ATDIWR Chapter 56

Chapter 56: Power Users Work Together, Gu Jinsheng’s Mental Power

“How is the ditch outside coming along?” Wan Xueying asked Kong Zhongcheng.

“It’s finished.” Fortunately, they brought many Power Users, and the ditch was quickly dug.

It was impossible to extinguish the massive, all-consuming fire set by Gu Jinsheng. They dug deep ditches around it to ensure the fire wouldn’t spread. Once everything that could burn here was burned, the fire would stop.

“What do we do, Boss?” Gu Jinsheng sat in the flames holding Ji An. There were no flames within a hundred meters around them, but beyond that were raging fires, and no one could get in to rescue them.

Wan Xueying looked up at the Thunder Dragon in the sky, which showed a hint of fatigue from the excessive release of energy, and said, “Let’s wait and see. If it’s impossible…”

Wan Xueying didn’t finish the rest of the sentence, but they both understood. If there was really no way, they could only retreat. As for Gu Jinsheng…

Wan Xueying continued to ask, “Have Mother Chen and Father Chen been notified? I hope they can arrive soon. Maybe when Boss sees his family, he can regain some clarity.”

“They are on their way, but looking at Boss’s state, I’m afraid he won’t wait for them,” Kong Zhongcheng sighed.

Just then, a Blue-Eyed Winged Tiger suddenly soared into the air. It leaped off the ground, its jump reaching as high as a seven-story building.

Wan Xueying recognized this Blue-Eyed Winged Tiger. She had heard a little boy Ji An protected say that this tiger seemed to know Ji An and had saved both of them once.

“Such a huge fire, it’s risking its life, what is it trying to do?” Kong Zhongcheng didn’t understand the Blue-Eyed Winged Tiger’s actions.

“That’s not it! Its baby is still with me,” Little Stone forcefully retorted. He was holding a small mutated tiger cub in his arms. The little guy was whimpering, seeming quite energetic.

“What is it carrying in its mouth?” Wan Xueying noticed something flash in the Blue-Eyed Winged Tiger’s mouth. She didn’t have time to see clearly.

“It’s water, the water Ji An brother took out. Ji An brother used it to save the little tiger cub’s life!” No one paid attention to Little Stone’s childlike words. They all thought Ji An had used some other method to save the little tiger cub and that Little Stone had misunderstood.

The Blue-Eyed Winged Tiger leaped down, landing right in the center of the fire, where Gu Jinsheng and Ji An were located. It carefully placed the bottle of mineral water from its mouth on the ground, afraid of spilling the water inside. Then it nudged Gu Jinsheng’s arm with its furry head.

Gu Jinsheng turned his gaze to look, his sight falling on the mineral water bottle on the ground, then back to Ji An’s cracked lips, as if finally remembering something.

Gu Jinsheng took a cotton swab from his space, wet it, and carefully applied it to Ji An’s lips little by little.

Gu Jinsheng’s movements were so light and gentle, as if afraid of hurting Ji An. He applied it repeatedly several times, but it still couldn’t make those dry lips moist.

Gu Jinsheng threw the cotton swab aside, then took out a first-aid kit from his space. He opened it and found a feeding tube inside.

Gu Jinsheng gently adjusted the position of Ji An’s head, softly inserting the feeding tube little by little. Then he used a disposable syringe to draw water from the bottle of mineral water and slowly injected it into Ji An’s stomach bit by bit.

The Blue-Eyed Winged Tiger seemed very satisfied seeing this scene. It lay down on the ground, tucking a front paw, yawning lazily, occasionally wagging its furry tail boredly.

Gu Jinsheng didn’t stop until he had fed the entire bottle of water to Ji An. He then pulled out the feeding tube and looked at Ji An’s lips again.

However, Ji An’s lips were still cracked and colorless.

At this moment, Gu Jinsheng seemed to finally accept the reality. He let out a long cry to the sky, pressing his forehead against Ji An’s forehead, “Ji An! Ji An! Ji An!!!”

