Night of Despair-Chapter 161 - : Pollution

Chapter 161: Pollution

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Clang, clang, clang.

The constant sound of knocking echoed throughout the camp, adding a touch of human activity to the otherwise silent forest.

These days, it seemed the high-risk Black Disaster was repelled; the concentration of Red Value in the surrounding air environment had also dropped a bit, and there were far fewer shadows. It seemed the Red Value concentration alone couldn’t support the revival of so many Black Disasters at once.

Peace and tranquility descended upon the Black Wind Camp.

Yu Hong carved out large, square blocks over a meter in length and width from the mountain wall, moving away from the edge of his cave.

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These stone blocks were about fifteen centimeters thick, not very regular or even, weighing about half a ton each.

But to Yu Hong, they were like ordinary small stones. He grabbed two at once and stacked them all in the center of the camp.

To avoid the underground array structure, Old Zhou and Old Li had already dug the foundation in advance, exposing the Black Wind Array below.

The two were squatting by the edge of the large foundation pit, observing the Black Wind Array structure buried underground.

In the pit of black soil, a silvery-gray network resembling plant roots was exposed.

This network spread throughout the pit, sparse in some places and dense in others, as if it had naturally grown. Yet, the linear structure of the network was similar in material to metal or rock, clearly a man-made product.

The two had been squatting there for a while, discussing after seeing the base of the Black Wind Protective Array.

This artificial creation sparked their great interest.

Seeing Yu Hong approaching, the two stood up.

“Boss, the stone material for the stone castle is almost enough,” Li Rushan said, pointing to the large pile of over a hundred square stones stacked to one side.

“Next, we need to grind and level the stones and use adhesives like cement or seam glue.”

“I can’t help with the adhesives,” Yu Hong shook his head.

“Then we’ll use dry masonry method,” Old Li nodded. “The next phase is a big project, but we can’t build too large a stone castle with dry masonry.”

“No problem, we’ll slowly improve it later,” Yu Hong nodded.

Once confirmed, Li Rushan took Old Zhou, and the two started measuring data with their tools.

Yu Hong wasn’t skilled at this technical work, so he stood further away, looking toward the outer courtyard where Doctor Xu was playing on a swing with Nana.

A few days ago, at his daughter’s request, Old Li built a wooden frame in the yard, hung two ropes, tied a wooden plank, and made a super-simple swing.

The whole thing took less than twenty minutes.

This guy was really good with his hands. He worked quickly, even while injured.

A cough… cough…

Suddenly, a faint coughing sound could be heard.

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It was Doctor Xu.

Yu Hong frowned, looking at Xu Ruoying, who was pushing Aisena on the swing.

Her face looked pale. She covered her mouth with one hand, coughing repeatedly.

“The weather is getting colder. We must increase warmth equipment, or we’ll risk getting sick,” Ding Shao approached and said in a low voice.

She buried Yao Feiling outside the perimeter of the secondary safety zone, under the largest, thickest old tree, carving a name into the trunk as a tombstone.

After days of recovery, she could now slowly walk around the camp’s outer courtyard.

But because she wasn’t a formal member, she still had to live in the wooden shed.

Warmth equipment…

Yu Hong had already made preliminary arrangements.

He said nothing, instead looking toward the inner camp.

*He thought of utilizing the water cooled from the nuclear engine to encircle the camp with warmth and form a temperature regulation structure. However, the release of heat might induce other Black Disasters. Once the stone castle was initially built, coated with an insulating layer, and marked with Concealing Symbols, it should be fine.*

Listening to Doctor Xu’s coughing, his gaze shifted toward the second cave housing the breeding room.

*Perhaps I could introduce the cooling water into the second cave first to ensure the temperature of the breeding boxes and then bury it underground in the inner camp to maintain a basic temperature.*

Mushrooms and cockroach lizards required temperature maintenance; too cold, and their yields would plummet.

After all, cockroaches and lizards weren’t self-heating, warm-blooded creatures.

