Run the Plot Ch.38

Chapter 38: Team Battle II

It was like a storm of black rain pouring down from the sky!

The falling zombies peeled away like layers of rust, revealing a streak of brilliant scarlet-gold on the horizon.

Everyone was so stunned by the sight that their scalps tingled.

Below, a dense barrage of metal spikes pierced through the zombies’ bodies and skulls with a thunderous roar. In an instant, more than 40% of their numbers were wiped out, and the rest temporarily lost the ability to move.

A strategic area attack with power surpassing that of artillery shells.

Whether on the high wall or the battlefield, everyone froze for a heartbeat—

So this was the true power of a super-4S rank ability user.

A cold voice suddenly reminded them, “Focus.”

Yan Chuanbai didn’t even turn his head as he swiftly took control of the field. His ice ability and gunfire continued clearing the battlefield, unaffected.

The others quickly snapped back to attention.

Overall, the situation hadn’t changed much.

In the lower battlefield—excluding Gong Lianyu, whose ability was still on cooldown—only one main combatant had been reassigned, leaving the entire 3S combat division in place to minimize the impact.

And Gong Lianyu didn’t need precision control—he only had to push his “dumb” ability to its absolute limit.

Metal spikes erupted one after another, continuously reducing the number of zombies.

Above, Qi He stood tall at the edge of the command tower.

He took a deep breath, then pressed a hand to his earpiece, his fingertips trembling ever so slightly.

“You can bring in the headquarters’ fighter jets now.”

As his words fell, fighter jets soared in above the wall in support.

Just then, Qi He suddenly felt his nearly depleted spiritual energy recovering rapidly. He turned his head—and saw, from the helicopter to his left, a black-haired girl reaching out a hand toward him.

“I’ve amplified your energy to the maximum,” she said. “You and Xiao Gong can rejoin the battle.”

Qi He nodded—then leapt straight down.

The fighter jets had already reached the airspace behind the battlefield in moments.

A voice came through his earpiece—Guan Shangchun’s: “Headquarters’ jets say you need to move out of the bombing zone.”

The two helicopters had already retreated to safety.

As Qi He plunged through the air, the wind roared in his ears. The moment he opened his mouth, two overlapping voices rang out almost simultaneously:

“Drop the bombs.”

“Drop the bombs.”

With a heavy thud, Qi He landed.

Behind him, the fighter jets executed his order without hesitation. A torrent of firepower rained down—BOOM!!!

In the surging blaze, the shockwave swept toward them—

Then, just as it reached Qi He, it abruptly halted.

An extreme chill formed an invisible barrier, sapping away molecular motion—dissipating the impact’s energy completely.

Yan Chuanbai’s calm figure emerged amid the tide of mutated creatures. While controlling his newly evolved ability, he simultaneously issued commands and cleared out enemies.

Qi He moved back to his side.

Yan Chuanbai glanced at his pale profile. “…You alright?”

Qi He tore apart a mutated vine with one hand, refusing to show weakness. “I’ve got plenty of strength—and plenty of ways to use it.”

“…”

Yan Chuanbai’s brows seemed to ease slightly before he looked away.

Qi He threw himself back into the ground battle.

Gong Lianyu was stationed in the rear, finishing off any stragglers that had slipped past the bombardment. The massive field of metal spikes had nearly drained his spiritual energy, forcing him to switch to a handgun.

Bang! Bang! Shots rang out in steady rhythm—precise, point-to-point eliminations.

The situation quickly stabilized again, returning to what it had been before the wave of flying zombies.

The crushing pressure lifted in an instant. Qi He narrowed his eyes slightly.

…Still not enough.

His gaze swept across the battlefield and finally landed on the S-rank tank. Since half their fighting power had been redirected elsewhere, he had to make up for it somehow. The man’s ability was bodily petrification—his surface covered in layers of rock…

Qi He called out, distracted but clear, “Shield.”

The S-rank tank blinked. “Huh?”

Qi He’s hands didn’t stop moving. “Your bodily petrification—can it cover your entire arms?”

A layer of rock spread outward as the man demonstrated. “It can.”

Qi He glanced over once, then ordered, “Ice-type ability and metal-type ability—enhance both his arms.”

Both the tank and Xi Moqing froze for a moment. This was a combination none of them had ever considered before…

In the next instant, Yan Chuanbai’s ice ability was already spreading over the rock armor. With the stone layer preventing frostbite, sharp icicles extended nearly a meter long.

