Chapter 2: A Fatal Lie

The middle-aged driver tremblingly let go of his grip, his legs giving way as he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

His eyes, wide with terror, remained fixed on Chen Xiu, his hands pushing against the pavement as he inched backward. The air between them seemed to stagnate; both parties tacitly refrained from breaking the equilibrium.

Finally, as the driver’s hand brushed against his car wheel, he abandoned all decorum and shouted at the top of his lungs: "He’s a Resurrected! A Resurrected!!!"

With that, the driver scrambled into the driver’s seat in a panic, ignored the solid white line on the road, and swerved into the opposite lane to speed away.

As the sunset’s glow fell upon Chen Xiu’s rapidly aging face, the crowd erupted into chaos.

Bang, bang-bang...

The sound of colliding cars rang out incessantly.

"It’s really... a Resurrected in a state of hunger!!!"

"Ah! Don't push me toward the Resurrected!"

"My child, where is my child?"

The crowd on the pedestrian walkway turned frantic, letting out shrill screams as they fled toward both ends of the bridge. Small children, unable to dodge the stampede, were slammed against the guardrails, wailing in agony.

With a loud clatter, the railing finally buckled under the pressure, collapsing directly onto Chen Xiu’s back just as he was attempting to straighten up.

"Cough..." Chen Xiu let out a pained, soft wheeze. His eyes, now clouded with a gray film, slowly focused, finally able to make out the world in a blur.

He tilted his head, his dim gaze falling on his own hand resting on the ground. The skin was as rough as tree bark, and tiny, dense veins bulged on the back of his hand as if they might burst at any second.

"The TV didn't say it would happen this fast... looks like I won't make it home," Chen Xiu murmured with a bitter smile, his cracked lips trembling as the last spark of color in his eyes faded.

He had learned from his teachers that once the identity of a Resurrected was exposed to the light, there was only one path left: death.

Gritting his teeth, Chen Xiu used his elbows to push off the railing pinning him down, then crawled back onto the walkway with a hunched back.

"You... don't... don't..." A child’s voice, thick with tears, sounded before him.

Chen Xiu stopped and looked up. It was a little girl, no more than six or seven years old. Her face was smeared with grime, and she kept sniffling. Her foot seemed to be twisted, leaving her stranded on the ground, shuffling backward in fear.

"Don't..."

"Waaahhh..."

Before Chen Xiu could finish a word, the girl wailed like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

Chen Xiu paused slightly, then lowered his head and walked away in dejection. He stopped about ten meters from the girl and leaned exhaustedly against the guardrail.

He pulled an old-fashioned button phone from his jacket, bit his lip as he scrolled to the "Mom" contact, and after a long moment of hesitation, tremblingly pressed the call button.

Beep... beep... beep... Click!

"Hello, son?" A gentle woman’s voice came through.

Chen Xiu held the phone to his ear and whispered, "Mom."

"What’s wrong with your voice?"

"We did some poetry reading today. I practiced too hard and went hoarse," Chen Xiu replied, forcing a casual tone while holding back his tears.

"Can’t you take better care of yourself? You’re all I have left in this world. Give your mother some peace of mind. Come home and have some throat lozenges. By the way, did you get out of school early today?"

"Uh... yeah. The school seems to have a Resurrected case; I heard it's making quite a stir."

"Then get home early and watch your safety on the road. There’s tomato and egg stir-fry I made at noon in the pot. Heat it up and steam some rice to go with it. I won't be back from my stall until twelve, so just go to sleep, don't wait up for me."

"Okay, I won't wait."

"Hey, why does your tone sound so gloomy? Don't you love dumplings? I’ll make some for you tomorrow at noon; you can boil them yourself tomorrow night."

Just as Chen Xiu was about to respond, dull sirens blared from both ends of the bridge. Several pitch-black jeeps pulled up, sealing off the entire bridge with their frames.

A group of people wearing black tactical gear with a shamrock emblem on their left chests climbed out and lined up in precise formation.

In this era, besides the Resurrected, there were those who possessed special abilities. Unlike the Resurrected, they did not age rapidly after gaining their powers and lived with the same life expectancy as normal humans. However, they lacked the ability to infinitely regenerate. In short, they were ordinary humans with supernatural gifts. Although inferior to the Resurrected, they were humanity's strongest defense against them. The Federal government called them "Destined Ones."

The Federal Special Abilities Bureau was the organization to which most Destined Ones belonged, responsible for dealing with the Resurrected in various cities and maintaining social stability. The unit before him was the Special Abilities Bureau of City 11.

"Team One, assembled!"

"Team Two, assembled!"

"Team Three, assembled!"

A dark-skinned, middle-aged man held a walkie-talkie, listening to the reports. His name was Wang Zhongshan, leader of the Fourth Action Group of the City 11 Special Abilities Bureau.

Just then, a fair-skinned young man walked up to Wang. "Is there really a need for such caution? It’s just a student, isn't it?"

Wang cast a cold side-glance at Gong Qi. "Most of this team are not Destined Ones. When facing a Resurrected with unknown abilities and an unknown stage of infection, being cautious can prevent unnecessary casualties. As deputy leader, I hope you can adopt this mindset."