With this plan in mind, Yu Hong reinforced the Radiation Hand Grenade supplementation over the past few days, and now the Black Mark could start a new strengthening task.

Having settled his thoughts, he looked at Ding Shao.

“How much longer do you need to recover?”

“The medicine here is quite effective. I should be good in about a week,” Ding Shao replied honestly.

Yu Hong looked at her abdomen with slight surprise. He hadn’t held back when he kicked her.

To think she only needed a few weeks to recover… It was clear to Yu Hong that Ding Shao was quite a remarkable type even among those with enhancements.

“Alright, I’ll prepare what you need by then,” he said solemnly.

Stammering Yiyi’s appearance was recognizable enough. That wasn’t an issue; the main concern was her current whereabouts.

“Okay,” Ding Shao nodded. She knew staying in the camp for so long without conditions was already a grace period Yu Hong considered for her recovery.

If she delayed any longer, she might indeed be kicked out.

After arranging tasks, Yu Hong returned to the cave and closed the door.

He placed his hand on the wall, closed his eyes.

*Strengthen the cave safehouse, reinforce the cooling water pipes of the nuclear engine’s outflow into a network of root structures; the direction is…* Yu Hong imagined in his mind the cooling water pipes bending, branching into finer tubes.

The pipes extended downward, covering the cave walls and the adjacent second breeding cave and then the empty space in the inner courtyard underground.

*Strengthen the cave safehouse?* came the inquiry from the Black Mark.

Black lines shot out, and soon a dark red countdown appeared on the wall.

*16:42.*

The timing was acceptable.

“Yes.”

With the countdown started, Yu Hong entered into a cultivation of the Thunderbolt Leg state.

Cough, cough, cough…

From outside the courtyard, a cough could be heard again, but this time it wasn’t from Doctor Xu, it was from Old Zhou.

Early summer, Sea City.

Mu Lan clutching a document bag drove towards the Empire Building, it contained the drafted divorce agreement.

Throughout the journey, Mu Lan’s expression was calm, showing no signs that she was a woman about to get divorced.

At eighteen, Mu Lan had tried everything to marry Huo Tingxiao. Seven years had passed, and she thought even a stone would have warmed up by then.

Unfortunately, no matter what she did, Huo Tingxiao treated her as if she were air, just as he had said those years ago, “You will only get the title of Mrs. Huo, nothing more.”

Pale fingers gripped the steering wheel, and during the drive, she received a call. Whatever the other person said, Mu Lan got distracted. To avoid a pedestrian suddenly crossing the road, she instinctively made a sharp turn, causing her white Maserati to spin out of control and crash into the roadside railing.

With a “bang”, the airbag deployed instantly!

The huge impact buzzed in her head, the sudden car crash drew more and more onlookers.

“There’s someone in the car, call 120 quickly.”

“My gosh, she’s bleeding so much, the lady looks badly hurt.”

“Miss, miss, can you hear me speak? Can you tell me your family’s contact information?”

Mu Lan’s vision was blurry; she could only see the mouths of the people around her moving, but couldn’t hear their voices.

Her mind was filled with the words the person on the phone had said, continuously agitating Mu Lan.

Suddenly, her eyelids uncontrollably drooped, and the next second, she lost consciousness entirely.

—————

The next morning.

High-level surgical ward at the First People’s Hospital.

Standing beside the bed, the man frowned deeply at the still-unconscious Mu Lan.

Upon receiving the news of Mu Lan’s car accident and hospitalization, Huo Tingxiao did not rush back immediately but waited until he had finished all his work before arriving at the hospital.

His physique was tall and straight, wrapped in a dark shirt, and his features were sharp, especially his eyes, which, when looking at someone, resembled a black panther locking onto its prey, emitting an intimidating aura.

“Why hasn’t she woken up yet?”

The tone was as cold as an ice-pick, scaring the attending physician behind him into shivering.

“Huo… Mr. Huo, Mrs. Huo’s condition is somewhat special; the car accident caused a head impact, thus forming a clot, so…”

Before he could finish explaining, Mu Lan showed signs of response on the bed.

