Saving Unpermitted

Chapter 98: Variation

Panic surged through the crowd.

The environment was hostile, and human society resembled isolated islands. The erosion was severe, and population growth was painfully slow. City mergers were yet to be completed, let alone the possibility of a war.

People hadn’t tasted the flavor of war for hundreds of years.

Rather than fear, the state of the people in the square was closer to bewilderment. No one knew what to do in this situation or how to proceed. Prior to the disaster, everyone’s lives were similar—spinning like a top between workplaces and residences, passing the time with a few scarce entertainment activities. There were no relocations or travels, and even outings for relaxation were rare. To be born in the city and die in the city was considered the safest outcome in this era.

After the Reunion Festival, everything was supposed to return to normal.

However, since the synthetic humans rebelled and disrupted the festival, everything had fallen into chaos. Y City resembled a massive and intricate machine, with each person dutifully occupying their position, moving forward slowly. But now the gears had come loose from their original positions, and the machine was emitting smoke, on the verge of collapsing.

Workplaces and residences were likely to be damaged, and people were extremely angry, yet unsure of where the mistake occurred and who should take responsibility. This anger seemed poised to surpass the dam’s water level, with the danger of losing control at any moment.

Zhu Sheng had been immersed in research with the researchers lately, trying to understand the enemy’s situation, so this mess was completely left to Yi Ning.

Medical supplies and resources needed to be allocated at any time, malignant disputes had to be resolved quickly, patrol routes had to be adjusted daily, and reports from subordinates summarizing the possibility of “potential chaos” flew in like snowflakes. The entire city had entered a state of war, with the population in the city center quadrupling, while the difficulty of management increased more than tenfold compared to peacetime.

During this critical period, lower-ranking managers were hesitant to make decisions. All the problems merged into a murky tide that covered the sky.

The new leader had just been elected, and the transition period wasn’t over yet. Zhu Sheng was still the leader, so he naturally wouldn’t bother with these thankless “trivial matters”. Yi Ning, as one of Zhu Sheng’s nominal deputies, had hardly been seen since the synthetic humans forced their way to the vicinity of the city center.

“Go downstairs and get me a few cans of coffee. And while you’re at it, check the situation of the rescue team—they should have returned to the communicable area by now, according to the time.” Yi Ning rubbed his temples and ordered his assistant without looking up.

However, he didn’t receive a response.

Lately, his assistant had been around less and less, and Yi Ning couldn’t help but frown. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind, and immediately activated the communicator. “It’s working hours now. Where are you?”

“At the city center square.” The assistant’s voice was indistinct.

“Come back.” Yi Ning rubbed his temples. “The afternoon meeting is crucial. If we don’t restore order to those streets in the Xia family’s district in the east, there’s a high chance of a bloody conflict erupting. We need to go there in advance…”

“I’m sorry, sir, but I need to take leave.”

“Leave?”

“I don’t want to clean up Zhu Sheng’s mess. This whole situation is pathetic—Zhu Sheng got a fake Zhu Yanchen to earn fame while leaving you to deal with all the troublesome work. If we do poorly, it’s our responsibility; if we do well, it’s his credit as a superior.”

Yi Ning fell silent.

A thousand words squeezed at the back of his throat, but in the end, he couldn’t say anything. Yi Ning wasn’t angry; he only felt an inexplicable sense of desolation, as if he couldn’t distinguish whether the other person was truly overwhelmed with anger or if they had exchanged fear and resentment for a different form of outburst. The other person was someone he had personally trained, but now they weren’t much different from the rioters in the square.

Finally, according to regulations, Yi Ning could only throw down one sentence.

“Return to the command center within three hours, or I will have someone forcibly bring you back. At this time, internal conflict is the worst choice.”

“…Marshal Yi, as someone who grew up in the settlements, I thought you would understand.” The assistant’s voice sounded angry and aggrieved. “Man will destroy heaven and earth for their own sake. Well, now heaven is destroying us*. Can people really unite in the face of such events? Do you truly believe that? …You’ve really disappointed me.”

*Proverb that basically means karma. If an individual acts selfishly and disregards the well-being of others or the world around them, there will eventually be consequences.

With that, the young man immediately terminated the communication.

Yi Ning remained silent for a moment, then transferred the communication to the patrol team and swiftly sent the assistant’s information.

Without his assistant, he had no choice but to personally contact the rescue department to inquire about the situation of the rescue team.

“Three hours ago, the rescue team reached the communicable area,” the leader of the rescue department reported seriously. “The disaster situation in Y City and its surroundings is under control. Once the frontlines in the city stabilize, we can bring the personnel back.”

“Good. Does Zhu Sheng have any instructions?”

“Considering the current situation, the rescue team is tentatively scheduled to enter the city in three days.”

“…”

“Marshal Yi?”

“It’s nothing. Thank you for your hard work.” Something wasn’t quite right. Zhu Sheng’s arrangements were a bit strange. Yi Ning held his buzzing head.

Several kilometers away, at the rescue team.

Xia Yufeng ultimately didn’t stay in that settlement area. For that, he had found a more than sufficient reason for himself—if there was no one left in the settlement area, it would be troublesome if something happened. On the other hand, to protect his own life, he expressed his thoughts in a roundabout way, such as “I won’t necessarily follow orders when outside” and “The situation is urgent, so it would be best to assess the situation before entering the city.”

The rescue department was considered under the influence of the Tang family and wouldn’t obediently listen to Zhu Sheng’s words.

The captain simply gave him a somewhat surprised look, without asking about his identity or providing a definite answer. After reaching the communicable area, the rescue team set up camp according to the original plan. Seeing that the other side didn’t move, Xia Yufeng fell into a state of hesitation about whether to escape or not—which was quite a dilemma.

