After things concluded, Qin Chuan directed people to take away Weng Quan’s body. He then looked at the remaining individuals, a touch of weariness in his voice.
“You can all go back now. I’ll contact you if there are any issues.”
The people who remained, whether they were Qin Chuan’s allies or from the laboratory faction, maintained their silence. They nodded mechanically.
Just as Qin Chuan was about to turn and leave, a young man in casual attire behind him spoke timidly.
“Captain Qin Chuan, I think you should hand over Dr. Weng Quan’s body to us and let us take it back to the laboratory for burial.”
Weng Quan had no close relatives on the lighthouse. Everyone only knew that Weng Quan had come to the lighthouse with Xia Jin. Even the eldest daughter of the Gu family, whom he had only recently reunited with, had banished him to the slums within a mere month. It could be said that Weng Quan didn’t even have anyone to claim his body. Therefore, for this person to step forward to represent the laboratory and ask Qin Chuan for the body was not entirely unreasonable.
But who was Qin Chuan?
“You want Weng Quan’s body back?” A smile, almost cruel, appeared on Qin Chuan’s lips.
Even Zhou Zhe, who had been standing beside Qin Chuan, sensed something was off. Qin Chuan would usually smile like that when he was angry. The more chilling the smile, the more tragic the fate of the person it was directed at. However, the target of Qin Chuan’s derisive smile now was a dead man. This gave Zhou Zhe an inexplicable shiver of fear.
The boy seemed frightened and dared not look at Qin Chuan’s expression. He clutched the hem of his clothes, appearing somewhat afraid but also holding onto his conviction. Although his voice was soft, it remained firm. “Yes, Captain Qin Chuan. Even if Dr. Weng Quan was guilty, he has passed away now. The dead should be respected. Dr. Weng Quan has no family on the lighthouse. I believe you should hand his remains over to us, so we can bid Dr. Weng Quan a final farewell.”
As soon as these words fell, the boy felt an intensely oppressive gaze fixed directly above his head. Qin Chuan’s smile widened, as if mocking him. Even Zhou Zhe could tell that Qin Chuan was not right and was constantly signaling the child to leave. At the same time, he didn’t forget to tug at Qin Chuan’s clothes, fearing that he might suddenly snap.
However, even if Zhou Zhe’s eyes were blinding him, the young boy opposite him seemed selectively deaf, stubbornly standing in front of Qin Chuan, seeking trouble. Seeing the boy blocking his path incessantly, with an air of righteous heroism, a dark corner of Qin Chuan’s heart quietly expanded. He felt an urge to tear the person before him to shreds. That impulse was like a beast in a primeval forest, driven by basic lust. He had never felt such a desperate need for release. It was a release from the tension and pressure since the riot, and from the fear he had experienced countless times facing death. No one was without fear of death. It was only through the fear of death that humanity gained a nobler understanding of life. It was precisely the threat of death that made humans yearn for survival.
“What if I refuse?” Qin Chuan looked at the boy, his smile somewhat malevolent. It was like teasing a stray cat by the roadside, watching it bare its teeth but being utterly helpless against him. He found it somewhat amusing.
The boy was momentarily stunned by his words. When he looked into Qin Chuan’s eyes again, his whole body trembled. It was as if an invisible, powerful hand had gripped his neck, but no one could save him now. Qin Chuan didn't need to threaten him a second time. The boy’s legs gave out, and he crumpled limply to the ground.
Qin Chuan looked at the boy, who was on the verge of tears, and the anger that had surged within him seemed to be replaced by shock. When he came to his senses, he swallowed the venomous words that had been on the tip of his tongue. He realized he had lost some control. He had been cursing Weng Quan in the most vicious way, wishing him a terrible death. In his heart, for a fleeting moment, he had even entertained the thought of dissecting Weng Quan’s body and chopping it into pieces to be thrown into the laboratory. “Since you like Weng Quan so much, I’ll send him to you after I’m done.”
Such thoughts. But Qin Chuan quickly sobered up from this destructive malice. He looked at his hands, momentarily dazed. Without any obstruction, Qin Chuan thought of the mycelium he kept close to his heart. He wondered if his emotions were influenced by the presence of this mycelium.
Zhou Zhe, standing beside him, watched Qin Chuan first mock the young boy with chilling intent, then stare blankly at his own empty hands the next second. He found it rather speechless, thinking his boss had drifted off again. “Boss, boss, we should go.”
Qin Chuan finally snapped back to reality and was half-dragged away by Zhou Zhe. Seeing that the boy was about to say more, Zhou Zhe quickly stepped in front of him. Looking at Qin Chuan’s nonchalant departing back, he began to explain to the boy on his own. “Don’t worry, we want Dr. Weng Quan’s body for research purposes. We just need to confirm he was not problematic. I will personally return his body. I believe you must have also seen that Weng Quan was acting strangely in the hour before his death. We are taking Weng Quan back for a fair investigation. Compared to us, you would certainly be more capable of discovering what was wrong with Weng Quan. These abnormal behaviors only started after you all came from the laboratory.”
Zhou Zhe laid out the pros and cons to the other person. Of course, he wasn't trying to persuade him. After all, they represented two different factions. However, Weng Quan’s death was indeed a mystery, and Zhou Zhe himself had personally killed Weng Quan. From the first glance, Zhou Zhe had deduced that the boy before him likely had an unusual relationship with Weng Quan. Otherwise, among the more than ten people Weng Quan had brought with him, there were no shortage of fierce-looking, burly individuals. If they truly cared about Weng Quan’s remains, they wouldn’t have let this boy, who looked no older than twenty, come forward to demand the body be returned.
The boy looked at Zhou Zhe. The casual demeanor was gone from his face, replaced by seriousness and a touch of understanding. He recognized the person before him. When Qin Chuan was working for Dr. Weng Quan in the laboratory, Zhou Zhe had been by his side. Moreover, in that critical moment, it was Zhou Zhe who had shot and killed Weng Quan, saving his captain. At this moment, even though the boy knew deep down that Weng Quan’s death was his own fault, his hatred quietly shifted.