Seeking Life in a Dead Place

Outside the door, Rawlinson’s low, hoarse, and stiff Chinese rang out.

Pei Jin supported himself against the edge of the folding bed to stand up.

He was burning too severely; the light and shadow before his eyes constantly overlapped, yet those flushed eyes stared at the iron door, forcefully propping up his willpower.

“What do you want?”

A light laugh traveled from outside the door.

“The clearance card,” Rawlinson made no cover of it. “Give me the card, and I will let you live.”

Pei Jin let out a low cough, his voice hoarse to the extreme.

“What about Qin Shuyao?”

The outside of the door went quiet for half a second.

Subsequently, Qin Shuyao’s suppressed sharp intake of breath traveled over. She wasn’t dead, obviously having already been subdued by Rawlinson.

Rawlinson’s voice was cold, like scraping against iron plate: “She is too noisy.”

A wave of chill traveled down Xia Mianyue’s back.

In the next second, the sound of metal prying the lock suddenly traveled from outside the door.

Click, click—

That sound was not light, knocking against one’s nerves click by click.

The electronic lock of the storage bay was already unstable due to the power outage, the red light alternating between light and dark.

Rawlinson did not need to launch a forceful assault for too long; as long as he waited another few minutes, this door would very likely fail on its own.

Pei Jin quickly judged the situation.

He said in a low voice: “The back door.”

Xia Mianyue immediately returned to her senses.

She had noticed when she entered that there was an old-style maintenance door in the corner of the storage bay leading to an even lower maintenance line.

She swiftly scooped up the emergency bag.

Pei Jin had just taken a step when his body violently swayed.

Xia Mianyue was quick of eye and deft of hand to support him.

“Mr. Pei!”

Pei Jin’s forehead was entirely covered with cold sweat, his palm hot to a frightening degree.

The high fever had already burned him to the point of being nearly unable to stand steadily, yet he still raised his hand to push her away a bit.

“Don’t lean against the door.”

Just as his words fell, a piercing metal impact suddenly rang out outside the iron door.

Rawlinson seemed to perceive that they wanted to leave, directly beginning to violently break the door.

Bang!

The toolbox was shaken until it shifted an inch inward.

Xia Mianyue forcefully endured the panic; Pei Jin caught her with a reverse hand, leading her to retreat toward the direction of the maintenance door.

But the storage bay was too narrow, old cables and fractured metal plates piled upon the ground.

When Rawlinson delivered the second strike against the door, the toolbox behind the door violently slid, knocking over a piece of rusted iron sheeting beside it.

Pei Jin almost instinctively brought Xia Mianyue behind his own body.

The movement was too urgent; her lower back crashed against the fractured edge of the iron sheet.

“Hiss—”

A bout of sharp pain slashed open from behind.

Xia Mianyue’s face turned white from the pain, yet she deathly bit her lip, not letting out a sound.

The protective suit on her body was sliced open with a gash, and the blood seeping from her back quickly matted the light-colored inner lining.

Pei Jin lowered his head to see that smear of blood, his expression instantly changing color.

“Xia Mianyue,” his voice was deep to a frightening degree.

Xia Mianyue sweated on her forehead from the pain, yet she still gripped the emergency bag.

“Go first.”

A flash of manic irritation crossed the depths of Pei Jin’s eyes.

Another heavy crash sounded outside the door.

The old lock of the maintenance door was finally swiped open by Xia Mianyue.

Beep—

The green light lit up.

Pei Jin did not delay any further, clasping her wrist to bring her inside the door.

Behind the door was an even narrower maintenance stairwell.

The cold wind mixed with the smell of rust rushed against their faces, and the red emergency lights alternated between light and dark.

Only after the maintenance door re-closed behind them was the crashing sound outside isolated a bit further away, though it did not disappear completely.

Xia Mianyue had just let out a breath when she was pressed against the side of the wall by Pei Jin.

“Don’t move,” his voice was hoarse.

Xia Mianyue was stunned; Pei Jin had already tugged over the edge of the protective suit behind her back.

The tear was very long; fortunately, the wound was toward the side of the lower back, not injuring vital areas, yet the bloody slash sliced open by the iron sheet was not shallow, blood seeping downward along the waistline, looking shocking to the eye.

Xia Mianyue said in a small voice, “It’s merely a scratch, let’s go first.”

“Shut up.”

Pei Jin snatched the emergency bag from her hands, digging out alcohol cotton, iodophor, and gauze.

His hand was very hot, his fingertips trembling slightly due to the high fever, yet when truly touching the wound, his movements were light to a degree that did not resemble him.

