Chapter 13: Li Feng's Defection

In the early hours before dawn, my phone began to vibrate with an incoming call. Hastily, I reached for it, only to see that it was Song Qian, the team leader from the laboratory. I connected my Bluetooth earpiece and answered, only to be greeted by Song Qian’s frantic voice:

“Dr. Lin! Li Feng has betrayed us! He’s stolen the experimental drug you just finished, knocked down several technicians, and he’s about to escape the institute! Dr. Lin, you have to come right away!”

A chill ran through my heart. I shoved my phone into my pocket, oblivious to the fact that the faint vibration had already roused my three roommates. Curiosity kept them from calling out to me; instead, they pretended to be asleep, quietly observing.

The phone buzzed restlessly in my pocket, like the relentless beat of a war drum. I moved as quietly as I could, not wanting to disturb my sleeping roommates. Yet even so, that subtle noise was like a stone thrown into a tranquil lake, sending ripples through the darkness.

In the pitch-black dorm room, three pairs of eyes suddenly opened, bewildered and tinged with fear. Rubbing the sleep from their eyes, they tried to make sense of this abrupt disturbance.

Lowering my voice, I slipped out the door, leaving behind three astonished gazes interwoven in the darkness. Outside, the wind was biting cold. I wrapped my coat tightly around me and plunged into the night, driven by a single thought—to reach the laboratory as quickly as possible and unravel this sudden mystery.

I reached the garage and leapt onto the nearest motorcycle. Key in, throttle twisted, and I shot out of the garage in a blur.

Gunning the engine, the motorcycle carved a sharp arc through the night, racing towards the institute. When I arrived, I saw Li Feng staggering out the main gates, clutching the vial of my latest experiment. His face was ashen, eyes wild with panic. The moment he caught sight of me, he looked as if he’d spotted a hunter in pursuit. Terror-stricken, he spun around and darted into a narrow, shadowy alley.

Just then, to my astonishment, I realized three familiar figures had appeared behind me—my roommates. Somehow, they had quietly followed, their faces taut with anxiety and curiosity, eyes shining with a thirst for adventure, glued to my every move as if ready to uncover the secrets of this night at my side.

But I had no time to concern myself with them. If I didn’t stop Li Feng now, all my efforts would be for nothing.

I chased him into the alleyway, heart pounding as I saw the precious drug clutched in his hand. Then, to my horror, he pulled out a small vial of explosive beans—another invention of mine. I never imagined he’d go so far as to steal that as well.

Under the dim alley lights, we faced each other. The vial in his hand was like a ticking time bomb, sending chills down my spine. I pleaded with him, hoping to reach any shred of reason he had left, but he only sneered coldly, eyes filled with grim resolve.

Suddenly, with a violent motion, he hurled the vial at me. I turned instinctively, but the blast’s shockwave still threw me off my feet. Shards scattered, dust billowed—I crashed to the ground, ears ringing in the ensuing chaos.

At that critical moment, my roommates somehow reached my side, their slight bodies shielding me with a fierce determination, as if building a barrier of flesh and bone to keep the danger at bay.

Then, Li Feng’s face twisted in a maniacal grin as he produced another vial of explosives from his pocket. I knew all too well the destructive power of my own creation. Like a force of nature, he knocked all three of them to the ground, and I threw myself over them, trying to shield them from harm.

When the explosion came, it was as if my world had been torn apart. I clung to my roommates, taking the brunt of the blast upon my back. After the deafening roar, silence fell—save for the dull ringing in my ears, as if echoing from the dawn of time.

Struggling to open my eyes, I glimpsed their blurry, anxious faces through the haze. Fear and determination mingled in their trembling forms, yet they stubbornly remained before me, like three unyielding mountains.

Seeing this, Li Feng turned and fled deeper into the alley. I couldn’t let my research slip through my fingers. Ignoring the pain wracking my body, I summoned all my strength to pull out a small tracking device from my pocket and hurled it at him, watching as it stuck firmly to his pant leg.

Their eyes held no fear—only deep concern and reluctant affection for me. I tried to speak, but my throat was choked with dust; only a few feeble gasps escaped. In the final moments before losing consciousness, I saw their anxious faces blur and dissolve into a warm, enveloping light.

When I awoke again, I was lying in a hospital bed, surrounded by tubes, my body wrapped in bandages.

My three roommates rushed to my side as soon as I opened my eyes, anxiously asking if I was all right. Their heartfelt concern brought tears to my eyes, though I held them back.

Looking at the three of them, I felt an indescribable warmth radiate through me.