Chapter 515: Echoes in the Corridor

The death of that woman in the corridor filled Lu Xin with a sense of dread…

…if realizing the fragility of life counts as dread.

One person dying silently after a quiet dance — it carries a strangely poignant beauty.

Lu Xin still recalled Chen Jing telling him that the most important part of this mission was to protect the teammates. Naturally, he couldn’t relax about Han Bing being the only one without abilities among the group. Even though Han Bing insisted she had prepared in advance, under such bizarre and terrifying contamination, Lu Xin felt it was best to keep her close.

But as soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly noticed that Gecko, Red Serpent, and Han Bing were all staring at him in disbelief.

Especially Gecko—his eyes nearly popped out.

“Is something wrong?”

He paused, looking at them in puzzlement.

“Nothing!”

Gecko immediately shook his head and added, “Even if you want me to sleep in your room, I’m game!”

“Swish!”

Both Han Bing and Red Serpent glanced at Gecko.

Lu Xin suddenly snapped back, realizing he had completely forgotten this group while his thoughts were weighed down. He hurriedly said, “The contamination here is terrifying, so it’s best we stick together. If something happens, we can support each other.”

The others nodded slightly upon hearing his words.

Gecko, nodding along, said, “Yes, but why not have Han Bing, the leader, share a room with Red Serpent?”

Lu Xin looked at Gecko in mild surprise and patiently explained, “If some kind of contamination appears, Ability Users below Stage Three might be able to fend it off on their own, but they may not be able to protect ordinary people…”

…

“Huh?”

The three present were momentarily stunned by his words.

Gecko muttered, “So the Captain really intended to offer protection…”

Red Serpent looked slightly surprised, as if she had sharply picked up on the crucial phrase ‘below Stage Three’ in Lu Xin’s words.

Her curious gaze shifted toward Lu Xin.

“Thank you, Mr. Lone Soldier.”

Han Bing was the first to react. Calmly nodding, she said, “In urgent situations, we must improvise. It’s the right call.”

Lu Xin nodded lightly and turned to continue walking.

Deep down, he was increasingly satisfied with Han Bing.

She knew what mattered without needless chatter, making things so much simpler.

At least, he could sleep with a clear conscience.

Maybe it wasn’t ideal for a man and a woman to share a room, but he trusted his own character.

After all, he had shared a room with the Doll so many times and remained safe—wasn’t that enough to put others at ease?

Besides, Han Bing was a proper person, right?

…or maybe it didn’t matter, with family watching out, no one could take advantage of him!

Meanwhile, Gecko listened with an increasingly animated expression as his eyes darted rapidly. As he neared Red Serpent’s room, he took a deep breath and abruptly turned his head…

“Um…”

Unexpectedly, Red Serpent spoke up first, looking apologetically at Gecko, “Vice-Captain Gecko, the Captain has a point.”

“So, why don’t you share my room?”

…

“Uh, well…”

Gecko felt as if he’d just won the lottery. His whole body trembled with excitement as he stammered, “Really?”

“Absolutely.”

Red Serpent awkwardly handed the key card to Gecko and then snatched her own back.

“I’ll take your room so I can be closer to the Captain and call for help if needed…”

…

Gecko was utterly stunned, at a loss for words, his expression gradually twisting between confusion and resentment…

Why was it that when it came to him, it was always about switching rooms?

Doesn’t the Vice-Captain count too?

Lu Xin and Han Bing entered their room one after the other, while Red Serpent took the room next door. Gecko waited eagerly in the corridor as he watched them go in, then silently walked into a room four or five doors away from the team’s quarters. Lu Xin surveyed the space, realizing that Heichao City truly lived up to its reputation as a thriving commercial hub—the hotel room was clean and spacious.

However, it was clear that this room hadn’t been cleaned for days. Although orderly, it carried an air of age.

He glanced around before heading to the sofa, tossing his bag on it and quietly sitting down.

“Mr. Lone Soldier, let’s rest for a bit, change our clothes, and I’ll think over our plan in more detail later.”

