“Not infected?”
“Lucky,” Zhou Rong said, “No.”
In the aircraft carrier conference room, a long table stretched across the east end, with General Zheng and four other military officials sitting behind it, each with a cup of plain water.
The middle of the conference room was empty except for a folding chair, where Zhou Rong sat, already washed and wearing a new gray-white urban camouflage uniform, his gun placed neatly on the ground beside him.
General Zheng’s voice echoed in the spacious room: “Did you already know he was an antibody carrier at the time?”
“No.”
“But this action risked your own life, Colonel,” another political commissar said meaningfully.
Zhou Rong stared directly at the table, seeming lost in thought. The four senior officers’ eyes fixed on him. After a while, Zhou Rong said calmly: “I just wanted to bring him back.”
Didn’t think too much.”
“Did you know the antibody carrier was near heat at the time?”
“No.”
The military officers exchanged subtle glances. Zhou Rong didn’t need to look to know what those looks meant.
They didn’t believe a single word. But they weren’t planning to pursue it further for now.
“Let’s end it here today,” General Zheng coughed and stood up: “Thank you for your cooperation, Colonel.”
General Zheng picked up a metal briefcase from the table and strode forward, handing it to Zhou Rong. Zhou Rong was slightly surprised, but General Zheng offered no explanation, just shaking his hand: “We all feel it’s better if you deliver it personally.”
Zhou Rong immediately said: “I don’t need such special treatment. My squad leader and I just want to complete the mission…”
“What are you thinking?” General Zheng was slightly displeased.
Zhou Rong looked at him suspiciously. General Zheng saw he truly didn’t understand, and his tone softened: “This is from above.”
He didn’t specify exactly how high “above” was, seemingly assuming Zhou Rong should understand. Then he firmly patted Zhou Rong’s shoulder and, despite Zhou Rong’s resistance, bent down to pick up his gun and insert it into the holster on his outer thigh.
In this survival battle, hundreds of thousands of troops, armed police, firefighters, and research personnel sacrificed their lives. The special forces represented by Unit 118 saved countless civilians.
