Hyperthermal Hell || Apocalypse Paradise #1 [Complete]

44: How Unfortunate That the Girl Refers to Me?

Just when Lin Sanjiu was just about to check the details on her Diary Card, Hu Changzai walked over to her side and whispered, "Hey, how good are you in combat?"

"Huh?" Caught unaware, she was a little uncertain of how she should reply. "Average, I guess."

At the same time, their group of six walked toward the direction of Longwood Road. "Sha... Sha..." Six pairs of shoes shuffled along the sand-covered ground. After that short exchange of words, nobody spoke again. Scorching hot sand dust clouded the air as a strong wind whistled through the air. Hu Changzai kept one step behind her and remained silent for quite some time. Just when Lin Sanjiu thought that he had given up talking to her, he suddenly released a heavy sigh. He lowered his voice and whispered, "Did you know? I'm not supposed to be on this team."

Lin Sanjiu nonchalantly replied with a curt, "Oh." She didn't understand why Hu Changzai would suddenly bring this up to her. She looked sideways and made sure that he was some distance away from her. Then, she turned her palm, which she had been hiding, toward herself. Right in her palm, filled with small little words, was her Diary Card.

"I'm telling you the truth! Ever since I came to the Oasis, I've worked with the electrical maintenance team. My main duty was to lower the temperature of the electric generator to prevent it from overheating. I don't know what happened, but I was suddenly reassigned to the mission team... Even though I've evolved, how could I possibly use my ability in a fight?" Hu Changzai ranted dispiritedly. Ever since his evolution, he had never had to engage in a single battle, yet now, he was expected to hunt down duoluozhongs. He indeed had all the reason to worry.

Lin Sanjiu, who was walking in front of him, continued walking with her head down, minding her own business, as if she hadn't heard a thing he said. Hu Changzai sighed again and decided to keep quiet. Unexpectedly, she suddenly turned back to look at him with a completely different attitude.

"Did you just say that you were abruptly informed about your reassignment only today?"

Hu Changzai couldn't make sense of the matter, but he pushed up his glasses and replied, "Yes... I'm still puzzled as to why."

Unconsciously, Lin Sanjiu gripped her Diary Card tightly in her hand.

[Diary Card]

Time: 10: 48 PM (Night)

Location: Reunion Food Processing Plant (Entrance)

Parameter: 5m Radius

Man A: "Is this it again?"

Man B: "Yes! There is a rather good-looking woman who recently joined. What a pity."

Man C: "What is the quota for this team?"

Man B: "From the memo in the team leader's hand, there can only be three survivors this time."

Man A: "The team leader will definitely return alive. Don't underestimate her just because she is small; she is skilled."

Man D: "That's right. Lucky for us, we don't have to go out for these missions. Neither do we actually intercept much..."

Man C: "Hey, didn't you offend one of the executives the other time? I heard that you were nearly sent for a mission."

Man D: "Don't bring that up again. I had to give much away."

Man D spat.

After that, the card only covered some of the other mundane conversations between the guards and stated that she returned to the entrance to retrieve the card. The recording stopped at 10:52 PM. Lin Sanjiu stared a little longer at the words "The Diary Card was retrieved" and found herself in a daze for a moment.

If things were just as Man A had described and there really was a limited quota on the number of survivors, without a questionable doubt, the team leader, Xu Xiaoyang, would take up a spot. If there were no mishaps, the woman called Griselda would also be on the list of survivors. The remaining people were her, Septimus, Hu Changzai, and Gao Fei—it was almost certain that Hu Changzai would be abandoned.

No matter how she looked at it, Lin Sanjiu felt that she and Septimus were the remaining two marked to die. In an instant, Fang Dan's words flashed in her mind again.

"This explains why the death rate of the missions is so high," she mumbled as she quickened her steps and patted Septimus's shoulder. Since Marcie was not around, Septimus was the closest person to her in this squad. As Septimus turned back, he gave her a puzzled expression. Lin Sanjiu hesitated for a moment, but she finally handed her Diary Card to him. "Have a look at this."

The way she purposely lowered her voice alerted Septimus of the importance of her words. He took the Diary Card and covered it slightly with his hand. While no one was looking, he quickly scanned through it. At the same time, Lin Sanjiu slowed down her pace and pulled Hu Changzai to her side.

"Hey, you're a girl, what are you trying—"

"Are you done? I need to tell you something urgently," Lin Sanjiu interrupted him impatiently. "Can you ask the team leader something and check if she is telling the truth?"

"Why? What do you want me to ask?"

"You have to say 'Team Leader, I have an appointment at 6AM with someone; do you think I can come back in time?'." When she said this, Lin Sanjiu emphasized the word "I".

"Why should I ask her something like that..." Before Hu Changzai could finish his sentence, his perplexed expression completely disappeared as if he had thought of something. His face darkened.

A few drops of sweat appeared on Lin Sanjiu's forehead as she looked at Hu Changzai. She smiled. "So, you're not stupid."

Without saying anymore nonsense, Hu Changzai took a deep breath and adjusted his expression. He strode toward Xu Xiaoyang, who was leading the group. As scathing, stifling air enveloped them, Lin Sanjiu could hear their conversation faintly. Hu Changzai posed the question to Xu Xiaoyang without leaving out a single word. Xu Xiaoyang remained silent for a moment before finally replying with her bright, childish voice. "Who knows? But we should be done at about 6AM."

After that, Hu Changzai did not reply. In less than a minute, he returned to Lin Sanjiu with an ashen face. At that moment, Septimus finished reading the Diary Card in his hand. He returned it to Lin Sanjiu, his face also becoming extremely tense. He looked at Hu Changzai, and even before Lin Sanjiu could open her mouth, he asked, "What happened?"

Hu Changzai shook his head with a heavy expression. "It was a lie," he mouthed. Lin Sanjiu felt her heart sink. Regardless of what Xu Xiaoyang said, unless she knew very clearly that Hu Changzai would not be able to go back, her words wouldn't be judged by him as a lie. Suddenly realizing the grim situation he was in, Hu Changzai's face became overcast with gloom.

Septimus whispered, "So, we're the remaining two?"

Lin Sanjiu coldly replied, "The 'what a pity' comment on the card refers to me."

"Then, will they try to use the duoluozhongs to get rid of us, or will they do it themselves?"

"I have no idea, but we should keep our distance from them later... You, on the other hand, could cheat your way back by transforming into one of them."

"Well, actually..." Septimus closed his eyes and grimaced a little. "Shapeshifting is Luther's ability; I can't use it myself. At most, I'm just stronger than the average man."

Lin Sanjiu felt her heart stop for a moment, and she couldn't help but pause in her movements. She was just about to say something when she heard Griselda suddenly yell, "Everyone, look out!"