"Fine, you're the boss, you're always right," Gong Qi chuckled. "How are we killing this one?"

"The Federal Security Bureau said they need a Resurrected for live testing. If possible, we should try to bring this one in alive."

"There are so many cities; we aren't exactly short on live subjects," Gong Qi muttered, tilting his head as a faint glint of murderous intent flashed in his narrow eyes.

...

"Son? Why do I hear the sirens of the Special Abilities Bureau on your end? Did you run into that Resurrected?" Xu Yue stood up from the other end of the line, asking in a panic.

"Mom... you don't need to make dumplings for me tomorrow. I..." Chen Xiu crouched down, tears spilling uncontrollably from his eyes.

"Don't scare me like this. What's wrong? Did you run into the Resurrected? Tell me, Mom is coming to get you!" Her voice was already laced with sobs.

Chen Xiu looked at the tactical team in the distance. "It's too late..."

"You brat, tell me! Tell me!" Xu Yue screamed into the phone.

"I’m on the bridge across from our house. If you can make it in time... I want to give you one last hug."

With that, Chen Xiu hung up and shut off the phone. He stepped into the gap of the guardrail and sat down, his back to the Lu River, facing dozens of cold, black gun barrels.

"I’ve never eaten anyone. I haven't broken any Federal laws. Could you please stop pointing your guns at me? I’m a little scared," Chen Xiu said, gripping the guardrail, looking around nervously.

No one responded. Everyone remained in their original positions.

Then, the operatives on the left retreated to either side, clearing a path. Wang Zhongshan and Gong Qi stepped through.

Wang glanced at Chen Xiu’s position; half his body was already hanging over the edge, with the surging Lu River beneath him.

"You've never eaten anyone?" Wang looked him in the eye.

"Yes, I haven't. I just turned like this for no reason this afternoon. I... I was perfectly fine before," Chen Xiu’s eyes lit up, and he hurried to explain.

"Everyone, stand back. Lower your weapons," Wang ordered, raising his forearm.

Though confused, the team lowered their guns and took five steps back in unison.

"Although most Resurrected are cruel by nature, there are those with a conscience who haven't committed evil. If the Bureau verifies that you have indeed killed no one, we can use experimental procedures to return you to normal."

"Really?" Chen Xiu’s hunched back straightened instantly.

"It's true." Wang gestured to the side, and someone handed him a pair of black handcuffs and leg shackles. "Your school should have taught you about these restraints designed specifically for the Resurrected. Lock them on yourself. Verification takes time, and I cannot guarantee you won't become a threat."

Wang tossed the shackles in front of Chen Xiu.

Chen Xiu looked down at them, remaining motionless for a long time, seemingly deep in thought.

"What’s the matter? Is there a problem?" A flicker of impatience crossed Wang’s eyes, though he masked it well.

"I’ve never seen a news report about a Resurrected being let off the hook like this. Are you lying to me? Will you kill me as soon as I put these on?" Chen Xiu stared intently at Wang.

"If I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead already."

Chen Xiu didn't respond. He knew that if there were a way to turn a Resurrected back into a human, the Federal government would have made it public. The man was lying. But he was also right—if they wanted him dead, they wouldn't need to go through all this trouble. The only possibility was...

Chen Xiu’s gaze deepened as he looked at the churning Lu River. Even from this distance, he could feel the relentless, surging power of the water.

The only possibility was that they feared he would jump, and they wanted his body to serve the interests of certain people.

Thinking this, Chen Xiu’s eyes curved slightly, and he looked toward the end of the bridge with anticipation.

"I can put them on, but can I wait a moment? I just called my mom. She’s coming. I just want to see her from a distance and shout a few words to her. Is that okay?"

"Both ends of the bridge are sealed. Which side is your mother coming from? What are her features? I'll have my people let her through," Wang said.

"The west side. Her features... she should be riding her old tricycle. There’s a sign for cold side dishes hanging on it. She probably didn't have time to take off her yellow arm sleeves... yes..."

"No need to say more. That's enough." Wang grabbed his radio. "Did you hear that clearly?"

"Understood," came the reply.

Hearing those words, the tension in Chen Xiu’s jaw relaxed slightly as he turned to look toward the west.

...

Time ticked by. Within ten minutes, everyone’s mood shifted from calm to impatience, then to dissatisfaction.

Gong Qi, standing next to Wang, was particularly annoyed. Who was he to waste time playing a family game with a Resurrected?

He took off his black leather gloves. The operatives behind him saw this and wanted to speak, but were quickly shushed by their peers.

Chen Xiu, unaware of this, kept his dry eyes fixed on the west.

Finally, he saw a familiar figure. Just as he expected, Xu Yue was pedaling her old tricycle, passing through the jeep line and rushing toward them, dusty and tired.

"My mom is here! She's coming this way..." Chen Xiu turned his head to say something, only to meet Gong Qi’s cold, indifferent gaze.

Gong Qi made a gun gesture with his hand, squinted, aimed at Chen Xiu’s forehead, and whispered, "Bang."

*Pfft!*

The sound of a bullet piercing flesh echoed across the bridge.

Blood-red fireworks exploded at the back of Chen Xiu’s head, his crystalline blood shimmering brilliantly under the setting sun...