd had a Shandong jianbing guozi from the stall at the market entrance! These things had to be eaten fresh—delivery would make the crispy cracker soggy, and the soup from the tangbao next door would leak out en route!

Let's go!

His scooter whizzed through the early morning air, the wind whipping his hair to the sides. A line had formed at the jianbing guozi stall. He parked his scooter and joined the queue. The owner worked quickly, and soon it was his turn. "Two crispy crackers with egg, pork floss, ham, and tenderloin. No scallions, mild spice!"

"Got it. Fifteen yuan." The owner looked up to confirm the customer. Shen Shu paid and waited impatiently nearby. A minute later, the jianbing guozi was in his hands. He took an eager bite... That's the taste!

Suddenly, he felt like the whole week of working like a dog had been worth it.

He entered the tangbao shop with his jianbing guozi. After finally getting his tangbao, he was taking his first bite when several military vehicles suddenly sped past outside. The customers heard the sirens, Yu Yi's warning to avoid the danger, and curiosity drew them to the window. The vehicles didn't stop in the area, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

If they'd stopped at the market, given the way they were going, wouldn't there be at least a serial killer inside? How terrifying.

Shen Shu averted his gaze and quickened his pace. He couldn't shake a bad feeling about the vehicles, though he couldn't explain why. He finally attributed it to his subconscious desire to avoid trouble when an incident occurred nearby, lest he be caught in the crossfire.

As he was eating the last tangbao, the glass suddenly shattered with a loud crash, followed by a massive explosion. Customers screamed and scrambled for cover.

A few seconds later, the shaken customers turned toward the direction of the blast. A massive plume of black smoke rose in the distance, and flames were visible—it was close.

The crowd gasped. The owner rushed out from the kitchen, shouting, "Is everyone okay?!"

Fortunately, the glass was explosion-proof, so most of the customers in the shop suffered only minor cuts and abrasions. Shen Shu quickly swallowed the last xiaolongbao and called the medical department: "There's been an explosion near Caishikou. We're expecting casualties. Everyone, prepare for incoming patients."

An explosion of this magnitude would inevitably affect nearby residents, and their shop was far from the only one with shattered windows. As the closest hospital, the First People's Hospital would soon be flooded with injured individuals.

Shen Shu glanced around and, seeing that the customers were not seriously injured, immediately pushed open the door and rushed out. Even as a doctor in the Special Department for Sentry-Guide, he was a trained medical professional. During his rotations, he had never used his Guide status to opt out of procedures. While he might not be suited for delicate surgeries, he was perfectly capable of treating minor injuries.

As soon as he stepped outside, he saw an elderly woman lying face down, a metal rod from a fallen advertising sign impaled in her back, blood gushing from the wound. Shen Shu sprinted toward her. Nearby, passersby who had already recovered from the shock were gathering. He shouted, "Make way! Make way! I'm a doctor!"

The crowd suddenly parted. A passerby shouted, "Doctor, we've already called 120!"

Shen Shu knelt down to check the elderly woman's breathing and consciousness. Seeing she was still groaning, he immediately said, "Don't fall asleep, don't fall asleep! Open your eyes, the ambulance will be here any minute."

This type of penetrating wound absolutely couldn't be removed right now. Shen Shu took off his coat and loosely wrapped it around the wound, using one hand to steady the steel bar and prevent it from shifting. "Someone come talk to the old lady, keep her awake! If she falls asleep, it'll be dangerous!"

A burly man immediately stepped forward and began speaking to the woman, while the others dispersed to maintain air circulation. Shen Shu called the fire department. "Yes, it's a penetrating wound. A steel bar is lodged between the seventh and eighth ribs. Estimated transport time to First People's Hospital is under 20 minutes. Send a unit immediately!"

The piercing wail of sirens already echoed in the air. Shen Shu didn't dare loosen his grip, anxiously awaiting the ambulance's arrival. He asked the crowd, "Everyone, check if there are any other injured people nearby who can't get up! Point the way for the ambulance, it'll be here soon!"

"Got it!" The crowd began to disperse.

About ten minutes later, three ambulances finally arrived. Medical personnel rushed out and loaded the elderly woman onto the first ambulance, which sped away. Her injuries were the most severe, and she couldn't wait any longer.

The remaining two ambulances began loading the other injured individuals.

Shen Shu breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the elderly woman being loaded onto the ambulance. He knew that medical professionals had their specialties. At the hospital, there were specialists, but the doctors in the ambulance were top-tier emergency responders. Following them would be pointless; it was better to stay and see if anyone else needed help.

"Doctor! Someone's head was crushed over there!" A passerby ran over shouting. Without hesitation, Shen Shu followed, darting down the alley. He found a heavily tattooed man sitting against the wall, his head bleeding profusely. The man was pressing a shirt against the wound and defiantly declared, "I've been through worse! This is nothing! Hey, don't hold me back—go save someone else!"

Shen Shu stepped forward and pushed the man's hand aside to examine the wound. He saw that the man was experienced; the bleeding had nearly stopped, and it appeared to be a superficial injury. "It's not bad," Shen Shu said. "But you should still get checked at the hospital for a concussion."

"Why waste time on that!" The older brother said impatiently. "Go, go, go! Save people! I'm fine here!"