Moments later, metal spikes followed on the other side.

The S-rank tank was dumbfounded. …What the hell?

He swung both arms—bullets fired from one side while blades on the other sliced down zombies and mutant plants nearby.

Qi He withdrew his gaze and said to the system, “See? Even a tank can be used for close combat.”

System: [……]

After a pause, it adjusted its tone, a hint of reluctant comfort seeping through: [You’re so abnormally normal—it’s actually reassuring.]

Qi He: “……”

—

After more than forty minutes of combat,

The zombie horde on the ground was nearly wiped out. All that remained were the mutant types burrowed beneath the surface.

The pace of the offensive slowed, both sides grinding down each other in attrition.

Qi He stood in the center of the field and spoke into his earpiece, “Guan Shang, how many mutants are left?”

“Unevenly distributed—around ten percent of the entire battlefield.”

Ten percent.

He gauged how much strength he had left.

Then Qi He lifted his head and said toward the front, “Prepare to board the helicopters. We’re returning to base.”

Everyone in front of him froze. “?”

Gong Lianyu asked cautiously, “…You’re out of energy?”

A gentle, almost springlike gaze fell on him—so mild that it somehow made him shiver. Qi He withdrew his eyes and spoke into his earpiece instead: “Have the helicopters descend. Headquarters’ ability users and Colonel Xi board the Base I helicopter. The rest—board the Base II helicopter.”

Though confusion rippled through the group, no one questioned him any further.

The helicopters soon touched down.

As Yan Chuanbai came face to face with the amplifier-type ability user from Base II, something flickered in his expression. His gaze shifted to Qi He.

“You really have a way of using everyone to their fullest.”

Gong Lianyu, who was about to climb aboard, tensed at once. Huh?

Qi He didn’t explain. Grabbing the rope ladder with one hand, he vaulted into the helicopter. As Yan Chuanbai climbed in after him, Qi He issued a new set of rapid commands to both aircraft:

“Spread out left and right—fly straight from the rear battlefield all the way back to headquarters.”

“Gong Lianyu, copy a fire-type ability. All ability amplification is to be focused on the Base II helicopter. The colonel and Gong Lianyu—blanket the entire battlefield with fire along the route.”

“Requesting that headquarters suspend all artillery strikes.”

With that stream of orders, the attack from the high wall halted.

The two helicopters rose again, side by side, hovering at high altitude.

Qi He turned to the long-haired girl beside him and called her by the name on her ID card.

“Shu Ling—please amplify the three of us at full power.”

Shu Ling seemed to understand instantly. Her spiritual energy surged to the limit, and a divine light flickered in her eyes. “Alright.”

The entire battlefield fell silent.

Only the scattered remains of zombies were left below, along with the faint surging of mutant creatures hidden underground.

Qi He’s gaze was steady. At his quiet command—“Attack.”

The two helicopters roared forward—

Twin trails of fire blazed across the left and right flanks of the battlefield, burning a path all the way from the rear lines. Under the amplifier’s boost, Gong Lianyu’s replicated fire ability was no weaker than the original. At the same time, an intense frost sealed off the entire underground layer.

Flames surged upward in a sweeping chain reaction.

A glint of scarlet-gold reflected in Qi He’s eyes as his spiritual power, magnified to the absolute limit, surged into action.

Then he brought one hand up before him—and clenched his fist hard.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM—!!!

A string of explosions followed in perfect rhythm behind the helicopters, like fireworks marking the end of battle.

With the thunder of victory echoing through the skies, they flew back toward headquarters.

—

The brutal battle was finally over.

Military personnel began descending from the high wall, moving to clean up the battlefield. The helicopters landed inside the base, and the team disembarked—still half dazed by the abrupt shift:

They’d gone out to fight, and somehow came home with victory in hand.

Qi He jumped lightly to the ground, running a hand through his slightly damp bangs, revealing striking, clean-cut features.

Every gaze around him immediately turned his way.

Guan Shangchun’s cheeks were tinged red, his eyes shining. “Qi Qi, you’re amazing.”

Qi He accepted the praise as if it were routine, giving a calm nod. “No need to say more.”

Everyone: “……”

Yan Chuanbai glanced at him with the ghost of a smile.

