Run the Plot Ch.58

Chapter 58: Main Story Complete

Two months passed. The human base was gradually regaining order.

More and more survivors were making their way there to seek refuge.

Meanwhile, the battle footage had been fully released, and now everyone knew—Instructor Qi and Major General Yan were a couple.

Whether people were watching for the thrill of seeing S-rank combat or simply to see those two together, the publicly released footage had set off a massive craze across all bases, watched and rewatched almost nationwide.

Inside the base, the footage looped on the massive projection screen.

Every S-rank squad’s combat segment was shown, scheduled by time slots.

But the most popular clip was still that one—the scene inside the Source.

In front of the big screen, a crowd gathered once again.

Their intense curiosity and reverence for strength overwhelmed any lingering physical aversion, and everyone sat in the front rows, watching as the two 5S-ranks tore apart the Source from within.

Even through the screen, the claustrophobic pressure of that enclosed space could be felt, making their combined power seem all the more overwhelming.

Except—

“Why does it feel like something got cut out in the middle?”

Among the crowd, a newcomer who had just arrived at the base and was watching the footage for the first time asked in confusion, “Did it lag?”

Someone beside him, an old hand, explained, “I heard that part involved confidential ability data for two 5S-ranks. Headquarters didn’t release those few seconds.”

“That must’ve been the key moment when Instructor Qi mutated and broke through, huh? Man, I really want to know what happened in those seconds…”

Everyone’s curiosity itched like it was being clawed at by a cat.

But even more striking to them was the sheer willpower—facing death head-on and coming back alive—and the visceral impact of the footage itself.

After a few more murmurs, the crowd let the topic drop.

…

At the same time, on the 29th floor of a high-rise.

Bang. Qi He’s back hit the door.

The man before him lowered his head, biting down on his lips, his hands slipping deftly under his shirt to grasp his waist.

Since they started sleeping together, this sort of thing has become routine.

“Huff…” After enduring two minutes of kissing, he pushed him back slightly, his moist lips pursed. “It’s still daytime.”

Yan Chuanbai pressed his forehead against his. “I know.”

“But only at night… how is that enough? You said you’d take all of me, Qi He.”

Qi He’s throat moved as he glanced outside at the sky.

Nothing else to do today.

After what felt like two seconds of consideration, the pressure in his hands eased slightly. “…Don’t use your abilities.”

That implicit demand instantly ignited his excitement!

Yan Chuanbai pressed harder, a low gasp escaping him as he smiled. “Is that so? Judging by your reaction, I thought you liked it.”

Entwined vines teased and tentatively wound upward.

Yan Chuanbai kissed him with lingering passion. Qi He clenched his knuckles, wrapping his arms around the shoulders above him.

He had no particular attachment to which role he played—pleasure was all that mattered. Yan Chuanbai excelled in this regard, always ensuring he enjoyed himself.

Moreover, he was usually the one in control.

He relished watching Yan Chuanbai’s restrained expression, the way he’d be stirred by him. So as a reward, he occasionally let him run wild a few times.

Qi He grabbed the back of his head and lifted it up.

His breathing faltered, the corners of his eyes flushed. He glanced up with a raised eyebrow: “…But the really extreme stuff? No.”

 The vine wrapped itself suggestively around his thighs. “Which one?”

Qi He suppressed a shiver. “I have to go to Headquarters tomorrow.”

Yan Chuanbai paused, then conceded. “Fine, you call the shots. This time it’s real…” He added, “No need for reverse psychology either.”

Legs wrapped around him, Qi He commanded, “To the bed.”

Yan Chuanbai hoisted him up! Turning, he strode away. Eager kisses already landed on the side of his neck, his voice trembling as he whispered, “I’ll do whatever you say…”

—

The next day, the group set out for Headquarters.

It was called a “group,” but in truth, there were only four of them: Qi He, Yan Chuanbai, Yu Jiang, and Yu Jin.

Yu Jiang was now able to leave the base.

She had taken on responsibility for the entire water purification and circulation system—not just within the base, but gradually extending to the surrounding areas. Combined with technological support, humanity’s range of activity was slowly expanding again—

Bit by bit, reclaiming the territory once seized by mutant creatures.

Back when the situation had been critical, they traveled by helicopter.

Now, to conserve fuel, they switched back to Qi He’s Qi Qi Flying Car, clearing out mutants along the way as they went.

Three days later, they arrived at Headquarters and stepped out of the vehicle.

Yu Jin helped Yu Jiang back into her wheelchair, while Yan Chuanbai scanned his ID at the gate. The guards immediately straightened up and saluted in unison as the four passed smoothly into the military compound.

After their figures disappeared inside, a few new recruits stationed nearby—recently assigned to Headquarters—carefully asked their peers, “Who was that?”

