234: Chapter 234 Mysterious Outbreak

Inside the laboratory, the chilly, ominous aura grew even thicker, and others noticed the change in the face as well, immediately causing a bit of a commotion.

"The eyes, it opened its eyes!"

"How is that possible? This is unscientific. This face is a non-living entity; how could there be any movement!"

"My hand..."

Someone let out a cry of terror. Lin Fang looked over and saw a male researcher clutching his hand and shouting, but after a few seconds, there was no more movement.

Among those present, the calmest ones besides Lin Fang were Mite and several B4 or B5 level professors. Mite had someone go over and remove the hazmat suit of the man who had just shouted, only to find that the male researcher had actually turned into a stone statue.

The stone statue was lifelike, with even the terror and disbelief of his final moment frozen in minute detail.

The crowd was not unfamiliar with this situation, and someone immediately lost their composure, exclaiming, "It's a Medusa Virus infection!"

"That's not right; we've all been injected with the MSV vaccine. Thompson was even wearing a hazmat suit; how could he be infected? And the onset time is wrong—it's too fast..."

Seeing this scene, even though everyone was wearing hazmat suits, they couldn't help but feel a chill in their hearts.

"Ah—"

Several more cries of alarm rang out. A few researchers grabbed at the air a few times before they stopped moving. Without a doubt, they had surely turned into stone statues.

The petrification phenomenon occurred one after another within the laboratory, breaking out in an eerie and bizarre manner. In the blink of an eye, most of the people fell silent.

"Boss, an unknown infection has occurred. You must leave here first," Mite said urgently. This had already exceeded his understanding, and the priority now was to get Lin Fang out as quickly as possible.

"I..." Mite’s unfinished words died in his throat as he stopped moving.

At this point, no one else in the entire laboratory was moving except for Lin Fang. Not even two minutes had passed since the first stone statue appeared.

"Strange, how did you do it..." Lin Fang stared at the face in the isolation room. Those dark, hollow eye sockets seemed to contain nothingness. At this moment, he could no longer feel any sensation in his legs.

If not for his powerful will, he would have already turned into a stone statue by now.

A bone-chilling cold followed him like a shadow, like countless icy tentacles constantly probing and entangling his consciousness, attempting to force their way into the deepest parts of Lin Fang's mind.

Lin Fang's heart sank. It seemed he had also been ensnared by that thing.

"Black Star, what's going on?"

[Insufficient basic plunder points, transaction error]

Lin Fang: ...

After a silent curse, Lin Fang did his best to keep his consciousness clear and continued,

"Xiao Hei, what's the status of the base? In how many places has this phenomenon broken out?"

Xiao Hei's anxious voice rang out, [Boss, are you alright? I've observed that only this laboratory is affected. Clone Soldiers are arriving immediately.]

Lin Fang pondered; it seemed only the place where he was located had come under attack.

"Lock down this laboratory. No one is allowed in or out. Have Delison, Yodelion, and some trusted scientists find a solution. Test if the Composite Virus has any effect. If I don't eventually wake up, Xiao Hei, you are to execute Directive Two. This is an order."

[Boss!]

At the last moment of his consciousness, Lin Fang heard Xiao Hei's tearful cry...

—

"Xiao Fang, don't bring anything. Come with me abroad to hide for a while."

The urgent voice from the phone startled Lin Fang awake. Lin Fang found himself sitting on a bench by the campus lake. It was already autumn, and the night was somewhat chilly; he was wearing a large grey trench coat.

Hmm, what was he doing here?

Lin Fang looked at his wrist; there was nothing there, but he felt as if something was missing. Lin Fang frowned and looked at the phone he was talking on; it was his father, Lin Tianxiong.

"Dad, I'm coming. Wait for me."

Lin Fang stood up and walked toward the campus gate. The campus scene was exactly as it was in his memory.

As it was in his memory? Lin Fang's footsteps paused; something seemed wrong.

Why was he here? Shouldn't he be... shouldn't he be...

Where should he be?

Arriving at the school gate, a black Range Rover was parked not far away. In the driver's seat, a middle-aged man with thick eyebrows and large eyes was speaking urgently into a phone. Seeing Lin Fang approach, he immediately said, "Quick, get in. I've arranged a boat. We're leaving the Central Continent tonight."

After Lin Fang got in the car, he asked in confusion, "Dad, why are we suddenly going abroad?"

Lin Tianxiong sighed, "Sigh, I was set up. The company is bankrupt, so I have to go abroad to hide for a while."

"Then why bring me along?"

"Uh... I'm just worried you'll be short on money. I've saved a sum of money abroad. Over there, money can do many things, and life is much freer than here. Xiao Fang, the two of us won't be staying here anymore."

"Okay..."

After Lin Fang responded, he sat in the car and said no more.

The vehicle drove all the way to a section of the road on the outskirts of Binhai City. Not far away was an abandoned pier. In the night, the water of the Pu River looked exceptionally deep.

Looking at the pitch-black river surface, Lin Fang felt as if he had done something here before, as if he had even killed someone. That feeling was unprecedented.

Without warning, a surge of excitement and relief rose within Lin Fang. The corners of his mouth unconsciously curled into a smile, gradually becoming sinister...

Lin Tianxiong suddenly said, "Xiao Fang, look, the boat to pick us up is here."

The voice brought Lin Fang back to his senses.

No, he was just a student; how could he do something as terrifying as killing? He had always been very kind.

A greyish-white steel ship gradually approached the pier. On the ship, two people saw Lin Fang and the others and waved enthusiastically, "Get on board, we'll send you abroad now."

"We're coming right now."

Lin Tianxiong turned and said to Lin Fang, "Quick, Xiao Fang, get on the boat."

"Alright," Lin Fang hesitated for a moment, then followed behind Lin Tianxiong onto the boat. Coming onto the deck, the river wind blew past, carrying damp, cold mist and the smell of rust.

"Young man, Boss, the wind is strong outside. Please sit inside," the Boat Master walked out from the cabin; he was a burly, bald man.

The lighting inside the cabin was dim, and it was permeated with a fishy smell. Besides Lin Tianxiong and Lin Fang, there were four other people: the two who had greeted them earlier, the Boat Master, and a skinny man.

A few food items were scattered messily on the table, and two butcher knives were standing upright on the table, their tips embedded deep into the wood.

The Boat Master looked at this with displeasure and said to a tattooed man nearby, "Why are the knives left here? Xiao Luo, take the knives away and put them where they belong."