The instant the iodophor wiped upon it, Xia Mianyue’s spine tightened from the pain, and she deathly bit her lip.

Pei Jin’s movements paused, his voice suddenly turning gentle.

“If it hurts, say so.”

Xia Mianyue’s nose turned sour, yet she remained stubborn.

“Even if I say so, it still needs to be disinfected.”

Pei Jin did not speak further, focusing on disinfecting on her behalf.

Her face was deathly pale, and her eyes beneath the goggles were wet.

Pei Jin suddenly felt displeased in his heart; this wound was because of him. Just now, if it weren’t for him pulling too urgently, she wouldn’t have crashed against that piece of iron sheet.

He lowered his head to continue treating the wound, his voice even softer than before.

“Endure it a bit.”

Xia Mianyue let out a low “Mm.”

Within the narrow maintenance stairwell, outside was a hot pursuit, while inside was high fever and blood.

Everyone was wretched, and no one was decent.

Halfway through the bandaging, the lights overhead suddenly flickered violently.

Pei Jin raised his head.

The red lights within the maintenance stairwell went dark one by one, as if the electricity of the entire ship were being slowly pinched off by some hand.

Xia Mianyue’s heart tightened.

“The electricity is going to break again?”

Pei Jin swiftly tightened the gauze, tying a knot.

“Mm.”

The phone vibrated at this moment, the signal intermittent; the message sent by Pei Xubai jumped several times before displaying completely.

[The backup circuit has been cut.]

[The electronic locks won’t hold out for long.]

[Go down to the B7 old refrigeration backup bay; that place uses pure mechanical locks. Do not take the main passage.]

After Xia Mianyue finished reading, the pain in her back and the fear in her heart surged up together.

This place could not be held either.

Pei Jin put the phone away; just as he stood straight, his body uncontrollably swayed once.

Xia Mianyue immediately supported him.

This time, Pei Jin did not push her away immediately.

His breathing grew faster and faster, that layer of red in the depths of his eyes growing heavier, as if his reason were being burned thin bit by bit by the high heat again.

Looking at him, Xia Mianyue suddenly stretched out her hands.

“Give me the clearance card and the phone.”

Xia Mianyue’s speaking speed was very fast, yet exceptionally calm.

“You are burning too severely right now; in case your consciousness becomes unclear on the way, these things cannot be lost.”

She paused, her fingers clutching tightly.

“I will keep them on your behalf. Unless I die, no one can take them away.”

The maintenance stairwell went quiet for two seconds; Pei Jin suddenly let out a low laugh.

“Fine.”

In the next second, he placed the phone and that golden clearance card into her palm.

“Hold it steady.”

Xia Mianyue’s fingers tightened; that card was very thin, yet felt as though it carried a thousand pounds of weight.

This was the lifeblood of the entire ship.

It was also the first time Pei Jin truly delivered his bottom card into her hands.

Outside the maintenance door behind them, a huge crash suddenly traveled over.

Bang—!

Rawlinson had caught up.

Pei Jin said anxiously: “Go.”

They headed all the way down along the maintenance stairs.

B7 was at an even lower level, the stairs narrow and steep.

With every single step Xia Mianyue went down, the wound behind her back was pulled until it pained, as if someone were using a knife to slash it open anew.

Yet she did not stop.

Pei Jin walked in front; clearly his footsteps were superficial from the fever, yet he consistently shielded her behind himself.

Upon reaching the second turn of the corner, he finally could not hold out, his fingers deathly clamping onto the rusted railing, a painful low cough pressed out from his throat.

Xia Mianyue immediately rushed up to support him.

“You go slower.”

Pei Jin turned his head away, his voice pressed very low.

“You have a wound on your back, don’t touch me.”

For the first time, Xia Mianyue did not listen to him; she propped her shoulder against his arm, her tone also turning hard.

“If you fall down right now, neither of us will be able to leave.”

Pei Jin was unable to argue, and could only obediently cooperate.

He still saw her tight lips and the cold sweat at her brow.

This woman was clearly soft to the point that anyone could bully her, yet when her temper rose, she was as stubborn as a stone.

Just as they turned into the last stretch of the corridor, the upper-level fire door was suddenly crashed open.

“Roar—”

A male guest who had lost control from the fever lunged down from the stairs.

His eyes were entirely red, his expression distorted, already having completely lost his reason. The high heat and manic agitation brought by the virus caused him to forget even pain.

Pei Jin almost instinctively pushed her backward.

“Go down!”