A vast, surging energy containing powerful pressure madly overflowed from Gu Jinsheng’s brain.

These were Gu Jinsheng’s abilities. At this moment, they hadn’t transformed into wind or thunder, but were in their mostraw energy form, spreading wildly outwards.

Wan Xueying and the others felt this powerful energy pressure and cursed under their breath. “Quick, retreat! Boss has had a mental breakdown, his abilities are in turmoil. His Power User Crystal Core might self-destruct. Run!”

Wan Xueying grabbed Little Stone, ignoring the little guy’s struggles, and turned to run.

Their cars were nearby. They all jumped into the cars, and within ten seconds, all the vehicles that had arrived had driven away from this small village.

Fortunately, the area was relatively desolate with few houses. They were driving off-road vehicles, so it didn’t matter if they slammed on the brakes. Several high-level wind-type Power Users in the cars simply summoned their abilities, creating gusts of strong wind. A tornado could send several cars hundreds of meters away.

Speed-type Power Users also applied their abilities to the tires. The tires were spinning so fast they sparked. With the wind formed by abilities blowing, from a distance, it looked as if the cars were driving in the air.

With this, in just one minute, they had run a thousand meters away.

This was only the edge of safety. Given Gu Jinsheng’s ability level, once his crystal core self-destructed, bolstered by his wind and fire abilities, the range of danger would be far more than a thousand meters, it would only be farther. They couldn’t even estimate the true safe range.

So they couldn’t run anymore. What about the ordinary people here if they ran further?

“Sound the base alarm, forcibly mobilize Power Users, and immediately set up a protective barrier!” Wan Xueying immediately gave the order.

“Yes.” A Power User accepted the order and relayed the command via walkie-talkie.

That day, the highest danger alarm, which had only sounded during drills since the early days of the Jing Shi Base’s establishment, blared over the Jing Shi Base.

Whether people were working, walking, or resting, they all stopped what they were doing and rushed out of their houses.

Some were still laughing, “The base is having another drill? Why so sudden this time, they didn’t even notify us in advance?”

People with communication devices took them out. When they opened the software, an overwhelming amount of red stung their eyes. Red symbolized the highest danger warning.

Someone holding a phone almost dropped it. He said gravely, “This isn’t a drill, it’s real. Red alert!”

“What, the highest red danger alert? How could this happen? What happened at the base? Did the news say anything?” The crowd began to panic. People with communication devices quickly picked them up to call family and friends.

Meanwhile, in the research institute far away, Wu Youyang, Han Yaokun, and others simultaneously heard the unsettling warning sound over the Jing Shi Base.

All these people poured out of the laboratory. As soon as they came out, they found that the command center had already sent people over.

Han Yaokun, as the head of the research institute, immediately spoke on behalf of everyone, “Highest red danger alert, what happened? Is it a zombie siege, or has the zombie virus spread within the Jing Shi Base?”

Han Yaokun could only think of these two possibilities. He couldn’t guess anything else. He also couldn’t guess about Ji An. In his understanding, researchers only needed to seriously engage in research in the laboratory and produce more studies beneficial to the country and the people.

Han Yaokun didn’t even notice that Ji An wasn’t in the group, but Wu Youyang was different. For some reason, an ominous premonition filled his heart.

Wu Youyang almost immediately asked after Han Yaokun finished asking, “Where is my boss? My boss isn’t in the laboratory. Is he in danger?”

The command center staff member looked at Wu Youyang with almost pitying eyes. He nodded at Wu Youyang.

Wu Youyang hadn’t even reacted to what his nod meant when the staff member said, “Mr. Ji is dead. Commander Gu was stimulated, and his Power User Crystal Core is about to self-destruct!”

When Wu Youyang heard this news, his uneasy premonition came true. He staggered backward two steps, unable to stand steady, and fell towards the ground.

“Professor!” Rong Fan grabbed Wu Youyang, preventing him from falling. He slowly helped the person, whose legs were weak and unable to stand, sit on the ground to compose himself.