“What do you think?”

…

Han Bing set down her suitcase and moved to open it, but hesitated for a moment.

Sitting on the bed’s edge, she softly asked Lu Xin,

“That works.”

Lu Xin nodded.

He wasn’t entirely sure where Han Bing’s worries were coming from.

But he did appreciate her cautious approach, as he too harbored a nagging sense that something was off.

Their ways of judging were clearly different—hers stemming from professional training and rational analysis, his from pure intuition.

Yet the outcomes were the same.

“Alright.”

Han Bing nodded and, glancing at Lu Xin again, hesitantly asked, “Are you really planning to sleep on the sofa?”

“Of course.”

Lu Xin felt a bit nervous too; though convinced he was right, he couldn’t shake an inexplicable sense of awkwardness.

Han Bing, seeming a little tense herself, smiled and said, “You’re the Captain—responsibility is paramount. You need proper rest. Why not take the bed?”

Her face flushed as she added, “I’m short, so the sofa suits me better.”

“That’s alright,”

Lu Xin replied with a smile as he looked at her, “I’ve never been one to sleep well outdoors anyway. Any bed is the same to me.”

“Alright then.”

Han Bing agreed and sat by the bed for a while in silence.

Then she opened her suitcase and pulled out her pajamas decorated with a hint of strawberry pattern, neatly packed underwear in a sealed plastic bag, and a collection of carefully boxed face masks, cosmetics, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, a special small bottle of perfume, a nail trimmer, and more. In addition, there were spare clothes and a set of folding hangers.

After retrieving them, she furtively glanced at Lu Xin, shyly covering herself with the covers.

Lu Xin sat upright on the sofa, eyes fixed on the neon-lit window outside.

He sensed the awkward atmosphere and resorted to keeping his gaze straight ahead, hoping to ease Han Bing’s tension.

After a quiet moment, Han Bing softly said, “Mr. Lone Soldier, after days on the road, everyone must be exhausted!”

Lu Xin replied, “Mm.”

Han Bing added, “A shower and a change of clothes would make things much more comfortable.”

Lu Xin nodded, “Indeed.”

Traveling through the Wasteland is no easy feat, and the worst part is never being able to wash up or change clothes.

For one, the schedule is too tight to pause for a shower.

And even if you encounter a wild lake or a river, you wouldn’t dare plunge in recklessly.

So after a long journey, the very first thing for travelers entering behind the High Wall is almost always a bath and a change.

Han Bing’s meticulous nature clearly took that into account…

Just as Lu Xin was lost in thought, Han Bing shyly said, “I think… I’d like to take a shower first.”

“Mm.”

Lu Xin nodded and said generously, “You go ahead and shower.”

Han Bing, ever the considerate one, knew a grown man wouldn’t fight over a bathroom with a young lady.

However, after casually agreeing, she suddenly realized something was amiss.

Something just didn’t feel right.

After a moment’s thought, she stood up, hesitated, and then said apologetically, “You stay here and shower—I’ll go to Gecko’s room.”

Han Bing’s face flushed deeply as she waved her hands, saying, “No, no—I’ll go to Miss Red Serpent’s room.”

“She’s probably already showering. You girls tend to take your time.”

Lu Xin chuckled, “Better yet, I’ll go to Gecko’s room. Us men can shower and change faster.”

With that, he grabbed his bag to leave but then paused, thoughtfully hesitating, “However, now that we’re in this city, we really must be cautious—even a few minutes apart could spell danger…”

After a moment of reflection, he said frankly to Han Bing, “How about this? I’ll wait outside. When you’re done showering, just knock on the door.”

“Once you knock, I’ll head over to Gecko’s.”

…

“This…”

Han Bing’s face turned even redder in embarrassment—she hadn’t expected Lu Xin to be so thoughtful.

Though she felt awkward agreeing, after all, Lu Xin was the Captain.

Yet Lu Xin behaved as if it were the obvious choice and left with his bag in hand.

The door closed softly as Lu Xin kept his vigil outside.

