bioinnovel Chapter 308 Wait for me in the back!
Chapter 308 Wait for me in the back!
"What is the accuracy rate of the remote energy feedback confirmation?" Zhang Yan asked the system in his mind.
[94.7%. Highly consistent with the energy characteristics of fragments already held by the host. This fragment is located 3200 meters below the seabed, encased in natural rock layers and deep-sea sediments, and its energy release is extremely weak, which is why it failed to be identified in previous global scans.]
Zhang Yan's eyes lit up.
Adding a new fragment to 87%—the exact increase is uncertain, but if it can break through 90%, the Heart of Heaven's absorption efficiency of the scattered energy of the Ruins will enter a qualitative leap.
This means that his biggest weakness—the inability to fully recover energy when killing familiars, which led to the reverse absorption of the Void—will be completely overcome.
"You're thinking of going to get it?" Nie Qingcheng's voice was flat, not questioning.
"Um."
"Four hundred kilometers east of the Miyako Strait, that sea area is right within the exercise range of Japan."
"Ito is closely monitoring that coordinate—he's waiting for you to walk right into his trap."
"I know."
"You're still going?"
"I have to go." Zhang Yan turned to look at her. "The fact that the Void could find those coordinates means it also knows about the existence of the fifth fragment."
"If I don't go, Ito will go and get it for Ruka."
"Every percentage point increase in the completeness of the Heart of Heaven's Craftsmanship represents a chance of survival for us."
Nie Qingcheng remained silent.
She picked up the water glass, took a sip, put it down, then turned to face Zhang Yan, crossing her right leg on the sofa.
"When are you going?"
"Before the exercise began," Zhang Yan said, "when their anti-submarine network was not yet deployed, the resistance was minimal."
Are you alone?
"The deep-diving shark has a diving capacity of over 12,000 meters, so that area is not a challenge for it."
"The main problem isn't the depth, it's the scheme Ito has laid out on top of it."
"You suspect there's an ambush at the bottom of the sea."
Zhang Yan nodded.
"Ruins wouldn't just feed Ito the location of the fragments for no reason; it must have left something nearby."
"What is it?"
"I don't know, but the level won't be low."
Nie Qingcheng gently clenched her fingers on her knee.
Zhang Yan recognized the gesture.
She was suppressing her emotions.
If you ever tell me again, "Wait for me in the back,"—
"Wait for me behind."
Nie Qingcheng glared at him.
Zhang Yan reached out and pinched her cheek.
"Even if you go to the deep sea, which is three thousand meters below the surface, you won't be of any help."
"You almost got thrown out of the cockpit last time at the East China Sea Ruins, remember?"
"You were driving too fast that time."
"This time it will be even more intense."
Nie Qingcheng fell silent.
She lowered her head and wrote words on the back of his hand, stroke by stroke, with her fingers.
Zhang Yan sensed the meaning of the word "peace".
"Mmm." He took her hand.
"When are we leaving?"
"Early morning the day after tomorrow."
"Then tomorrow—"
"I'll be with you tomorrow."
Nie Qingcheng's lips twitched slightly, but she neither said yes nor no.
She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes for a moment.
52mm.
"I remember."
"Buy it when you get back, no earlier."
Why?
"Unlucky."
Zhang Yan smiled. "Okay."
……
The next day, Zhang Yan didn't touch any work.
This morning I accompanied Nie Qingcheng to the flower market in the suburbs, where she bought three succulents and a small-leaf sandalwood tree.
In the afternoon, the two sunbathed in the villa's courtyard. She leaned on his lap while looking at financial reports, and he flipped through an old novel he had found somewhere.
I made hot pot in the evening.
Nie Qingcheng ate a lot, twice as much as usual.
She went to bed before him that night, but didn't sleep.
When he finished showering, she was huddled in the blankets, only half her face showing.
"The lights are off."
Zhang Yan turned off the light and lay down.
In the darkness, Nie Qingcheng's hand reached out and accurately found his hand.
Five fingers embedded in five fingers.
"What was the deepest dive your mechanical shark went when it was being chased last time?"
"Eight hundred meters."
"What about the 3,200 meters? Have you been there?"
"I reached a similar depth when I visited the East China Sea Ruins. No problem."
"You always say it's no problem."
"Because there are never any problems."
Nie Qingcheng tightened her grip slightly.
It was quiet for a long time.
"I had a dream," she said, her voice muffled by the pillow.
"What kind of dream?"
"I dreamt that you kept diving underwater, getting deeper and deeper."
"The seawater turned black."
I called to you from the shore, but you couldn't hear me.
Zhang Yan turned to the side and pulled her close.
"It's just a dream."
"I know."
She buried her face in his chest. His eyelashes brushed against her skin, causing a slight itch.
"Your heart is beating so fast."
"I just finished showering."
"That's a lie."
Zhang Yan lowered his head and pressed his lips to the top of her head.
I will come back.
"You always say that."
"I've done it every time."
Nie Qingcheng didn't say anything more.
My hand never loosened its grip.
……
Three o'clock in the morning.
Zhang Yan woke up.
This time, Nie Qingcheng didn't put her arm around his, but instead curled up in his arms, clutching his collar.
The exact same pose as before setting off from the Golden Triangle last time.
He didn't get up immediately.
After waiting for five minutes, and feeling that her breathing had completely stabilized, I pried her fingers apart one by one.
Change clothes.
Get a satellite phone.
Backpack.
When I walked into the living room, there was an insulated bag on the coffee table.
Upon opening it, I found two rice balls, a box of cut fruit, and a pot of still-warm green tea.
There was a note attached to the insulated bag.
The handwriting was familiar, but it was messier than usual.
"If you dare not come back, I'll sell Qingcheng International and buy a hundred submarines to rescue you."
Below is a crooked skull drawn.
Zhang Yan glanced at it for two seconds.
Tear off the sticky note, fold it neatly, and put it in your pocket.
It was placed together with that A4 sheet of paper and that 52mm sticky note.
The number of papers in my pocket is increasing.
He picked up the insulated bag and opened the door.
It was still dark outside.
The sea breeze blows from the east, carrying a salty, damp smell.
Zhang Yan got into the car and started the engine.
My phone vibrated.
Qin Xiao: "The Devouring Sharks are in position at Pier 7. All three checkpoints have been removed, and the shipping lanes have been cleared."
Zhang Yan replied with a single word: "Go."
The car drove out of the residential complex gate. In the rearview mirror, the lights on the second floor of the villa were on.
A shadow stood in front of the window, the curtains were not drawn.
Zhang Yan did not turn around.
But he adjusted the angle of the rearview mirror, allowing the shadow to linger for three more seconds.
Then step on the gas.
Forty minutes later.
The black, streamlined body of the sea-devouring shark sank underwater.
The system automatically loads the target coordinates.
[Target: Western Pacific Ocean, 412 kilometers east of the Miyako Strait, depth 3200 meters.]
[Warning: Two anomalous energy signals detected in the target area. Signal characteristics highly match those of "Ruins' Kin." Level Assessment—]
Zhang Yan looked at the red text that popped up on the screen.
[Grade A+. Quantity: Two.]
Two A+ grades.
They stood guard beside the fragments.
His fingers paused for a moment on the control panel, then steadily pushed down the full-speed gear lever.
The mechanical shark traced a nearly silent black arc underwater as it sped southeast.
Nie Qingcheng's rice ball was still next to the dashboard, with the crooked skull on the insulated bag facing him.
Zhang Yan glanced at it.
"Two A+'s," he muttered to himself. "Not bad."