Chapter 44 - Machinery and Life (2)

Zhang Xun sat on the chair with blood all over his face. His body was still shaking uncontrollably, he could barely grip the blanket that someone had draped over his shoulders.

He couldn't hear what other people were saying to him. All that remained in his mind was Adam's screams, the horrific scene of blood and flesh splattering and the stench of rot in the air. He looked down at his trembling hands, which were also stained with blood and the fiery temperature of the blood remained on his skin.

The whole process was very chaotic and out of control. Zhang Xun couldn't hold Adam down even with all his strength. In the end, James knocked Adam unconscious and he cut off Adam's left arm before the terrifying mutation could spread to his shoulder. Almost at the moment when the bones were cut through, the detached arm suddenly shattered into pieces and the broken bones were faintly visible. If he had been a few seconds later, this unknown mutation would have eroded Adam's central nervous system and he wouldn't have been able to save him...

How did he stop Adam's bleeding, how did he get into a Feathered Serpent City aircraft with others, how did they return to Lost Paradise? There was a blur of confusion in his mind. He remembered that the gates of Lost Paradise opened in front of them and there were a lot of people rushing towards them, but he kept saying, "Save him...Save him..."

Adam was taken to receive emergency treatment and he was brought to this place because the Round Table wanted to hear his report, but he couldn't give a report at all. He couldn't even stop his body from shaking and couldn't dispel the screaming in his head that made his blood freeze.

Adam had saved him.

Adam had just woken up and his first reaction was to save him.

And he cut off Adam's arm...

The door to the room opened, he looked up and was surprised to see James walk in. He had changed into new clothes and the wound on his face had been covered with medicated gauze. Only one eye was left looking at him with concern and sadness.

Zhang Xun hurriedly asked, "Where's Adam?"

"He lost a lot of blood but he's out of danger now. Don't worry." James sat down on the chair opposite him, "The Life Science Department analysed the sample of Adam's arm that we brought back and found that the people in Feathered Serpent City have developed a biochemical weapon at the atomic level. Any contact with it and your cells will be rapidly decomposed and infected, disintegrating the structure between cells. It's a deadly weapon, but you acted in time and the toxin wasn't found on the rest of Adam's body.

Zhang Xun shook his right foot anxiously and muttered, "I want to see him."

"Ah-Xun, they want to ask you some questions, you have to answer them before they can let you go." James slowly and patiently said to him word by word, "So, you have to pull yourself together and tell them yours and Adam's plan in detail."

Zhang Xun took long, deep breaths and forced himself to keep repeating this action, making his out of control brain find some order. He knew that what James said was right. They came back this time, not only without casualties, but had also brought back the missing James, destroyed the secret base of Feathered Serpent City and even seized so many of their weapons and materials and brought back a prisoner. Apart from the god descent plan, a victory like this hadn't been achieved in the past ten years. The Round Table couldn't treat this carelessly.

Hearing that Adam was out of danger, he finally regained some self-control and sanity. James raised his head, facing the direction of the one-way mirror, his eyes were filled with smouldering anger, "I said, you should give him clean clothes and let him take a bath! He's not a prisoner!"

A clerk came in and motioned Zhang Xun to leave with him.

Zhang Xun was washing his body in the bathroom of the outpost camp in the First District, watching Adam's blood melt into the water and gather into a reddish vortex under his feet. The warm water calmed his tense mind, but it couldn't take away the dull pain and thick self-loathing in his chest. He changed into a clean mechanic uniform to make himself look neat and presentable. He still had a battle to fight.

Three officers and two mechanics were sent to question him. They inquired cautiously about their day-to-day itinerary, every decision they made and all of Adam's actions. He told in detail how he had ordered Adam to pretend to "betray" them, how he had arranged for Adam to invade the system of Feathered Serpent City during the upload of his consciousness and explained in detail how Muluk seized the moment when Adam's download had nearly completed and lost control of the Feathered Serpent City system, and how he made the decision to cut off Adam's arm.

He said everything concisely, as if everything had always been under his control and he never had any doubts. He knew this was the answer the Round Table wanted right now.

The inquiry was repeated and repeated from all angles, like they were interrogating a prisoner. After about twelve hours, they finally closed the records in front of them with satisfaction and allowed Zhang Xun to leave.

It was one o'clock in the middle of the night when Zhang Xun came out of the military camp. He didn't stop and rushed directly to the No. 1 Hospital in the middle of the First District.

The visiting hours had long passed but the nurse on duty had been instructed not to stop him.

Adam was placed in a single ward with two Guard soldiers watching at the door. When they saw Zhang Xun they both nodded slightly to him. Zhang Xun was slightly surprised by such a change in attitude. He put his hand on the door handle of the ward, hesitated for a moment and then opened the door slightly.

In the room bathed in moonlight, Adam was lying on the hospital bed with a pale face. The quilt was pulled all the way to his shoulders but the left shoulder, which was missing an arm, could not be seen.

Zhang Xun quietly closed the door and moved to Adam's bedside like a weightless shadow. He leaned over and looked carefully at Adam's face, looking at his bloodless lips, only to feel a burst of soreness in his nose which he could barely hold back.

He had been wondering whether Adam really had feelings, but to have a conditioned reflex like that in a moment of life and death, could it be a lie?

Violating his own survival instincts, coming to save him... If it was himself, could he do this for anyone?

In Zhang Xun's whole life, no one had ever valued him so much, yet he kept pushing Adam into danger time and time again.

Zhang Xun had never hated himself so much.