Some people in Han Yaokun’s team were gloating, some were sympathetic, and some were pitying. They all cast their gaze upon Wu Youyang.

There was also a part of the people whom Wu Youyang had filtered out and couldn’t enter Ji An’s laboratory who secretly rejoiced. Fortunately, they hadn’t been chosen by Wu Youyang. Otherwise, with Ji An dead, his laboratory would become a disorganized mess, and all of them would become like headless flies.

With Ji An, Ji An’s laboratory had infinite possibilities in the future. Without Ji An, Ji An’s laboratory would only stagnate and rely on its past achievements, certainly not developing as well as Han Yaokun’s research institute. From now on, the research institute led by Han Yaokun would surely forge ahead, leaving Ji An’s laboratory further and further behind.

Someone looked at Wu Youyang sympathetically, sighing that Wu Youyang was also a person with a bitter fate. He had just latched onto a towering tree, but the tree fell in an instant.

People, ah, it still depends on fate.

Shi Jun’s fate was good! It seemed like he would be suppressed by Wu Youyang from now on, but then Ji An, the person least likely to die, died. Wu Youyang suddenly lost his backing, but Shi Jun’s backing, Han Yaokun, was still alive and well. From now on, Shi Jun would only climb higher by following him.

That’s why they say, people, ah, still need good fate!

The person in question, Shi Jun, didn’t think that way. He felt more regret for Ji An.

Ji An was too young, and his skills were too remarkable. His death would only become a regret for the Jing Shi Base, a regrettable event for all humanity.

Zhou Fanxiu heard the news with equal disbelief. He could barely stand steady with the support of his wife, Bai Na. He questioned, “Isn’t Ji An a researcher? How could something happen to him?”

When the command center staff member mentioned this, they were filled with deep respect for Ji An.

“Mr. Ji went to the orphanage to see the children and happened to encounter human traffickers trying to kidnap them. He was afraid that during the waiting time for rescue, the traffickers would transfer the children away, and passing pedestrians might destroy the clues left behind when those people escaped, so he chased after them alone to rescue them.”

Speaking of this, the command center staff member took off his hat to show respect for Ji An. “Unfortunately, Mr. Ji did not wait for our base’s reinforcements to arrive and was discovered by the human traffickers. He unfortunately sacrificed himself in the process of protecting those children.”

This was an accident!

Zhou Fanxiu couldn’t stand anymore. Even with someone supporting him, he couldn’t stand. Bai Na could only help him sit down.

Many people who heard this part were filled with solemn respect for Ji An, even those who had previously had some friction with Ji An.

Han Yaokun proactively bowed deeply to Zhou Fanxiu and Bai Na, saying, “Ji An is our hero. Also, please accept our condolences!”

Behind Han Yaokun, people followed suit, bowing and offering condolences towards Zhou Fanxiu, Bai Na, Wu Youyang, and others.

One person among those bowing was excluded, and that was Zhao Zhen. His back was ramrod straight, straighter than usual. His face and eyes held some barely concealed joy. Ji An was dead, he was dead, that was truly great!

He had said it himself, he had done research for decades and hadn’t come up with a single independent project. How could Ji An, a person with no education and no experience, suddenly come up with two?

As expected, blessing leads to disaster. Ji An couldn’t bear such great fortune.

In Han Yaokun’s team, someone noticed Zhao Zhen’s joyful expression. Regardless of whether these people themselves were jealous of Ji An or had any other thoughts about Ji An, seeing Zhao Zhen’s barely concealed happiness, they silently moved away from him. At the same time, they decided never to have excessive contact with Zhao Zhen in the future.

Within a thousand-meter radius centered around Gu Jinsheng, Power Users who were forcibly mobilized quickly appeared nearby.

These Power Users, those with lower-level abilities, formed groups of several people. Those with higher levels formed teams of fewer people. In short, almost all Power Users nearby were mobilized, and Power Users who heard the news kept arriving in a steady stream.

The Power Users released their abilities, causing protective walls to rise from the ground in an arc, protecting the safety of those inside the wall.