“You at least know Major General Yan and Instructor Qi, right?”

The senior soldier leading them glanced toward Yu Jiang’s departing figure. Though seated in a wheelchair, she carried herself with poise and radiance—a kind of calm, sacred aura, vast and embracing like the ocean itself.

“The other one is an S-rank water-type purifier. The person beside her is her assistant. Miss Yu Jiang rotates between the four major bases, performing large-scale purification once a month. Today, it’s Headquarters’ turn.”

The new recruit gasped in awe, then asked, “And her legs…?”

“An old injury,” the older soldier explained. “But we’ve got an S-rank healer here at the base. Every time Miss Yu Jiang comes for purification, she also undergoes treatment.”

“Sigh, I hope she recovers soon. It must be inconvenient for her to travel.”

The veteran nodded. “Speaking of which—whenever Miss Yu Jiang goes outside the base for purification, she’s always accompanied by an S-rank combat-type ability user. Most of the time, it’s one of the two 5S-rankers. Funny thing—rumor has it, whenever a 5S-level accompanies her, the purification efficiency skyrockets.”

The new recruit blinked, astonished. “Could that be… the legendary mental resonance of 5S-rankers?”

…

The chatter outside was far beyond their awareness.

The group had already entered the military headquarters.

Above the main building of the complex, a massive crystal core slowly rotated, supplying the base with a steady stream of energy—

It was the core taken from the Source itself.

Conventional power sources would gradually be restored in time, but this one crystal alone could sustain the base until the very end of the apocalypse.

They first went to the lounge to wait for Xiao Hai.

Yu Jin pushed Yu Jiang’s wheelchair to one side, while Qi He and Yan Chuanbai stood a few steps apart on the other. They were waiting quietly when the sound of approaching footsteps echoed down the corridor—military boots striking the floor.

A moment later, a figure appeared—Gong Lianyu.

He was still in his light-colored uniform, his golden-brown hair especially striking.

He had originally been transferred to assist at Base II, but now that the combat situation had eased, he occasionally returned to Headquarters.

“You guys came over today too?”

Gong Lianyu walked over with a few quick steps.

Yan Chuanbai gave a low “mm,” folding his arms. The twin ring on his finger caught the light—the icy glint nearly blinding Gong Lianyu on the spot.

Gong Lianyu froze mid-step, eyelashes fluttering shut.

“…Tsk.” He took a moment to recover, then opened his eyes again and glanced toward Qi He’s hand. By now, everyone in the human bases knew the two of them wore matching rings. Qi He’s hands were elegant to begin with, and with that ring on—well…

“It really looks good,” Gong Lianyu commented, reaching out as if to take a closer look. He hadn’t expected that mutt Yan Chuanbai to have this kind of romantic touch.

Snap! A vine lashed out and smacked his hand away.

Yan Chuanbai said matter-of-factly, “Like I need your opinion.”

“…” Gong Lianyu withdrew his tingling hand, still looking, undeterred. “Sigh, can’t tell if it’s because Qi He makes it look good, or if it just looks that good to begin with. How about you make another one just to compare?”

Yan Chuanbai gave a mocking smirk. “And who are you again?”

Gong Lianyu choked. “I’ll just steal your ability and make my own!”

Yan Chuanbai replied coolly, “I’ll poison you.”

Qi He: “…”

Gong Lianyu: “…”

Gong Lianyu decided to drop the topic.

He had just returned from a field mission and was clearly in good spirits, flicking his hair back as he tried to regain some face. “Man, fighting mutants as a 3S-ranker is so satisfying! What’s it like for you 5S-rankers?”

Before he could blink, his body was suddenly flipped over by a burst of spiritual energy—thud!

“??” Gong Lianyu looked up in confusion from the floor.

Qi He stood where he was, hands at his sides. “Feels like that,” he said evenly.

“…”

Gong Lianyu whimpered, “Got it. That’s the feeling of being… no longer human!”

The adjutant accompanying him twitched at the sight of his superior being flattened like a pancake without warning. Then he glanced over at Yu Jiang and silently wondered—was Base I some kind of monster factory? Even the ones transferred to Headquarters, like Officer Gong, were now serving as both commander and interrogator.

Just then, Xiao Hai finally arrived.

He walked in and greeted Qi He first: “Brother.” Then he nodded to the others. “Brother Yan, Brother Yu.”

Qi He gave him a small nod. “I’ll head to the training grounds to give my lecture.”

Since Yu Jiang’s escort had arrived, Yan Chuanbai and Gong Lianyu also prepared to leave for their debriefing at the military office.

The three figures departed one after another.

Xiao Hai turned to Yu Jiang. “Sister Yu.”

