Wild Creatures

Chapter 123

Just like that, tension settles over the entire auditorium, crackling in the air.

The silence that swoops down upon them is deep and troubled, heavy with unspoken intentions.

Lan Zhan had already angled his seat closer to Wei Ying; their hands already joined, but now his thumb stroked the ridge of his knuckles trying to soothe him. It shakes Wei Ying out of his distraction, and he begins to emit waves of peace, if not happiness, because if he was honest, he would want to be as far away from here as possible.

It makes a difference.

Even his grandmother feels it, and while her mouth stays in a line of determination, her eyes crinkle in a silent thanks.

"There are several things to discuss, so let's get down to business." Wen Qing shuffles the blank papers in front of her.

She's nervous, Wei Ying realises, surreptitiously watching her.

Good.

"As you know, Wen Rouhan passed away a few days ago, leaving our ship without a captain. Our Board of Directors has nominated me to take over. It will take a further week to get things up and running like they used to, and I've managed to keep things quiet by stating that the halt in production is due to a contamination event." Her voice rings out loud and clear, naturally amplified by the circular room.

Low laughs punctuate the air.

"Contamination is right!"

"Wens breeding artificial vampires! Is that what we're calling it now?"

"So civilised!"

There's an air of cynical sarcasm around, like the vampires can't believe her matter-of-fact attitude, of trying to normalise the Wens' barbaric practices, of which she had a hand in.

Baoshan Sanren remains quiet, her face unchanged except for her silver eyes. Amusement flashes within, replaced by cold calculations.

"But, he was a prominent figure. People are already beginning to ask questions, and they want to know what's happening. The moment the media gets a hold of this, it will be difficult to contain. Hence my proposal for a public statement," Wen Qing continues, ignoring them.

The jeering gets louder.

"What are you going to tell them?" Baoshan Sanren asks her.

Her tone is enough to silence the crowd, already becoming restless.

"That's what I would like to discuss."

Wen Qing is interrupted by a blond vampire in the third row up ahead.

"What's there to discuss? Just tell them he was killed by his own experiments! If anything, it's his own fault that things turned out the way they did!" His voice carries across the room, and he has his own supporters.

"But that would expose our kind! That's the stupidest thing you've said tonight!" A dark haired older vampiress says, also standing up. "We've enjoyed a covert existence up until now, with an abundance in food. The moment the humans find out about us, it's all over. They will hunt us down!"

"Let them come!" The vampire who snarls that, looks like an ex-wrestler. His canines are extended and his talons are out as if to ward off an immediate attack.

His supporters mimic his stance and that slice of the auditorium becomes even louder until Baoshan Sanren raises a hand, calling for silence.

Wei Ying taps on Lan Zhan's wrist, wanting to check the time.

It's already past ten thirty.

How?

The time passed along so quickly that Wei Ying hadn't even noticed it.