The last time Kulus self-destructed, this method was not used because the personnel were too mixed. If someone took advantage of the chaos and used the power of the protective barrier to cause harm, it would only result in greater casualties.

There was no doubt that people from M Country, R Country, and even H Country would take the opportunity to cause trouble, so this move couldn’t be used at all.

These Power Users were all from the Jing Shi Base. They couldn’t be said to be a solid block, but at least their families and children were here. They could not care about their own lives, but they couldn’t not care about the lives of their families. As for the Power Users who were orphans, they were not forcibly mobilized at all. Power Users in front, behind, left, and right would also help verify their identities. This was, after all, also related to them. Once a traitor appeared among them, it was very likely that their own families would be harmed.

Since the emergence of nutrient solutions, they had been extremely satisfied, wishing that the Jing Shi Base would exist forever and reluctant to see it face danger. These Power Users released their abilities while silently praying.

“God, please bless our Jing Shi Base with peace and safety!”

Some also prayed, “Please also bless Commander Gu with peace and safety. The nutrient solution he promoted is a great deed and a good thing. A relative of mine was almost starving to death. Since the nutrient solution started being sold in the base, he has gained weight and is full of vigor. He has also started considering going out to work.”

“If there really are gods in this world, please protect Commander Gu. Such a feat benefiting the country and the people, worthy of being recorded in history for generations to come, deserves his life being saved!”

Even many ordinary people who hadn’t awakened abilities, knowing that the commander of the Jing Shi Base was in trouble, began to silently pray for them. Many people even took out candles they usually couldn’t bear to use and lit them to show their sincerity.

It was clearly daytime, and the glow of the candles should have been as weak as the light of fireflies under the sun. But sometimes, it is precisely this firefly light that can start a prairie fire!

Of course, news also leaked out of the base. Du Ruanlan at Luo City Base received the news, “The Jing Shi Base has sounded the highest danger red alert. It seems Commander Gu Jinsheng’s lover, a mental-type Power User, died in battle, causing Gu Jinsheng to have a mental breakdown, leading to his abilities going wild and his Power User Crystal Core self-destructing.”

Owen raised her beautiful eyebrows, “Gu Jinsheng, wasn’t he nicknamed ‘Human Weapon’? I thought he was a battle robot, but I guess he’s not. He’s actually a human, he has a heart, and he even has a lover?”

Jiang Fuzhong sighed, “Heroes can’t resist the allure of beauty.”

Du Ruanlan said languidly, “Gu Jinsheng is finished, so we’ll be busy.”

Owen said, “Yes.”

The current Jing Shi Base was a big piece of juicy meat. Who wouldn’t want a bite? If Gu Jinsheng also died, the Jing Shi Base would lose two commanders in a short period and would inevitably fall into chaos. At that time, they wouldn’t be the only base reaching out.

Du Ruanlan said, “Keep a close eye on those foreigners. Among ourselves, it doesn’t matter who gets the Jing Shi Base, but absolutely not those foreigners.”

Cong Xun at North Base also received the news. He sighed, “A beautiful woman is a hero’s tomb. As expected, a figure like Gu Jinsheng also couldn’t overcome the test of love. It’s just that after Gu Jinsheng dies, I wonder if those foreigners will still be under control.”

Han Zhiwei at South Base also had news channels. “Instruct the spies, once Gu Jinsheng dies, they are to become active. They must control the Jing Shi Base before the spies from M Country and R Country do. Absolutely don’t let those foreigners succeed. If necessary, they can give up some benefits, but don’t let the foreigners get it.”

Gu Jinsheng, who was treated as the source of the disaster, his power was still continuously overflowing from his brain. The Blue-Eyed Winged Tiger was pressed by this powerful energy, unable to breathe, and was restlessly wagging its tail around Gu Jinsheng and Ji An.

Even Gu Jinsheng himself didn’t notice that strands and strands of energy pouring out of his brain were drilling into Ji An’s brain.

Almost all the energy drilled into Ji An’s brain. Only a very small amount scattered into the air.