Chapter 35: The Tyrannical Lizard

Two men emerged from behind the man in red. One was lean with a sinister gaze, known as Deng Diao, while the other was tall, burly, and expressionless, known as Zhao Zi. These two were the right-hand men of the man in red—ruthless, vicious, and notorious.

Deng Diao and Zhao Zi stepped forward swiftly. Deng Diao held a pair of black handcuffs that emitted a cold, eerie gleam, clearly no ordinary object.

"Miss Jiang, long time no see." The man in red curled his lips into a cruel smile. His eyes were filled with mockery and malice, watching Jiang Qiyu with the greedy intensity of a hungry wolf stalking its prey.

"And you, still as charming as ever," Jiang Qiyu replied, forcing herself to remain calm as her mind raced, desperately searching for a way out.

"Miss Jiang, those who adapt to circumstances are wise. As long as you behave, I promise you won’t be harmed," the man in red said with a flippant tone that nonetheless carried an air of unquestionable authority.

"What do you want?" Jiang Qiyu asked coldly.

"It's simple. Just have this little one lock himself up with these special handcuffs, and I’ll let you both go," the man in red said, lifting the black handcuffs.

Jiang Qiyu followed his gaze. The handcuffs were pitch-black and radiated an uncanny light; they were evidently high-tech gear, not standard-issue. Her heart sank—the man in red had come prepared.

"Well? Have you decided?" The man in red pressed closer, his voice laced with a hint of menace.

Jiang Qiyu took a deep breath, fighting to stay composed. She knew this was no time for rash actions; she had to find a way to stall. "Give me a moment to think," she said.

"Fine. You have one minute," the man in red agreed readily.

Qiyu began searching for an escape plan.

Lu Yao moved imperceptibly, his fingertips clicking together. Resting in his palm were two crystal-clear icicles, radiating a biting chill. Deng Diao’s sinister eyes narrowed into slits as he gave a scornful laugh. "Overestimating yourself."

With a flick of his wrist, a dagger shimmering with a ghostly light appeared out of thin air, its edge flashing with a bone-chilling brilliance. The air grew heavy; a fierce battle was on the verge of erupting.

The man in red, lacking patience, said wearily, "Time is running out. I suggest you don't try any tricks."

Just then, a series of rapid footsteps echoed from deep within the hallway, accompanied by the skin-crawling sound of bones grinding together. The man in red’s expression darkened, and he barked at his subordinates, "Who is it? Go check!"

Deng Diao and Zhao Zi tightened their grips on their weapons and headed toward the sound. They had barely taken a few steps when a staggering figure appeared at the end of the corridor. The creature’s form was grotesque; its eyes were vacant, its arms hung at unnatural angles, and it let out a low, incoherent growl.

Seeing this, the man in red’s eyes constricted. "A zombie? How did one get here?" he muttered.

"Damn it! It's a zombie!" Deng Diao shouted, instinctively taking a step back.

The man in red frowned, preparing to order his men to finish off the uninvited guest, when the "zombie" let out an even shriller roar. Its movements were far more agile than those of an ordinary zombie. With a sudden, twisted lunge, it sprinted toward them with startling speed.

"Protect me!" the man in red yelled, retreating to a safe distance.

Deng Diao and Zhao Zi didn't dare to be careless and immediately engaged. Deng Diao swung his dagger toward the zombie's throat, while Zhao Zi raised a steel rod to smash down upon it. However, the zombie dodged with eerie grace, snatched the steel rod from Zhao Zi’s grip, and pulled hard.

Zhao Zi’s hand slipped, and the rod was ripped away. The zombie then used the rod to strike Zhao Zi squarely on the shoulder with such force that he stumbled back and fell to the ground.

"How does this zombie... have intelligence?" Deng Diao’s gaze sharpened. He slashed his dagger, attempting a lethal blow, but the zombie seemed unfazed, taking the strike on its shoulder to charge headfirst into Deng Diao’s stomach, sending him reeling.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Jiang Qiyu and Lu Yao exchanged a glance.

It was Shi Chao.

Lu Yao gave a subtle nod. Jiang Qiyu quietly tugged at Lu Yao's sleeve, and the two quickly retreated to a corner, moving away from the center of the fray.

Once the zombie was dispatched by the combined efforts of Deng Diao and Zhao Zi, the hallway fell into a brief silence.

Deng Diao wiped the sweat from his brow and retreated back outside the door, his dagger still in hand, his eyes scanning Jiang Qiyu and Lu Yao with suspicion. He could still feel the lingering chill from the strange zombie and muttered with lingering fear, "That wasn't an ordinary zombie. It was as if... it was intentionally testing us."

Zhao Zi rubbed his numbed shoulder, impatient. "Stop talking. Whatever it was, it's dead. Let's get back to business."

They returned to the doorway, only to find the situation inside unchanged. Jiang Qiyu stood with her back against the wall, composed, while Lu Yao remained as still as ever. If not for the marks of the recent battle on the floor, the eerie calm would have made it seem as if nothing had happened.

The man in red had remained in the shadows of the corridor. Seeing his men return, he stepped back toward the door and looked inside. Arms crossed, he spoke with a sneer: "Well? After seeing a zombie like that, do you still dare to play games?"

Jiang Qiyu didn't respond, slamming the door shut. Outside, Deng Diao and Zhao Zi exchanged looks, preparing to force their way in, when a deafening roar erupted from above.

A massive mutated lizard, covered in dark green scales, plunged down from a hole in the ceiling. Its scarlet tongue flicked over razor-sharp teeth as it lunged hungrily at Deng Diao and Zhao Zi.

The sudden turn of events caught them off guard. Before Deng Diao could swing his dagger, the lizard’s tail whipped out, sending him crashing into the wall, unable to rise. Zhao Zi swung his steel rod in a futile attempt to defend himself, but the lizard bit down on the rod, its immense jaw strength snapping the steel in two.

The lizard opened its cavernous maw, the stench of decay washing over them. Just as it was about to devour Zhao Zi, he rolled away, barely dodging the lethal strike, though the lizard’s claws left a deep gash on his arm, blood instantly soaking his clothes.

"TVS-6-109 specimen, Tyrant Lizard. It seems our previous hypothesis was correct." Jiang Qiyu’s eyes fell on the glass shards scattered on the floor, which were clearly imprinted with that code. She recalled the files she had seen in the laboratory basement; the TVS series was the codename for the research facility’s special virus experiments.