Adam seemed to have sensed the existence of another human being in the room, frowned slightly and opened his eyelids hesitantly. At first it was just a gap and gradually the eyelashes parted wider and wider.

Zhang Xun saw this and almost wanted to thank the God he never believed in. A trembling voice came out from his throat, "Adam?"

"Ah-Xun..." Adam's voice was hoarse, as if he hadn't drunk water in a hundred years. He coughed a few times and said, "Thirsty..."

Zhang Xun saw a glass of water on the bedside table and hurriedly brought it over. He held Adam's back with his other hand and helped him straighten up a little. The sheet slipped down, revealing his mutilated left arm. Zhang Xun couldn't bear to look at it any longer, he just let Adam lean on his shoulder and put the glass of water to Adam's lips.

Adam swallowed greedily from his hand, draining the entire glass of water in one breath.

Zhang Xun looked down at Adam's profile and asked softly, "Do you want more?"

"No need." Adam frowned and looked down at his left shoulder. His expression was unexpectedly calm, but he frowned slightly unhappily.

Zhang Xun hurriedly asked, "Does the wound hurt?"

"They gave me a local anaesthetic." Adam said in a tone like he was talking about the weather, "It's unfortunate..."

"Don't be afraid. I'll make you the best prosthetic with enough sensors so you won't feel any difference between the left hand and the previous one, and it may even be better." Zhang Xun promised with dry words, but he felt that promise was so despicable.

Adam sat up straight and turned his head to look at him. His eyes were deep, like a deep pool rippling under the moonlight, "What's unfortunate, is that in the future I won't be able to touch you with human hands."

Zhang Xun stared at him stupidly. His mind went blank for a while and he was speechless.

Adam suddenly smiled, the smile was the same as before, sincere and gentle, "Ah-Xun, don't be sad. I don't feel pain any more."

As soon as he said these words, Zhang Xun suddenly turned his back to prevent Adam from seeing his uncontrolled expression. He took a deep breath, trying to regain his self-control, but found that this time, he couldn't find it no matter what.

A metal arm quietly settled on his shoulder and Adam whispered, "Don't blame yourself, it wasn't your fault. I'm glad you're alright, I would rather it be me than you." He paused and continued, "If it were you, I don't know what I would do."

Zhang Xun wiped his face with his hands fiercely, then turned around and suddenly hugged Adam.

Adam froze for a moment, then smiled happily and put the mechanical right hand on Zhang Xun's back.

"This hand, this life, I owe you." Zhang Xun whispered in his ear, his voice was soft, but his oath was heavy, "I will definitely repair you. I will make you more perfect than before."

......................................................

While Adam was hospitalised Zhang Xun hardly left the hospital. Fortunately, Fernandez and James came a few times, bringing him and Adam a change of clothes and daily necessities.

From James, Zhang Xun learned that most of the hunters who went out with them had recovered and were discharged from the hospital, making him feel a lot more at ease. The materials and equipment brought back from Feathered Serpent City were distributed to various relevant departments for dismantling research and most of them were sent to the Lab. Fernandez was so excited that he didn't sleep for several days. He was amazed at the genius designs that were beyond human imagination and he was so excited when he told Zhang Xun, completely unaware that the original author of those designs and programs was smiling on the hospital bed, looking at him as if he was looking at an ignorant child...

Zhang Xun suspected that Fernandez was looking for excuses all day long to get a few more glances at Adam so it was best to keep their words to a minimum...

"Okay, you should go back." Zhang Xun coldly gave his order to leave, "Adam needs to rest."

Fernandez was reluctant and wanted to ask Adam a few more questions, but Zhang Xun pulled him out by the collar. When Zhang Xun came back, seeing Adam in a good mood, he laughed a few times, "Does hearing others praise your work make you feel proud?"

"Is this feeling being proud?" Adam suddenly realised and then nodded, "I like this feeling."

"You'd better be careful, you'll be beaten if you always look smug like that." Zhang Xun said half jokingly, then he continued to pack Adam's clothes. Just now the doctor had been in to check on how Adam's wound was healing and said that he could be discharged from the hospital tomorrow.

Zhang Xun put all his clothes into a hand-held cowhide suitcase and then picked up his tablet, which showed the design of his latest version of the robotic arm.

It still wasn't not good enough, not enough to satisfy him.

For so many days he had drawn more than a dozen versions of the design, all of which were not good enough. With a low sigh, he put the tablet into the suitcase as well.

The next day, Zhang Xun helped Adam put on the Lab researcher's dark yellow, stand-up collar uniform and prepared to take him out of the hospital and back to the Lab. Adam suddenly said, "Ah-Xun, I think your closeness with me has increased."

Zhang Xun's feet stumbled and turned his head in embarrassment, "What nonsense conclusions are you coming to now?"

Adam just smiled brightly and shrugged his shoulders, "It's nothing. I'm just happy."

Zhang Xun shook his head helplessly and opened the door of the ward.

But when they got to the hospital entrance, they were stunned.

A large group of people, a large group of ordinary people, burst into deafening cheers the moment they saw them.

They were headed by the family members of those hunters. They obviously already knew the fact that Adam had saved them all and they all crowded over and tried to shove gifts into their hands. Zhang Xun and Adam had never received such an overly warm welcome before and their minds were dumbfounded. In the end it was James, who came to pick them up in a jeep, who pushed aside the crowd and "rescued" them.

Adam sat in the car and looked at the smiling faces outside the car window. Lost Paradise's hostility towards him was significantly reduced after this operation and his favorability had increased significantly. Zhang Xun had even finally begun to trust him.

What a good result. Adam's mouth curved upward slightly.