The man clearly hadn't expected me to lunge, much less that I'd have a weapon.
Trained as he was, his reflexes were fast — he grabbed my arm.
Thank God he didn't grasp the hand holding the scissors.
I bit down, shoved the scissors as hard as I could into his shoulder with no hesitation.
If I'd hesitated now, the next moment Xiao Hu and I might have ended up tortured like those others.
He immediately clutched his neck, screamed, and fell to the floor.
I kicked him aside and shouted at the stunned Xiao Hu, "Stay close to Sister!"
There was no time to look back.
The man at the door had already drawn his gun and pointed it at me.
People do scary things when they have nothing to lose — I wanted to live, so I fought back.
Normally I'd have been terrified by a gun aimed at me, but my head was hot with panic; I didn't think — I grabbed the barrel and twisted it hard.
There was a loud bang; the force numbed my hands.
Startled by the sound, I had a brief recoil, but the numbness that followed reminded me of the torture in the cylinder last night and steeled me.
I held the barrel so he couldn't aim, and with my other hand I lunged wildly with the scissors.
He was on guard and kicked me hard in the shoulder to throw me off.
I held the scissors tight and, as I went down, reflexively grabbed his leg and with all my strength stabbed the scissors in.
Between the screams I pried his hand off and wrested the gun away.
I glanced at Xiao Hu's terrified face, scooped him up, and then scrambled, crawling and running toward the door.
The scientists who'd been dozing were awakened by the commotion.
Maybe they were too cowardly to help — instead, they ran toward the old man's room.
As I ran out of the D section I felt a flash of relief — if even one of them had come to help earlier, we might never have escaped.
Clutching Xiao Hu, I stumbled down the corridor, turning by memory.
I'd always been terrible with directions; the hall outside D Section was a maze to me.
I wandered for what felt like ages, sweating cold with fear.
If they raised the alarm we'd never get away.
Just when I'd about given up, I nearly cried — there was an exit.
I sprinted for it.
I knew Shen Feng and the others were in the two glass cells on the left near that exit.
I had no hesitation and ran toward them to bring them out; this place was no place for people to live.
Two steps later I had to stop.
Two researchers were standing in front of Shen Feng's glass cell and had noticed the noise; they looked toward me, startled.
Then the old man's voice came clearly over their radios: "Attention everyone — two live subjects escaped D Section. Block them."
When I heard "live subjects," I knew exactly what he meant.
I set Xiao Hu down, grabbed the gun, and charged the two researchers.
They were just scientists — pale, bookish types.
By the time I reached them the old man's warning had finished.
The two fumbled at their belts for radios or tools; I took my chance, kicked one to the ground, seized the other from behind, locked my arm around his neck, and pressed the gun to his temple.
Panting, I hissed, "Open the door!"
Inside the glass enclosure, Shen Feng and the others were clearly stunned by what was happening.
At that moment, they all rushed up to the glass, saying something to me.
The man I had kicked down earlier staggered back up and raised his gun at me.
Seeing this, I didn't waste any words—slammed the butt of my gun hard against the head of the man I was holding.
I hadn't held back, and blood immediately streamed down his head.
I then shouted at the other man:
"Hurry up and open the door! My life isn't worth you risking yours. We're all just trying to survive here—I won't kill needlessly."
Anyone working as a researcher wasn't stupid.
He immediately realized I wasn't bluffing.
After just a second of hesitation, he pulled out the keys and turned to unlock the door.
Meanwhile, Xiao Hu, without me reminding him, had already run to stand behind me.
The two doors were quickly unlocked, and Shen Feng's group came out.
They didn't ask questions, immediately snatched the guns from the two researchers, and together forced them into the glass room instead.
After all, once we were gone, someone would eventually come let them out.
Right after that, our group ran toward the main entrance.
The path was surprisingly smooth, but just as we made it past rows of medicine shelves, a line of people suddenly emerged in front of us.
The remaining members of Team T all stood with submachine guns in the front row.
Behind them were Bruno, the man in white coat, and Sister T.
We had no choice but to stop.
Shen Feng, Xu Shu, and I each gripped a pistol, facing them down.
The difference in power was obvious at a glance, but with these few people by my side, I no longer felt fear or helplessness.
Bruno looked rather disheveled.
When he saw me, a trace of concern flashed across his face.
I couldn't understand it.
He had brought me into Section D, but days later, he had done nothing while others subjected me to those damned lethal tests.
I glared at him hard.
If it weren't for the current situation, I would have demanded answers right then.
"You're really putting us in a tough spot here. Come on, back where you came from. This bunch that Boss Suo brought in sure are interesting—just a short while and you've turned our place upside down."
The man in the white coat spoke as casually as if he were saying, "Hey, had breakfast yet?"
"Dr. Yang, you've kept us locked up for days. I think your observations should be plenty by now. Don't you think it's about time we were let out?" Shen Feng was the first to speak.
"No, no, no. Of course that's impossible. Without test results, you absolutely cannot leave."
"Then when will the results be ready?" Uncle Gazi asked.
The man in the white coat exaggeratedly shrugged. "That, I can't say. Who knows how long it'll take?"
"Heh, so what you really mean is you never planned to let us leave?" Xu Shu sneered.
The man's expression didn't change.
He stared at us for a moment, then said: "That's right. I don't plan to let you leave alive."
I stood there, at a loss for words.
But Han Xue, who had been silent until then, fixed her gaze on him for a long moment before asking, "Why? What terrible crime have we committed that you're so determined to see us dead?"
"No, no, I never said I wanted to kill you. As for Boss Suo's people—I wouldn't dare lay a hand on them. Not letting you leave and killing you—those are two different matters."
"That so-called test… wasn't that your arrangement as well?" I spoke up.
At my words, Yangyang immediately asked: "Sis? What test? What did they make you go through?"
"That test is necessary. Today, tomorrow, and the days after—you'll have to undergo it once every day. Only then can the data be guaranteed accurate."
"What?!" The man in white coat had barely finished speaking when Bruno suddenly shouted in shock: "SX tests—every single day? Are you insane?"
Shen Feng tilted his head slightly, giving me a worried glance before turning back to ask, "SX? What's that?"
Hearing that, Bruno lifted his head and looked at Shen Feng.
"You wouldn't understand even if I explained it, but the process of that test is extremely painful…"
Before he could finish, the screech of a car braking hard outside caught everyone's attention.
Immediately afterward, we heard the sound of hurried footsteps rushing through the hallway.
Within moments, there came a heavy pounding on the door.
For a while, none of us moved—everyone's eyes stayed fixed on the entrance.
"What the hell are you all doing in there? Hurry up and open the damn door! That… that thing you asked for—we brought it! Get moving!" The coarse roar of the bearded man came through the door, harsh and grating to the ears.
The man in the white coat's expression shifted slightly.
He then waved to one of the others and said, "Go open it."
That person ran over and unlocked the door.
Almost at once, the bearded man barged in, followed by a squad of T-team soldiers.
Suo Tian and the middle-aged man came in at the rear.
"What, you all dawdling around in here, having some kind of group date or what?"
The bearded man cursed as he stomped inside, lugging a heavy crate in his arms.
The box was so large it completely blocked his view.
He set it down with a thud and was about to say more when he suddenly noticed the situation in front of him.
His face changed instantly, and he asked in bewilderment:
"Miss Chen? What the hell are you all doing here?"
Just then, Suo Tian stepped inside along with the middle-aged man.
At those words, his pitch-black eyes immediately swept over us, scrutinizing every one of us.
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