His broad shoulders nearly shadowed Qi He’s smaller frame from behind, as if staking a quiet claim. Gong Lianyu and Shu Ling both turned to look at the two of them in unison.

That subtle undercurrent didn’t last long.

Up ahead, Zhong Panqing strode quickly toward them.

His expression was still brimming with excitement. He first stopped before Yan Chuanbai, giving his shoulder two hearty pats. “Good! Chuanbai—long time no see.” Then he turned to Qi He. “Qi He, an honor to finally meet you.”

He shook Qi He’s hand, then gestured to the rest. “Everyone’s worked hard. Let’s debrief at Headquarters first.”

The helicopters still needed routine inspection and refueling, so the group headed to headquarters ahead of time.

Inside, the room was simple and functional in its layout.

General Gong and several senior officers were already waiting. Behind them stood communication consoles, and in front—a large table covered with maps and deployment plans.

As soon as they entered, General Gong stepped forward. “You’ve all done well!”

Gong Lianyu subtly retreated half a step, hiding behind Xi Moqing.

Qi He glanced sideways. …

The Gong family’s dynamics really did live up to their reputation.

After offering personal thanks to each of them, the general returned to the front of the room.

He gave a brief summary before continuing with satisfaction, “On behalf of Headquarters, I extend our sincerest gratitude. Especially to Bases I and II for their timely support—and to the two psychic-type ability users, who had the courage to rush into the front lines.”

Shu Ling shook her head. “It was nothing.”

Guan Shangchun smiled slightly. “I wouldn’t have dared before—but thanks to Qi Q… Qi He’s encouragement, I did.”

As he spoke, his gaze turned toward Qi He.

Yan Chuanbai couldn’t hold back a short, cold laugh. “Heh.”

The sound was completely unrestrained, and General Gong immediately looked over.

Guan Shangchun met his eyes head-on. “Is there a problem?”

He made no effort to hide his hostility either.

Qi He on the battlefield had been far too captivating—and with his sharp senses, Guan Shangchun had noticed along the way that everyone seemed to have looked at Qi He five, six, seven, eight times over.

—Though it wasn’t necessarily that kind of interest, there was no denying it—no one could resist that kind of pull.

Guan Shangchun said, half-smiling, “I never hold back when it comes to praising Qi Qi’s charm.”

Yan Chuanbai froze for a brief moment at his bluntness, then curved his lips faintly. “When something’s obvious to everyone, there’s no need to repeat it.”

“……”

Qi He, long used to the friction between the two, was nonetheless startled by that remark. He turned his head sharply.

“System, did Yan Chuanbai just… compliment me?”

The system gave up entirely: [I listen and I don’t understand, Si-mi-He.]

Qi He wasn’t the only one stunned—the others were too. Did actual words of praise just come out of Yan Chuanbai’s mouth???

Gong Lianyu, who knew him well, wasn’t surprised at all, but the 3S-ranked fire user beside him stole a couple of curious glances at Qi He.

General Gong cleared his throat lightly, picking up the thread. “Qi He’s excellence is indeed undeniable.”

He paused for a few seconds, then sighed. “But this also proves that Base I’s combat power is… perhaps a bit excessive.”

Qi He’s eyes flicked toward him. So General Gong still wanted to transfer him after all.

A few seconds of silence passed before Yan Chuanbai spoke, his tone mild.

“Actually, Headquarters’ overall strength is sufficient. The only reason the response seemed hasty was the lack of adequate preparation time.”

General Gong’s thoughts shifted—true enough. If there had been an early warning…

And speaking of early warning—

His gaze slowly turned toward Guan Shangchun.

Guan Shangchun, sensing something, looked up in confusion. “?”

Having witnessed Guan Shangchun’s performance through the earpiece during battle, the general’s voice carried genuine approval. “Guan Shang, would you be willing to transfer to headquarters?”

Guan Shangchun blinked, caught off guard, then instinctively turned his eyes toward Qi He.

That one glance did not escape General Gong’s notice.

Recalling the sharp exchange just moments earlier, he finally understood.

Inwardly, he sighed — Qi He’s ultra–4S-level spiritual strength, his decisiveness in combat, his keen judgment, and the way he wielded his abilities with perfect coordination—

…it was no wonder that such a person could inspire loyalty from anyone exceptional.

He turned to the hesitant Guan Shangchun and said gently, “No need to answer right away. I’ll wait until the helicopter’s done with its maintenance.”