Zhu Sheng would definitely lure the synthetic humans to this side. It would reduce the burden on the one hand and increase the hatred between humans and synthetics on the other—killing two birds with one stone.

He wandered anxiously at the edge of the encampment, finally stomping his foot and setting off towards Y City on a mudsled.

He had always been the substitute for Zhu Yanchen, but this time Zhu Yanchen should be his substitute.

When he arrived at the border of Y City, Xia Yufeng removed his mask and greeted the city guards confidently, “How’s the situation?”

The guards looked at each other. After all, Zhu Yanchen was a legitimate marshal, and it was unlikely that he would come here to ask about the situation from a couple of low-ranking soldiers. However, Xia Yufeng’s face was convincing, so the guards stood at attention and gave a detailed account of the latest battle report.

They were mere onlookers, unable to access any confidential information. Even if the other side was a synthetic human, they couldn’t obtain any intelligence. Thinking this way, Marshal Zhu might just want to assess them.

“That old man really has ulterior motives,” Xia Yufeng murmured. Then he raised his voice. “Get ready to immediately support the rescue team. Also, inform the rescue department to prepare emergency supplies thoroughly. The preparations of the rescue team this time weren’t adequate, and they’ve suffered a lot.”

When it came to putting on an official demeanor, he was definitely better than Zhu Yanchen.

A few hours later.

Marshal Zhu was resting at the camp when, suddenly, his neck was grabbed by a pair of arms. He instinctively frowned, then gradually relaxed his brows. “Why are you here?”

“To assassinate you.”

“Don’t make trouble.”

“The situation isn’t right. I have to confirm it with you.”

Shu Jun removed his soldier’s mask and loosened the tightly fastened uniform collar. “The movements of the rescue team are different from what was initially agreed. According to Zhu Sheng’s plan, we would definitely bypass and attack this team, seize their resources, and use them as food.”

“Yes.” After seeing the monster for several days, when Shu Jun appeared in his human form, it caused Zhu Yanchen to be somewhat dazed. “He would most likely do that.”

“And then we’ll stage another show for Sigma, with both sides suffering heavy losses. Then I will capture these people, pretending to negotiate terms and reconciliation with you, to lure Sigma out.”

“That’s the plan, so what?”

“I specifically asked Tang Lao to pass on the message, asking the captain to listen carefully to Zhu Sheng’s words, and now the rescue team has taken action.” Shu Jun sat on the edge of Zhu Yanchen’s desk, crossing his long legs. “You owe me an explanation, Chief Strategist. I admit, I can’t figure out the reason behind your strategy change—could it be that you wanted to see me?”

“I really wanted to see you, that’s true.” Zhu Yanchen replied seriously. He had long been accustomed to Shu Jun’s teasing and decided to turn the tables, watching as the other’s ears slowly reddened. “But that wasn’t my strategy change.”

With that, he crossed his arms and pondered for a while. “Xia Yufeng.”

“What about him?”

“Xia Yufeng ran away with the rescue team. He probably wants to find a place to hide. It’s not good to corner him too much, so I decided to turn a blind eye. But I didn’t expect…”

“You didn’t expect him to come back on his own. He must have seen through Zhu Sheng’s methods. That kid still has some backbone.” Shu Jun immediately understood. “A’Yan, this time you’ve been made a substitute. How does it feel?”

“Not great.”

“Now the original plan won’t work. I need time to move from the sandwich between the Erosion Swamp and the humans. If the formation is disrupted and you still forcefully act with me, Zhu Sheng might suspect something fishy.”

“Indeed.” Zhu Yanchen frowned again.

“It’s different from the settlement. Faking a massacre under Zhu Sheng’s nose carries too much risk.” Shu Jun tapped his claws on the table. “Moreover, with forty to fifty thousand people, I have never created such a large fake scenario. It’s highly likely to be exposed. If Zhu Sheng and Sigma both discover the problem, our performance will be in vain.”

“If we bring all forty to fifty thousand people into the city, the resource burden in the city center will be too heavy. We must move quickly.” Zhu Yanchen wrote and drew on the screen. “Hmm…”

Shu Jun wasn’t as focused. As he used his claws to play with Zhu Yanchen’s hair ends, his eyes slightly squinted. He silently watched Zhu Yanchen jot down the battlefield situation and only spoke after a few minutes.

“I have an idea.”

“Please.”

“For the upcoming situation, let me take the lead. We’ll be like before, countering each other’s moves.” Shu Jun smirked, revealing a mischievous smile. “Mr. Xia really did me a big favor.”

“We can discuss—”

“No.” Shu Jun immediately waved his hand, and the mischievous smile at the corner of his mouth grew more apparent. “My approach is too extreme. You won’t like it.”

Zhu Yanchen raised an eyebrow, realizing that Shu Jun was still enigmatic. He helplessly shook his head. “Then I’ll leave it to you.”

“But to be honest, I put a lot of effort into this trip.” Shu Jun showed no intention of leaving the table. He leaned down, turned his head to the side, and his sharp teeth lightly pressed against Zhu Yanchen’s Adam’s apple. “What a perfect opportunity for an assassination. If I were to take a bite…”

As the words slipped out, the soft lips of the other grazed against Zhu Yanchen’s neck. Zhu Yanchen reached out and cupped Shu Jun’s face, lightly kissing his lips. “You can’t do it.”

“…A’Yan, you’ve become shameless.”

“Thank you.”

“That’s not a compliment… Anyway, considering what’s coming up, it’s good to be thick-skinned.” They separated, and Shu Jun pecked his lover’s lips again. “With this, the war will end even faster.”