Shen Shu turned and left. Seeing this, passersby knew the older brother was alright and relaxed, offering a wave before moving on.

By now, a flood of medical personnel and staff had poured in. Realizing there was nothing more he could do, Shen Shu hailed a small electric scooter and headed home—he needed to rest before the hospital called him back for overtime.

The explosion's shockwave had left the streets in disarray, resembling the aftermath of a typhoon. Even a glass panel on the subway station's curtain wall had shattered. As Shen Shu approached, he suddenly heard a child's cry.

He focused his gaze and saw a seven or eight-year-old child sprawled on the ground at the subway entrance, crying. After a moment's hesitation, he dismounted and walked over. The child's cheeks were flushed crimson from crying, but his eyes were wide as he stared fixedly at Shen Shu's approaching figure before bursting into fresh tears.

Shen Shu knelt beside him and asked softly, "Little one, where are your parents?"

"Mommy... Mommy..." the child sobbed, "Mommy's down there!"

"Uncle will help you find your mom," Shen Shu said. Of course, he had no intention of taking the child to find his mother. The explosion hadn't overturned the subway station; it wasn't that bad. The trains would have stopped due to safety protocols. He guessed everyone panicked in the instant of the explosion and got separated. If he were fine, he could wait here, but he was likely being called back to the hospital. It would be better to hand the child over to the police.

Just as he was about to make the call, he suddenly heard someone calling "Baby!" from somewhere in the station. It didn't sound far away, so he figured the mother was searching nearby. He hadn't expected the child to have already made it to the exit. Shen Shu paused, hung up the emergency call, and took the child's hand. "Come on, your mom's down there. Did you hear her?"

The child had stopped crying, but his eyes were still teary. He nodded vigorously. "Thank you, brother!"

Shen Shu led him down the stairs, but the mother's calls seemed to be moving further away. He shouted, "Whose child is this? I've got him! Exit 3!"

The child joined in, shouting, "Mommy—Mommy—!"

The narrow subway tunnel amplified the child's voice, making it piercing. Shen Shu felt his head spin and his ears ring. The child tugged at his hand. "Uncle, let's hurry! Mommy's down there!"

Shen Shu steadied himself and continued walking. Suddenly, he spotted a woman's shadow ahead. Relief washed over him as he hurried toward her with the child. "I have your child!"

The subway station was eerily empty and silent. Shen Shu dismissed it as normal; with the explosion and the shutdown, who would stay in the station? It was just that the usually bustling place had become deserted, creating a strange, unsettling atmosphere.

"Baby!" the woman called out. "Mommy's here!"

Shen Shu saw her still shouting, as if she hadn't noticed them. He called out again, "I have your child!"

The woman's head snapped around, her eyes glowing. "Baby! ... Hello, thank you. Could you help me? I can't walk properly..."

That unsettling feeling returned. Shen Shu shook his head, his head growing increasingly dizzy. He hurried forward with the child, and suddenly, as if a string in his mind had snapped, he looked at the woman again... What was that woman?! It was clearly just a human skin!

Behind the human skin, a fleshy tentacle connected to her. Further back, where there had just been darkness, now coiled a mass of mud-like sludge, its body covered in eyes of all sizes. Suddenly, a slit opened in its center, and a delicate female voice emerged: "Can you come a little closer? I can't move."

Mutant!

His brain screamed in panic, but his chaotic mental state left him unable to issue effective commands. He was so dizzy he could barely stand. He struggled to stay conscious, yet his body involuntarily moved toward the mutant. His feet had already stepped into the sludge, which began to climb upward like a living thing!

Dead Leg, obey me!

He screamed this in his mind countless times, yet found himself forced to stand before the mutant.

Countless eyes greedily stared at him as the fleshy tentacle brushed against his face, as if considering the best place to bite. It seemed almost excited, as if it had discovered a new hunting method.

At that moment, a golden light severed the tentacles. Shen Shu was yanked violently backward, a streak of...

A red blur streaked past him, followed by countless golden arrows that shot toward the Mutant like lethal projectiles. The creature let out a pained scream as it dissolved into a puddle of foul-smelling sludge.

The red-haired, blue-eyed youth, holding Shen Shu close, curled his lip in annoyance. "Where are the others? Dead? How could they let this damn thing escape through the subway and reach here? Are you all just eating air?"

Several Sentinels surged past him, plunging into the depths of the subway.

Jiang Muye, looking down at the dazed Shen Shu, clicked his tongue in irritation and leaned in to kiss him. The proud, beautiful youth, like a small panther, swept his lips over Shen Shu's, hesitated for a moment, then pushed his tongue inside.

The Guiding Substance could heal Sentinels, and Sentinels, in turn, possessed unique abilities to aid Guides. Through bodily fluid exchange, they could establish a Secondary Link, transferring a portion of the Contamination Value. Though rarely effective against severely contaminated individuals, it was more than enough to restore Shen Shu's clarity after being lightly contaminated by a C-class Anomaly.

What a pathetic Guide, Jiang Muye thought impatiently. He's been driven to near-delirium just by facing a C-class Anomaly?!

God, if Sentinels have to rely on Guides like this to survive, is there any hope left for this world?