Chapter 110: Not Dead

"If you have something to say, say it here. There is nothing shameful about it." Liu Chang sat upright, making no move to get up or go outside with him.

Seeing his resolute attitude and the impatience already showing on his face, the other man had no choice but to lower his voice. "If you want to talk here, then we talk here. But you must, absolutely must, not tell anyone that I was the one who told you."

"Fine, go ahead," Liu Chang nodded.

"You know Officer He, don't you?" The platoon leader kept his voice at the lowest possible volume, terrified that anyone other than Liu Chang might overhear.

"You mean He Zhizhi? What about her?" Liu Chang found it strange that the man would suddenly bring up someone who was dead.

"We were childhood friends, grew up in the same neighborhood," the man continued, his voice barely a whisper. "So, we were quite close, and our bond was deep."

"Right. And?" Liu Chang wrinkled his stiff brow, forcing a thoughtful expression. "What is it you're trying to say?"

"I want to say that she isn't dead."

"Not dead?" At these words, Liu Chang felt a sudden jolt in his chest, and the finger bones he carried tucked against his chest shifted as well. "That's impossible. Li Qingshui told me himself that she died."

"She's really not dead," the man whispered. "I saw it with my own eyes. She's in Chief Li's laboratory, soaking in a vat of chemical solution."

"Soaking?" Liu Chang recalled the day on the highlands when he had asked to see He Zhizhi’s body, only to be told by an officer that it had already been "processed." "How can you be sure she isn't dead?"

"I saw her move. Not the kind of twitch caused by machine vibrations, but a real, deliberate movement. She is definitely alive." The man glanced around warily. "But you absolutely cannot tell anyone I told you this, or I might not live to see tomorrow's sunrise."

"Is Teacher Li really that ruthless now?" Liu Chang frowned. "How is that any different from Zhao Zhuo?"

"It's not like that, I was just making a comparison. Chief Li is actually much milder than Zhao Zhuo. But since he didn't tell you Officer He was alive, he clearly didn't want you to know." The platoon leader bowed his head. "So, if I do something the leadership doesn't want done, I won't have a good end. That's why you must never tell anyone it was me who told you."

"Understood," Liu Chang nodded. "But how did you know I had a relationship with Officer He?"

"Word gets around," the man smiled. "I may not have much talent, but I did grow up in the military district. Besides, when Chief Li led the team to find you two months ago during the operation to wipe out Zhao Zhuo, plenty of people saw you standing with Officer He. It's not exactly a big secret."

"When I saw that Sister He was still alive, I wanted to find a way to save her, but after thinking it over, you are the only one in the entire military district who can talk to Chief Li and make him change his mind." Though the platoon leader smiled, his tone was three parts pleading and seven parts serious. "So, please, I beg you to save her."

"Fine. If what you say is true, I will find a way. You should go now." Liu Chang nodded and patted the platoon leader on the shoulder. "Go on. If people see us talking too much, it won't be good if it gets back to Chief Li."

"Especially since I intend to talk to him about this in a few days. You wouldn't want others to know we spoke, right?"

"Right." Hearing Liu Chang's words, the platoon leader seemed to realize something, nodded, and left in a hurry without even saying goodbye.

Watching the man leave, Liu Chang sank into deep thought.

Experience matures a person; Liu Chang was no longer the naive student he had been a few months ago. A series of brushes with life and death had made him far more restrained than his peers. Although hearing that He Zhizhi was alive stirred him, he did not lose his composure. He could feel that Li Qingshui had changed.

But no matter how a person changes, they still harbor memories of past friendships. Liu Chang pondered how he could rescue her without damaging the bond between them.

A few days later.

"Hahaha, Xiao Jing, Liu Chang, I've come to visit you." As evening fell, Li Qingshui walked in carrying a basket of fruit. "A new species, a natural product with no artificial components. It tastes like the tart sweetness of a medlar combined with the crisp fragrance of an apple. A young soldier found them near the edge of the jungle. They're quite good, so I brought you some."

Li Qingshui seemed to be in a good mood, chattering away as he placed the fruit on the dormitory table. "Come and try some. Xiao Jing, come over and have a bite."

"Oh."

Xiao Jing, who had been drawing at the head of the bed, put down her sketchbook and walked over. She picked up an orange-red fruit and took a bite.

Immediately, a refreshing fragrance filled the room.

"It really is delicious!" Liu Chang also grabbed a fruit and took a bite, smiling. "Teacher Li, you're in a good mood today. Any good news?"

"Yes, that reagent for manifesting recessive genetic information I mentioned a while back—I finally confirmed its safety today. Both in lab mice and humans, there were no negative reactions after injection; everyone is in excellent condition," Li Qingshui laughed. "Although there is a process involved in moving from recessive to dominant, it is a success at last. The reagent you have can be injected now. No side effects, don't worry."

"Well, that really is good news." Liu Chang took out the reagent he kept close to him and looked at it.

"And yours is the most precise one I've made. Whether it's the purity of the Red Mist separation or the concentration of the formula, it's a hundred times better than those inferior products. Use it with confidence, it will be fine." Li Qingshui smiled. "Once all your recessive factors are fully manifested, I expect you'll be a hundred times more powerful than those synthetic products of Zhao Zhuo's."

"Yeah, heh, thank you." Liu Chang chuckled softly and tucked the reagent back into his clothes. He was about to speak, but Li Qingshui interrupted him.

"What are you thanking me for? You have something on your mind, don't you?" Li Qingshui looked at him.

"Yes, I can't hide anything from you." Facing someone a hundred times smarter than himself, Liu Chang knew that a single expression could reveal his true thoughts. He decided not to hide it. "There is something I've been thinking about for days, and I want to talk to you about it."

"Xiao Jing, stay in the room. Don't come out. I'm going to talk to your brother about something." Seeing Liu Chang's hesitation, Li Qingshui pulled him out of the room and into a deserted corridor. "Speak. What is it?"

"I want to talk to you about He Zhizhi." Standing in the hallway, Liu Chang carefully arranged his words. "Can you let her go?"