Industrial Cthulhu doesn't believe in the end times.

Chapter 29 Shouldn't we try to escape?
The agent standing on the high-rise building lowered his binoculars and slammed his fist on the windowsill next to him. This operation had gone awry, and he didn't know when the next opportunity would come.

"We've failed, let's retreat."

After hurriedly sending a message to his teammates, the agent rushed downstairs, only to bump into several people.

"Hey, where are you going?"

The noodle shop owner had already put on a military uniform and, with several men, blocked his way.

"That's him! He's been sneaking around watching those cars, and there's someone else somewhere else too!"

Seeing that his plan had been exposed, the agent dared not linger. He evaded the men's attempts to intercept him, intending to reunite with his companions and head to the safe house as soon as possible.

One's secrets cannot be hidden forever; almost no one can withstand modern interrogation techniques.

Unexpectedly, several people behind him let out a loud cry—

"Catch the spy! Don't let him get away! Catch the spy!"

As dusk fell, the streets in the distance were filled with militiamen and reservists who had just finished a day of training marches, still singing the same military song as they walked back, just as they reached the line, "Young soldiers yearn to establish merit."

At that moment, with that shout, the agent felt as if countless faces were looking at him from all directions.

He gasped, his steps faltering, and with a chill running down his spine, he slowly raised his hands above his head.

"Why aren't you running anymore?"

The small business owner behind him didn't sound smug; instead, the agent sensed a deep disappointment in his words.

"Why don't you give it a try? What if you can get out?"

The agent gave a wry smile: "Sir, you'd better tie me up quickly. The expressions on these people... I'm a little scared."

"A spineless coward."

The shopkeeper, looking utterly exasperated, grabbed the handcuffs and cuffed the man's hands behind his back, asking, "Where's your accomplice? Where is he?"

The agent was about to struggle a bit and didn't intend to speak, but seeing the brightening eyes and increasingly excited expressions on their faces, he quickly said, "I'll tell you, I'll tell you where the safe house is..."

……

The plan by Wang Wei and others to arrange a substitute for Su Xun in advance was effective; the accident had already occurred before Su Xun even crossed the intersection.

"Hurry up and save people!"

"Don't move!" Zheng Yuan and Wang Wei pressed him down at the same time: "This is very likely a targeted attack. You wait in the car, we'll get out!"

Since the other party had said that, Su Xun naturally didn't want to cause them any trouble, so he didn't try to be brave. Then he saw Jiang Yi take out a small, black pistol from her handbag.

Not sisters, aren't you a personal assistant?
Watching the other person skillfully load the bullets, chamber the round, and release the safety, Su Xun felt more at ease. Her colleagues were all professionals, and she should trust that they could handle all the work well.

A moment later, Zheng Yuan returned.

"How about it?"

"Wang Junyou suffered a fracture, but it's nothing serious. The others are fine, at most they have some abrasions."

Su Xun sighed. Although he had been prepared for this kind of thing, he still felt a jolt in his heart when it actually happened.

"Can I get off the bus now? I want to see Wang Junyou; he was injured in my place."

"Yes, we have brought the scene under control, but it would be safer to proceed as soon as possible."

Su Xun nodded and followed the other person out of the car.

Soldiers in green uniforms were everywhere, most of them carrying entrenching tools. It seemed that a newly expanded reserve battalion had been brought over to the scene. There were even more armed personnel inside.

Ambulances, fire trucks, police cars, and military vehicles, though seemingly orderly, still inevitably appear chaotic. Perhaps subconsciously, the sound of these various sirens signifies impending chaos.

Wang Junyou, pale-faced, lay on a stretcher, ready to be taken to the ambulance. When he saw Su Xun arrive, he gave a bitter smile.

"It was my own carelessness; I could have avoided getting hurt."

Su Xun sighed, "Take good care of yourself and thank you." "I told you, this is just my job, just like you have yours. There's no need to thank me."

Wang Junyou was in a good mood. He continued, "Thanks to that truck driver, otherwise this wouldn't have been so easy to get through. Is he alright?"

Zheng Yuan said from the side, "It's nothing, he's much better off than you. He had a seatbelt, he just got some scratches."

As Wang Junyou was being wheeled into the ambulance, Su Xun turned to look at the accident scene.

The large pile of books almost buried the military vehicle that Wang Junyou had just been riding in. The power of the dump truck, fully loaded with slag, was not to be underestimated; it crashed directly into the truck.

Although the firefighters arrived at the scene, there was no fire, or rather, only a few sparks appeared. However, the dump truck was loaded with gravel, and many soldiers used entrenching tools to bury the flames. Now, only a few wisps of smoke remain.

Where is the dump truck driver?

"The forensic doctor is investigating over there. His car crashed into a truck, and his death was rather gruesome. Fortunately, his face is still recognizable, which will make the subsequent investigation easier."

"I'll go and take a look."

"You want to see it? It really is disgusting."

Su Xun gave him a strange look. Zheng Yuan said "Oh," patted his head, and remembered that the person in front of him had been adventuring in the apocalypse for many years.

"That's true, what haven't you seen?"

The two approached the dump truck, crossed the cordon, and saw the forensic doctor collecting the driver's body piece by piece.

"Hey, isn't this... what's it called again?"

Upon seeing the head, with only a sliver of flesh hanging from its neck, Su Xun suddenly felt that it looked somewhat familiar.

"Have you met this person before?" Zheng Yuan asked, somewhat surprised. Su Xun shook his head. "No, but I must have seen his wanted poster."

After carefully searching through his vast memory for a while, Su Xun shook his head: "I don't know his name, he only has a nickname, which doesn't mean much, but if I'm not mistaken, this person should be a drug addict."

Zheng Yuan was somewhat disappointed; forensic experts could discover this kind of information quickly, so it wasn't of much value.

The forensic doctors were amazed by the young man's composure in the face of such a gruesome death; even they found it somewhat unsettling.

"They've left. No further information."

Su Xun said this, but secretly felt a bit ironic.

In his previous life, this person was a major scourge that caused the survivors of Shudu a great deal of trouble. Su Xun was just unaware of his name, otherwise he would definitely have listed him as a key person to watch out for.

Unexpectedly, before the apocalypse even arrived, this person died right in front of me.

From this small example, Su Xun realized once again that he had changed every aspect of the world. Some people who were destined to die would survive because of this, and some infamous figures would probably not appear.

However, even after the old people leave, new people will come, and new conflicts will arise. The world is vast and ever-changing, and it will always continue to operate in its own way.

Back in the car, he met his other double, Zhang Wei, who had always been relatively unknown.

“Xiao Zhang was borrowed from the military, unlike Wang Junyou who comes from the security department. He still has a lot to learn, but he is very hardworking and learns very quickly.”

Su Xun had actually exchanged a few words with Zhang Wei, but most of the time Zhang Wei would silently watch Su Xun speak and act. Now that he thought about it, he was probably learning Su Xun's habits.

The two were the same height and hairstyle, and their physiques and ages were similar, but their appearances were still somewhat different. However, if Su Xun only glanced at them now, he would feel as if there was a mirror there.

This is enough to demonstrate the efforts the other party has made during this period.

Su Xun asked with some curiosity, "You've seen what's happening now, do you regret becoming a stand-in?"

Zhang Wei smiled, and when he smiled, he actually looked younger than Su Xun.

"There's no reason to regret and back down when faced with danger. We, who came from the military, have never been afraid of this."

"If I had to say what I regret, it would be that I didn't have the chance to build up that muscle that my old squad leader had."

(End of this chapter)