Thrive in Catastrophe by 焦糖冬瓜

Chapter 93 Best Bait

Lauren squints at the screen, he slowly takes in the destruction of the city and cannot help but yell out. He is devastated that the good news includes the annihilation of over a third of his home.

'Only a third'? Isn't 'only' still a bit too steep a price? This is not good news to Lauren. Not in any way! Xiao Yan pulled Lauren behind him. In the past Xiao might have seen Shen's words as ruthless, much like Lauren, but after his experiences he understands Shen Bing more.

When it comes to things that have already occurred, it serves nothing to despair, cry, grieve and lower your head. On the contrary, one must break the situation down to its data to pull away such impulses and emotions. Then the situation can be looked at rationally. Valentin attempted to destroy the Central Monument. Once it falls, the remaining parts of the city will sink below ground. If that happens, then the craft that Xiao was one would essentially be the city's Noah's ark.

"What is the bad news?"

"The military suffered heavy losses, from the Armed forces to the Central Academy of Sciences. All across the board, more than 572 people were killed in the process of evacuating and protecting the people from the collapsed parts of the dome. This is our highest casualty rate in the past 100 years. Also...General Ervel of the Academy..."


"What happened to General Ervel?"

Everyone glanced over at Shen Bing with extreme worry. His lowered tone tightened their nerves.


"He was trapped under the rubble and sustained massive blood loss. Had they dug him out a second later he would have died. Right now he is undergoing nerve connective surgery."

Xiao let out his breath in relief. He knew that countless researchers must have perished under the collapsed passage.

"Xiao Yan you are not here to take refuge. We want to know what you plan to do next."
Shen Bing turned toward Xiao with fierce and solemn eyes. Xiao had never glimpsed such an expression from the man.


"Before we get to that... I am sure you are exhausted. Get some sleep. I wish you good dreams Major."

Shen Bing didn't have the extra time or energy to talk with the other researchers. He abruptly turned around and went back to work. Xiao Yan had once heard Ervel mention that this base is the only one that is involved in a continuous sweep and search of Valentin. 24/7 they scour the world for any sign of him. However, over the past several months, the base has transformed from a research base to a more military centered base.

The researchers and special forces were assigned quarters and headed to their respective sleeping arrangements.

This is the first time that Xiao Yan has had the privilege of his own room. It is too narrow to fit even a table inside, but at least he has his own bed and the space to himself. The minute the door slid shut the only sound in the room was the quiet rhythm of respiration. Xiao headed toward the bed and the mattress sank as someone sat next to him. Fingers grazed the hair atop his head and as the hand retracted Xiao tightly grabbed their wrist.

"Am I bothering you?" Heine's voice was cool and calm. Xiao felt his rapidly scattered thoughts finally settled and still.

"Bother me from what? Being in a daze?" Xiao turned and smiled at Heine's knitted brow.

"There is something I wanted to ask you. When you were in Renault's brain...what happened? What did you go through? What kind of world did he build to kill you?"

"It was a never ending labyrinth. Each time I thought that I had returned to reality, I would find that I had never broken free of his mind. He ambushed me with great patience, dissecting every memory fragment with in me and using it to build my world. 'Reality' would reappear and then destroy that which was most important to me. I watched my mother die in countless ways over and over again. I struggled to escape his thoughts only to fall into another reality of his design. His thoughts were too deep, always extending past my point of escape. The minute I was about to breach his troposphere I would be pulled back in, forced to fall to a different world."