Han Bing sat by the bedside, her cheeks burning with a peculiar mix of heat and uncertainty.

After a long moment of silence, she mustered her courage, gathered her toiletries and cosmetics, and briskly headed into the bathroom.

…

…

Standing in the hotel corridor, Lu Xin quietly lit a cigarette.

Admittedly, it was somewhat inconvenient now that he was sharing a room with Han Bing—he really didn’t feel comfortable smoking.

This was one of the difficulties of taking ordinary people out on missions. Originally, under the plan, Han Bing’s duty was to liaise with people in Heichao City and, under the city’s protection, provide support through information. But now, they couldn’t contact Heichao City at all.

Thus, it was Han Bing who was most in need of protection.

After about ten minutes, a soft knocking came from inside. Lu Xin’s heart eased immediately.

He hadn’t expected Han Bing to finish showering so quickly.

Once she was done, he could be at ease knowing she’d be ready to call for help if needed.

If she hadn’t finished, there was no way; Lu Xin suspected that if she were still in the buff, she’d rather risk the contamination than come out for help.

Lu Xin knocked in response, then grabbed his bag and headed toward Gecko’s room.

…

…

“I love showering—it makes my skin feel so good…”

“Oh my, oh my…”

“With my shower cap on, singing and dancing…”

“Oh my, oh my…”

As Lu Xin pushed open the unlatched door to Gecko’s room, he heard Gecko’s joyous singing emanating from the bathroom. Shaking his head in exasperation, Lu Xin set down his bag and moved to the window, quietly sitting on the sofa and waiting.

Time slowly passed in the midst of Gecko’s cheerful tunes.

When Gecko reached the refrain, “Lu la la, lu la la,” Lu Xin suddenly lifted his head.

He sprang to his feet and looked out the window, where the bustling city was bathed in bright lights.

In the western part, something seemed to burst forth unexpectedly.

A heart-stopping feeling emerged deep into the night, filled with an indescribable trembling sensation.

Little did he know that this was the moment the Administrative Main Hall of Heichao City and the Scarecrow appeared.

“Plop… plop…”

At the onset of that subtle sensation, Lu Xin felt goosebumps erupting all over his body.

The room fell into an eerie silence, and he could even hear his own heartbeat.

“Is something happening over there?”

Lu Xin frowned slightly, directing his gaze toward the main city of Heichao City.

There, some immense mental force had suddenly surfaced for a brief moment. The distance was vast, and the force was deliberately restrained, making it barely noticeable, yet in that fleeting instant, it was powerfully sensed.

“What on earth is that?”

He thought to himself, the sensation even more potent than when he first entered Happy Town.

That energy was clearly emanating from the direction of the main city.

So if he headed straight to the Administration Hall after entering the city, he might have to confront that force head-on!

Lost in thought, a strange smile gradually appeared on Lu Xin’s face.

“How terrifying…”

…

…

Just as Lu Xin was intently watching the fading trail of that mental force, in the bathroom behind him, Gecko emerged wrapped in a bathrobe, humming a little tune. Abruptly, he looked up and saw someone quietly standing by his room’s window.

Startled, his scalp tingled as he quickly raised his gun with a swish.

Upon a closer look, he realized it was Lu Xin and immediately lowered his weapon in shock.

Lu Xin was clad only in his bathrobe, leaving Gecko clueless about where his gun had come from or where it had gone.

“Captain, if you’re not taking care of Leader Han in your room, what are you doing here?”

While drying his hair, he edged closer to Lu Xin.

“Hmm?”

Hearing his voice, Lu Xin turned around and asked, “Have you finished showering?”

“Ouch…”

Gecko suddenly saw the expression on Lu Xin’s face and was instantly drenched in sweat, his body trembling.

Faced with Lu Xin’s friendly smile, he almost retreated back to the bathroom, though he didn’t dare.

In a trembling, wavering tone, he stuttered, “Ca–Captain…”

Lu Xin said, “I was just kidding about sharing a room with you…”