“…Alright.”

—

The group left Headquarters.

There was a lounge nearby where Gong Lianyu and the others went to rest. Qi He was walking down the corridor when someone called out behind him, “Qi Qi.”

He stopped and turned—it was Guan Shangchun.

Yan Chuanbai, walking beside him, also halted. Seeing the look in Guan Shangchun’s eyes—words hovering but unsaid—he could already guess what was coming.

His breath stilled for a few seconds; the hand hanging by his side curled slightly.

Then, as if making up his mind about something, he said quietly, “You two talk. I’ll go on ahead.”

With that, he turned and left.

He had already given Guan Shangchun a nudge in the right direction. Whatever decision came next was no longer his to interfere with.

Once the sound of footsteps faded around the corner,

Qi He looked back at Guan Shangchun. “What is it?”

Guan Shangchun pressed his lips together, gaze steady. “About going to Headquarters… Qi Qi, what do you think?”

Qi He thought seriously for him. “Guan Shang, haven’t you always wanted to serve on the front line? The headquarters has better resources and more opportunities. If you want to grow stronger, you should go.”

Silence hung between them for several seconds after that.

Guan Shangchun kept looking at him for a long while, and at last—as if confirming something in his heart—he exhaled slowly. “…Then, I’ll think about it.”

“When I’ve decided, I’ll give them my answer.”

He said that, then turned and walked off in the opposite direction.

After Guan Shangchun left, Qi He also made his way to the lounge.

The three base teams had gathered in their own small groups.

Yan Chuanbai stood alone off to one side. Qi He glanced his way, then walked over.

Yan Chuanbai’s gaze flicked past him, lingering for a second on the empty space behind, before returning to Qi He. He asked, sounding casual, “So? How did it go?”

Qi He replied, “Guan Shang asked for my opinion. Going to Headquarters would definitely be good for him.”

“…You told him to go to Headquarters?”

There was a faint upward lilt at the end of the question.

Qi He shook his head. “I just said what I thought. The decision’s his to make. He said he’ll think about it.”

Yan Chuanbai studied him for a moment, then the corner of his mouth curved slightly. “Mm.”

They were still standing there when a member of the headquarters team—a 3S-rank fire-type ability user—walked over. He stopped in front of them, looked Qi He over for a few seconds, then pulled out his communicator.

“My name’s Le Yunyu. Mind if I add your contact?”

Yan Chuanbai’s smile disappeared; his eyes fixed sharply on him.

Le Yunyu, noticing the stare as he and Qi He were exchanging contacts, glanced up—only to meet Yan Chuanbai’s cool, shadowed gaze. “…”

He gave a quick, awkward laugh and tried to explain, “It’s not what you think—”

Qi He blinked. “?”

Yan Chuanbai’s expression darkened slightly. Realizing what was happening, Le Yunyu smoothly changed tack: “…you can add it if you want.”

A soft beep followed as the contact was added. “I really admire your ability,” Le Yunyu said with a grin. “Let’s exchange ideas sometime.”

Qi He shot him a sidelong glance. Bold of him, right in front of Yan Chuanbai.

Still, it was nice to be appreciated.

He pocketed his communicator and said with polite ease, “Sure.”

Not long after Le Yunyu left, the helicopters finished their inspection.

Base II’s team was the first to depart.

Guan Shangchun hadn’t come back yet, and after Yan Chuanbai confirmed with Yu Tianxing that their own base was stable, the two of them didn’t rush him—they simply waited in the lounge.

About ten minutes later, the sound of footsteps echoed down the hall.

A figure appeared in the doorway.

Guan Shangchun had returned—dressed now in the distinctive uniform of an S-rank soldier from Headquarters.

Sensing something, Qi He rose to meet him.

When he came closer, Guan Shangchun didn’t speak for a few seconds.

His gaze was steady and bright, though tinged with sadness—like he might cry, yet somehow kept his tone even.

“I’m not going back.”

Qi He met his eyes and said quietly, “Take care, Guan Shang.”

Guan Shangchun pressed his lips together, then suddenly turned away. “You’d better get back to your base soon.”

As his figure receded, Qi He could still feel the faint ripple of his emotion—reluctance, unmistakable despite his composure. He was about to say something more when Guan Shangchun stopped, turned again.

Beneath the brim of his military cap, a pair of clear, luminous eyes looked toward him.