This made the attending physician sigh with relief; thank goodness, if she hadn’t woken up, he really feared that Huo Tingxiao would freeze him to death with his gaze.

However, before his heart could settle, a new crisis emerged.

Mu Lan moved slightly, and involuntarily let out a moan from her lips.

“Hiss…”

Headache!

She slowly opened her eyes, looking bewildered at the entirely unfamiliar surroundings. Mu Lan’s mind blanked for a moment.

The white ceiling, the faint smell of disinfectant in the air, and certain fragmented images momentarily flashed through her mind. Her gaze landed on the unfamiliar man before her, and instinctively, Mu Lan became somewhat defensive.

“This… Where is this?

Sir, you… who are you?”

Sir?!

This term made Huo Tingxiao’s already furrowed brow look even more twisted.

The doctor was also confused by the situation in front of him, a bad premonition swirling in his mind.

He held out two fingers in front of Mu Lan and waved them.

“What is this?”

Mu Lan couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

“2”

“What’s your name?”

“Mu Lan.”

“And him… who is he?”

“I don’t recognize him.”

Huo Tingxiao’s face completely darkened, already somewhat unapproachable, now he looked even more like King Yama.

The attending physician, on the verge of tears, wondered if this was some kind of stunt Mrs. Huo was pulling during an argument.

“Then do you remember what happened before?”

“Of course I remember. I felt awful with menstrual pain during the comprehensive science exam this morning, and I fainted right after I finished the answer sheet…”

Mu Lan sat up, her tone already somewhat impatient.

What was with this doctor, asking her all these unnecessary questions.

“Exam… Comprehensive science? Filling in an answer sheet?”

This answer baffled the attending physician.

Of course, seeing him like this, Mu Lan was even more confused.

“Yes, it’s the second day of college entrance exams today, the comprehensive science test in the morning. This… isn’t this the school infirmary?”

“Mu Lan, enough, this act is really boring.”

The tone of Huo Tingxiao’s voice made Mu Lan frown and retort sharply.

“Who are you, sir? Speaking so rudely. What’s this about boring or not boring?

Glancing at the wall clock, Mu Lan, in a rush, pulled out the IV needle from her hand and attempted to get out of bed.

“It’s already noon, and I still have an English exam at three. I don’t have time to dilly-dally with you all.”

But she had barely lifted the corner of the blanket when Huo Tingxiao restrained her, the difference in strength rendering her completely immobile, crouching on the hospital bed like a small quail.

Their distance suddenly so close they could feel each other’s breath, Mu Lan staring blankly at the handsome face before her, the complex emotions in Huo Tingxiao’s eyes deep as dark pools, almost seeming to suck her in completely, leaving her momentarily disoriented.

The situation was completely unexpected, frightening the attending physician into hastily arranging a series of tests for her.

But just after the CT scan, Mu Lan protested.

“What’s wrong with you people? I just have menstrual pain, I don’t need any tests. If you delay any longer, what if I’m late and can’t take the exam? Can you all just let me be?

Hey! Why are you carrying me?! Ah! Help! Kidnapping! Is there no law anymore?!”

The attending physician secretly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, pondering to himself — law? In Sea City, the law is Huo Tingxiao.

After the examination, Mu Lan was taken back to the ward by the bodyguards, while Huo Tingxiao was led to the consultation room, where five or six specialists and the dean surrounded the new CT and lab reports, discussing her condition.

The conclusion reached was — Mu Lan might have lost her memory.

“Memory loss?”

A tone full of skepticism.

Clearly, Huo Tingxiao did not accept this conclusion.

“Doctor Xu used a breathing valve, and the coughing was significantly reduced after filtering the breath, so she confirmed there’s something airborne in the air causing our coughing,” Li Rushan explained.

“Then let’s all use the breathing valve. I’ll cross-check the rest and, once confirmed, we’ll fast-track building the stone castle,” Yu Hong nodded.