His voice plunged abruptly.

The instant the man lunged, Pei Jin utilized the height of the steps to kick out.

Bang!

That person was kicked until he crashed against the wall, yet quickly bounced up again.

Pei Jin also completely lost his strength because of this single kick, his body rolling down two steps along the stairs, crashing heavily onto the platform.

“Pei Jin!” Xia Mianyue’s eyes instantly turned red.

She snatched up an abandoned fire iron rod from the corner of the wall, rushing up to smash it viciously against the man’s shoulder and neck area.

Bang!

That person’s movements paused.

Xia Mianyue took the opportunity to drag Pei Jin up, using nearly all the strength in her body to haul him as they rushed toward the end of the corridor.

The grey-black mechanical door was right ahead.

The B7 old refrigeration backup bay.

Xia Mianyue’s fingers trembled, yet she still fished out the clearance card, inserting it into the mechanical slot on one side.

Click.

The heavy wheel finally loosened.

Behind them, the male guest who had lost control lunged once more.

Pei Jin roared low: “Get inside!”

Using his last bit of strength, he pushed Xia Mianyue inside the door, turning his own body back to block that person.

Two figures crashed heavily by the door frame; Pei Jin choked the opponent’s neck, flipping the person outward.

“Close the door!”

Xia Mianyue lunged by the side of the door, using all the strength in her body to pull the wheel.

The instant Pei Jin rolled sideways into the bay, the heavy mechanical door crashed shut.

She immediately inserted the solid steel cross-bolt, turning the inner lock dead.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The crashing sounds outside the door rang out frantically.

Yet this time, the pure mechanical bay door remained motionless.

They had finally come inside.

The refrigeration backup bay was much larger than the storage bay, and also much colder. The surroundings were thick insulation metal walls, a few boxes of cold-protection blankets piled in the corner, and a dismal white battery lamp overhead illuminated one’s complexion to look exceptionally pale.

Xia Mianyue slid to sit by the side of the door from exhaustion, panting heavily.

Yet before she could catch her breath, she saw Pei Jin leaning against the wall, his body sliding downward bit by bit.

“Mr. Pei!” She crawled and scrambled over.

Just as her hand touched his forehead, she was scorched by that astonishing heat until her heart tightened.

Pei Jin kept his eyes closed, his brow furrowing very deeply.

High fever, combat, and forcefully propping up for a long time had finally forced his body to its limit.

After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes.

Those eyes appeared terrifying because they were bloodshot, yet he did not go look at the door, nor did he look at the surroundings.

His gaze rested upon Xia Mianyue’s back, which was seeping blood once more.

“The wound tore open.”

His voice was hoarse to an unrecognizable degree.

Xia Mianyue was anxious to rummage for water.

“I will handle it myself in a moment; you drink water first.”

“I caused it.”

Pei Jin suddenly opened his mouth, and Xia Mianyue’s movements paused.

The refrigeration bay was very quiet.

The door-crashing sounds outside were ringing out once and then again, yet at this moment, she could only hear Pei Jin’s breathing, which was suppressed to the ultimate limit.

He looked at her, a blood-red color burned out by the high fever in the depths of his eyes, and also a certain deeper, heavier emotion.

“This wound of yours, I owe you.”

This sentence was not gentle, nor was it lingering.

Spoken from Pei Jin’s mouth, however, it was heavier than any promise.

She lowered her head, her voice somewhat hoarse.

“Now is not the time to calculate this.”

Pei Jin did not speak further.

Merely in the next second, he violently turned his head away, the veins on the back of his hand bursting forth as his entire person pressed viciously against the icy metal wall.

Perceiving something was wrong, Xia Mianyue immediately stepped forward.

“What is wrong with you?”

“Don’t come over.”

Pei Jin’s voice was hoarse to a frightening degree.

His chest rose and fell violently, sweat beads continuously rolling down his forehead.

The icy bay wall pressed against his back, yet it could not suppress the waves of surging high heat within his body.

He suddenly raised his eyes to look toward Xia Mianyue; that gaze was too hot, and also too dangerous.

As if clarity and losing control were only separated by a single line.

“Don’t lean too close.”

He closed his eyes slightly, his voice pressed down until it was nearly painful.

“Right now… I am very unsteady.”

Outside the door were the crashing sounds that had not yet receded.

While inside the door was high fever, cold air, the smell of blood, and the breathing of the two of them that could not be escaped.

The danger outside was temporarily blocked.

Yet inside the refrigeration bay, another more covert, more out-of-control danger had only just begun.