“Qi Qi,” he said softly, “I’ll become stronger.”

“Alright.”

Qi He could tell—Guan Shangchun truly felt different now.

Like a young tree that had finally found its direction, drinking in light and water, stretching its branches straight toward the sky.

“…Ah, right.”

Guan Shangchun suddenly reached into his pocket and pulled out a small sugar cube. Holding it up, he gave Qi He a look of casual pride. “The candy you gave me—I’ve kept it with me.”

Yan Chuanbai, who had almost made peace with the whole situation, let out a sharp laugh through his nose. “Hah.”

“Qi Qi,” Guan Shangchun added with a smile that held just a trace of mischief, “I’ll miss you.”

The air pressure beside him was dropping by the second—

Guan Shangchun finally got in one last jab at Yan Chuanbai before walking off, the smirk on his face making it clear he felt much better for it.

Qi He, still standing there, frowned slightly. At this humidity, that candy’s going to melt in two days.

He didn’t dwell on it. “Let’s head back,” he said to Yan Chuanbai.

Yan Chuanbai withdrew his gaze and exhaled quietly—Forget it.

—

The helicopter was waiting outside.

Just as the two were about to board, Zhong Panqing approached with someone in tow.

The newcomer looked to be a woman around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, short-haired and neatly dressed, with an easy, straightforward air about her. Qi He didn’t recognize her, so his gaze went to Zhong Panqing instead.

“This is Xia Jiu,” Zhong Panqing introduced. “She’s an S-rank psychic ability user who just joined Headquarters a few days ago.”

He stopped before them and continued, “Since Guan Shang transferred to Headquarters, Base I no longer has an S-class psychic type. It’s made the experiments difficult, so we’ve decided to assign Xia Jiu to your base.”

Xia Jiu lifted her chin slightly, a stray lock of hair sticking up. “My ability is Identification. It’s lab-focused—completely non-combat.”

Yan Chuanbai gave her a brief glance. “Alright.”

Qi He grabbed hold of the boarding handle and called, “Get in the car.”

“Uh—‘car’?” Xia Jiu echoed, puzzled.

The three of them climbed into the helicopter, and the rotors roared to life.

Qi He, as usual, took the co-pilot’s seat.

Once the seat belts were fastened, the helicopter shot forward, cutting through the wind at blistering speed toward Base I.

Mountains and roads shrank rapidly below, streaking past in a blur.

After a while, Xia Jiu clutched the window frame, voice rising over the wind: “…Isn’t this speed a little too fast for a helicopter?”

Qi He turned his head slightly and said, with perfect calm, “This is the upgraded version of my Qi Qi Speed Car—the Qi Qi Copter.”

Xia Jiu’s eyes widened in awe. “That’s awesome!”

She asked again, “Are the other two S-rank ability users at Base I easy to get along with? What are they like?”

The moment her words fell, the cabin went completely silent.

Qi He’s mind immediately conjured up Yu Jiang. “…Hard to communicate.”

Yan Chuanbai’s mind conjured up Yu Tianxing. “Mentally unstable.”

Xia Jiu turned her head. “Huh?”

…

An hour later, the helicopter arrived at Base I.

Yan Chuanbai sent a message to Yu Tianxing.

The latter seemed to be in the middle of some experiment and only replied with a single word: “Coming.”

The helipad was right behind the lab building, so he had time to run downstairs.

Five minutes later, the helicopter slowly descended.

The rotors stirred up a violent gust, whipping through the trees around them before touching down with a loud thud.

The cabin door opened, and Qi He stepped out.

No sooner had he lifted his head than Yu Tianxing came stumbling out of the research institute, looking as if he’d just survived a failed experiment—disheveled, frazzled, and mildly scorched.

“…You’re back!”

He rushed at Qi He in excitement and grabbed his hand. “Qi He! I heard you wiped the floor with them at Headquarters!”

Then he turned to Yan Chuanbai, clapping his shoulder. “And you—your power skyrocketed this battle too, right?”

He started to look for the next person. “And Guan Shang—”

His voice broke off. After a few seconds of silence, he stared at the unfamiliar face before him.

The breath he’d been holding slowly left him in a long exhale, his tone complicated and full of feeling.

“…You came back from the front lines a completely different person.”

Everyone: “…”

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Author’s note:

Xia Jiu (Appraisal): He’s insane.

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