Chapter 120: The Team

A group of people stood around the hospital bed, their expressions grave. Ling Zhe, Cheng Xianglong, and Wang Lu had also arrived. No one in the room spoke, and the atmosphere was stifling.

Liang Bing’s eyes were tightly shut, her face devoid of any color. An IV line was inserted into her arm, and though the crimson fluid flowed steadily into her veins, it seemed to bring little improvement. Yi Chen held her hand; it was freezing. Were it not for the rhythmic pulse of the EKG monitor, she would have looked like a lifeless corpse.

"Dammit..." Yi Chen slammed his fist against the headboard, his heart filled with bitter resentment.

Who was there to blame? If she hadn't stepped in to bail him out, she would never have taken Lu Yu to face the Puppeteer and the Hypnotist head-on. If she hadn't been protecting his friend Lu Yu when Lynx was controlled and turned against them, she wouldn't have been injured.

Ultimately, it all came back to him. If he had discovered the anomalies at the Ivory Tower sooner, or if he had been more decisive when he first rescued Mu Qing—if he had just abandoned those two female students—he might not have been completely blocked by those controlled students and faculty...

"It’s all your fault!" Zhu Youzheng suddenly snapped. He swung his fist, intending to strike Xue Man and Chang Qing.

"Are you insane?!" Ling Zhe rushed forward to restrain him, but he was shoved aside, stumbling. Cheng Xianglong, reacting in sync, followed up quickly. Between the two of them, they managed to grab and pull him back, finally putting an end to Zhu Youzheng’s reckless outburst. Despite the chubby man’s usual cowardly nature, he had shown a rare moment of courage when it came to Liang Bing.

"Let me go! If they hadn't captured me and used me to threaten Yi Chen, Liang Bing would have been brought here for treatment long ago. Her care wouldn't have been delayed for so long!"

"Calm down..." Ling Zhe felt speechless. Everyone knew Zhu Youzheng had a crush on Liang Bing, but he was trying to swing at Infected; if a real fight broke out, it would only be Zhu Youzheng who suffered. Moreover, Yi Chen had already agreed to let them join the group; they were effectively on the same side now.

"They didn't do it to save you? If you want to blame someone, blame yourself!" Chang Qing scoffed, adding fuel to the fire.

"Enough! Would it kill you to keep your mouth shut?" Xue Man snapped angrily. Chang Qing fell silent, looking forlorn.

"I'm sorry. We didn't know things would turn out like this," Xue Man apologized sincerely to everyone.

"It’s not your fault. These two things just happened to coincide. It can only be said that this was a trial she was fated to face," Ling Lan said from an objective standpoint.

Another silence fell over the room. Ling Lan’s meaning was clear: whether Liang Bing could make it through this ordeal depended entirely on her own strength.

"It’s getting late. You should all go back. Ling Zhe and I will watch over her here," Ling Lan said. Seeing that Yi Chen remained unresponsive, she stepped forward and patted his shoulder. "You were planning to head to that Dream Resort Hotel tomorrow, weren't you? Go back and prepare."

"I think I should put that plan on hold for now."

"Why?" Ling Lan’s phoenix eyes flared, her voice rising an octave. "If it’s as you said, the Lurker is likely evolving there right now. Isn’t this a perfect opportunity for a preemptive strike? Why waste it?"

"If Liang Bing wakes up and realizes you missed your chance because of her, it will only make her feel worse. Do you understand? She doesn't like being a burden to others—especially not to you. She didn't want you to worry or have your plans derailed because of her. Why else do you think she insisted on not crying out, not showing her pain, right up until the moment she passed out?"

Ling Lan’s words left Yi Chen with no room for rebuttal. He thought of the fleeting moments of bewilderment and the brief, rare smiles Liang Bing had shown him, and a heavy tightness gripped his chest.

"If you really want to do what's best for her, then go do what you need to do! Even if you stay here, you’re just wasting time—you can't help her," Ling Lan said bluntly.

"I understand," Yi Chen breathed out a long sigh. Ling Lan was right. If he couldn't help her and only left a burden of guilt for her to carry upon waking, he would truly be a failure. Eliminating the Lurker as soon as possible was the only way to resolve all these problems and conflicts.

"I’m forming a team," Yi Chen said, his mind clearing once he had steadied his resolve. "Xue Man, Chang Qing, you know the way and are familiar with the interior of the hotel. You’re coming with me."

Xue Man nodded without hesitation, while Chang Qing seemed a bit reluctant. He didn't particularly want to return to that place, but since Yi Chen had named him, he couldn't refuse.

"Bai Ge, can you get Cheng Xianglong a decent firearm?" Yi Chen asked.

"I can," Bai Ge replied.

"Good. You’re coming too," Yi Chen said, finalizing the team's last member.

"Me?" Cheng Xianglong couldn't believe his ears. Ever since they had been broken through by zombies on the outskirts of Nanchuan, he hadn't partnered with Yi Chen. During this time, he had either stayed behind to look after Wang Lu or done odd jobs, never really contributing much. To be called upon by Yi Chen now, with orders for Bai Ge to equip him, made his heart race with excitement.

"Xue Man can manipulate ice and provides ranged control, so I think the team needs a dedicated marksman. I trust your aim, so come along!" Yi Chen said with a smile.

The incident where Liang Bing was wounded by Lynx and subsequently suffered a deepened viral infection had made Yi Chen realize something: even the Infected had to be careful to avoid being wounded by zombies and monsters. While zombies and monsters generally wouldn't actively attack the Infected, one could never be sure what would happen if they were being controlled or acting under orders.

The Lurker was likely in that hotel, and all those zombies would be its minions. They had to be prepared to clear the field.