Chapter 323 – Preparations Before Returning to the Federation
The sound of explosions had completely faded, but the world didn’t return to silence. The “pitter-patter” of falling body parts, like a torrential rain, drew closer and closer before striking the armored vehicle with loud thuds.
Even without stepping outside, Tu Ran could easily imagine the scene outside.
She sat in a corner of the vehicle’s cabin, two wads of paper stuffed into her nostrils, part of which had already been soaked through with blood. Yu Boming handed her a cup of hot water.
Tu Ran held the cup in both hands, sipping slowly and carefully.
The rain of flesh continued for a full three minutes before everything finally settled. After waiting another two minutes, the vehicle’s door was opened.
Yu Boming stepped out first. Tu Ran placed the cup on the small table and followed him out of the vehicle.
What met her eyes could only be described with three words: hell on earth.
Body parts were strewn everywhere, some large, some small. The small ones were reduced to mere puddles of minced flesh piled on the ground, resembling unidentified waste from a distance. The large ones were as massive as bones stretching four or five meters long, sticking abruptly out into the air, with pale pinkish-white flesh still attached at one end, its origin unidentifiable.
The amusement park, once full of childlike wonder, had now transformed into a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
The ground was blanketed by a mixture of blood and blackened fragments of burned material. The air reeked of smoke and blood, mingling with the damp weather. Standing amidst it all, the stifling atmosphere seemed to press against one’s chest, suffocating them.
When Yu Boming turned back to look, Tu Ran had already donned her helmet from before.
“This scene won’t be easy to clean up,” Tu Ran remarked, her expression visibly more relaxed behind the helmet. She stepped forward a few paces to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Yu Boming. “And this place isn’t far from the city center either. By tomorrow morning, under the daylight… tsk tsk, this scene’s going to scare the hell out of a lot of people.”
Yu Boming frowned deeply as he stared at the scene before him. It was indeed a tough situation to handle.
Around them, others began to step off their vehicles one by one. As they breathed in the outside air, their faces turned green in an instant. Some couldn’t endure it and staggered off to the side, retching violently.
“Do you have any ideas?” Yu Boming turned his head to look at Tu Ran. Instinctively, he felt that since she had commented on the situation, she might have a solution—perhaps she possessed some sort of cleaning-related ability.
Tu Ran understood his line of thought but, unfortunately, she wasn’t a cleaner nor did she have any such ability. She spread her hands helplessly and said, “Nope. You’ll just have to clean it up bit by bit.”
That was their only option. Yu Boming promptly arranged for someone to contact the relevant departments to handle the cleanup, while he personally escorted Tu Ran to the departing helicopter.
By the time she got home, it was already 8:30 in the morning. Tu Ran stopped by a small breakfast stall downstairs for a quick meal before heading upstairs. She cleaned the blood off her face, took a shower, and collapsed onto her bed to sleep.
When she woke up again, it was 1 p.m. Tu Ran felt that her energy had mostly recovered, and the depletion caused by overusing her ability had been replenished.
Getting out of bed, she wandered aimlessly around the living room, deciding to dedicate the day to doing absolutely nothing.
She ordered takeout, turned on the TV, and started watching the news while eating.
The current broadcast was about the recent nationwide surge in reported missing persons. An expert in the relevant field had been invited to explain the phenomenon.
Tu Ran glanced at the screen and immediately recognized the man. He had also attended the three-day conference she had participated in at the Academy of Sciences. Back then, he had sat near the end of the conference table and hadn’t spoken a word.
“The apparent increase in missing persons is, in fact, an illusion. According to the number of reports filed with relevant departments, the missing persons rate is actually 0.1% lower than it was during the same period in previous years. The perception of a surge is due to heightened public attention and increased media coverage, which creates a false impression,” the expert explained.
“As for the so-called ‘randomly appearing doors,’ these are exceedingly rare occurrences. Given our country’s massive population, the probability of such a door appearing in front of an individual is less than 0.001%. It’s an almost negligible figure.”
“So, we urge everyone not to panic or disrupt their normal routines. When facing an alternate world, we should approach it with a more scientific and proactive mindset,” the expert concluded.
The host took over the microphone. “Thank you, Professor Wang, for your insights. To our viewers at home, if you’d like to learn more scientific knowledge about the alternate world, stay tuned to our channel. From 5:00 to 6:30 this afternoon, we’ll continue updating you with related content. Now, let’s move on to our next report.”
Tu Ran kept watching. The news covered recent policy announcements, dialogues with foreign leaders, breakthroughs in various scientific fields, and national development plans. She watched all of it attentively.
At 5:00 p.m., she tuned in to the alternate-world educational program. Finding nothing particularly novel, she turned off the TV, changed into her workout clothes, and headed downstairs to start her daily training.
She ran five laps around the park: three at a slow pace and two at a faster one. Afterward, she stretched, completing her usual routine. By the time she was drenched in sweat, the sky had already begun to darken.
Tu Ran sat on a park bench, taking in the nighttime atmosphere.
The upbeat music of a square dance filled the air, accompanied by the laughter of the dancing women. Elderly men strolled around, chatting about everyday topics, while children played and laughed in the background.
The aroma of grilled meat wafted intermittently through the night breeze, its origin unclear.
Amid this lively yet serene environment, Tu Ran felt an unfamiliar sense of peace and stability, something she hadn’t experienced in a long time.
It was her fourteenth day back in her hometown.
Day Sixteen
Tu Ran donated part of her weapon collection to the Academy of Sciences.
She contributed portions of every type of weapon, including laser guns, standard-issue pistols, sniper rifles, other firearms, and various bombs with different functions. These items would be studied by the relevant departments to improve Blue Star’s weapon-manufacturing capabilities, even if only slightly, in the short term.
Day Seventeen
Tu Ran stocked up on supplies.
Daily necessities, food, and other items—all of it was packed into her spatial storage.
Day Twenty
Tu Ran sensed the energy fluctuation of a portal.
Without hesitation, she headed toward it.
The portal’s location was in the park where she trained regularly.
Following the energy trail, Tu Ran found the source hidden within a grove of trees. She first sent the coordinates to Yu Boming, informing him of the portal’s presence and asking him to dispatch a team to guard it and prevent anyone from accidentally entering. After sending the message, she stowed her phone in her spatial storage, retrieved a laser gun, steadied herself, and stepped through the portal.
A flash of white light enveloped her. Her surroundings turned into a vast expanse of whiteness, and her body felt cocooned in a springy, gel-like substance.
In that fleeting moment, alarm bells rang in her mind.
The next second, Tu Ran pulled the trigger of her laser gun. The beam shot forth like an unsheathed blade, cutting down a group of armed guards who had been preparing to fire at her.
The piercing wail of an alarm blared in her ears—the type only activated during a Level-One Federal combat alert.
Above, a helicopter deployed a bomb directly toward Tu Ran, descending rapidly to strike her.
The fallen guards were immediately replaced by a new wave, who surrounded her and pulled their triggers in unison.
All this happened in a matter of seconds.
Tu Ran fired her laser gun again, slicing through the guards and using instantaneous movement to evade.
The bomb exploded behind her, the force of the blast toppling the innermost circle of guards.
The guards’ bullets failed to catch her, hitting only empty space.
Despite their relentless efforts to adjust their aim, Tu Ran’s speed and agility kept her out of their reach, leaving them scrambling to lock onto her position.