Yu Jiang nodded and thanked him softly, “Thank you for your hard work.” Then the healing session began.

A gentle, soothing power enveloped her, warm and calm.

After a while, Xiao Hai spoke tentatively, “Sister Yu, I heard your hearing isn’t too good. I’m not sure whether it’s a conductive hearing issue or a sensorineural one—would you like me to take a look and try healing it too?”

He rambled the last part quickly, all in one breath.

Yu Jiang caught the key word and tilted her head slightly. “My ears? My hearing’s perfectly fine.”

Xiao Hai: “…”

Standing behind her, Yu Jin smiled faintly — the world can be as noisy as it wants; as long as Miss is happy, that’s enough.

—

At the Headquarters training grounds.

The entire military division was already assembled — from junior officers to high-ranking commanders, even a lieutenant general had shown up for the lesson.

Qi He appeared at the edge of the field.

He was dressed casually in a T-shirt, as if he’d just wandered in. He bore no insignia of rank, yet the entire field fell silent — tense and reverent — as they waited for him to step forward.

In an age where strength ruled, no one dared show disrespect before a 5S-ranker.

Qi He stopped at the front, his gaze sweeping lightly across the crowd.

He wore no combat gear, carried no gun. “Same groupings as last time — five per team. Attack me simultaneously. Scoring system: each successful hit earns ten points.”

His eyes were sharp and bright, and the faint curve of his lips ignited the fighting spirit in everyone present. “Teams can cooperate with one another if they wish, but in the end—there will only be one winner.”

His voice fell softly: “Begin.”

Boom!!!

Dazzling, unpredictable attacks erupted across the training field in an instant—

There was teamwork, but also fierce rivalry.

Qi He’s training focused not only on combat technique, but also on combat awareness and tactical coordination.

One team after another worked together on the fly, striking toward Qi He—only to be intercepted, tripped up, or drawn into counterattacks by the others…

After two full hours of this—

With a calm “That’s enough,” Qi He ended the session. The soldiers, muscles aching and bodies drained, finally stopped. Some even collapsed to the ground.

Qi He, however, stood before them as composed as ever, not a bead of sweat on him.

After a brief pause to catch their breath, everyone straightened up, voices hoarse but unified as they shouted:

“Thank you, Instructor Qi, for your guidance!”

Qi He nodded slightly and was just about to turn and leave.

From within the ranks, a soldier suddenly called out, “Instructor Qi! Other than what you’ve already taught us in class, is there anything else you can pass on to us?”

Qi He paused mid-step, thinking for a moment.

Then he turned back and smiled.

He repeated the same words he’d said during his very first lesson at Base I:

“And—never stop fighting.”

…

After concluding their duties at Headquarters, they returned to Base I three days later, right at noon.

After stepping out of the vehicle, Yu Jiang went back first.

Qi He and Yan Chuanbai walked down the main central avenue. As soon as they turned a corner, they noticed a crowd gathered at the central plaza.

Since the Source had been eradicated, more and more survivors had flocked to Base I.

Ji Yan was standing before the stone monument, addressing a group of newcomers.

Yan Chuanbai glanced at the monument. “That’s Yu Tianxing’s handiwork.”

Qi He replied evenly, “Nothing wrong with that.”

The monument was a long slab of unadorned stone, erected at Yu Tianxing’s request. Carved across its surface was the single greatest turning point in human history—the Battle of the Source.

At the front, Ji Yan held a sheet of paper.

He was just about to speak when a ripple of exclamations spread through the crowd—

Two figures were approaching side by side.

They were, after all, the reason most people here had come to Base I with such admiration and hope: one was the youngest major general in the military, a 5S-rank combat ability user, and the most likely candidate for the next general’s position;

The other, Qi He—though not officially part of the military—was a specially appointed instructor, credited with proposing the antibody and detector research that had revolutionized survival efforts. His honor and standing were second to none.

Amid the surge of excitement, Ji Yan cleared his throat, calling everyone back to order.

“Ahem—attention! I have a brilliant speech to deliver.”

He brushed the paper in his hand lightly.

Under the dazzling sunlight streaming from above, standing before the Monument of Honor, he began to speak —

“‘To Those Who Come After’ —”

“We raise the banner of humanity high,

standing against plague and calamity;

we do not fear sacrifice, nor battle.

We tread upon the bodies of those before us,

and guide the ones who will follow.

On this land, all glory will rise again like the sun.

Keep resisting. Keep remembering.

The footprints of the living and the dead

cross this parched earth;

we are the countless forerunners,

and the countless successors.”

…

The sunlight reflected, and his voice echoed across the stone of glory.

Two figures stood side by side at the end of the square.

One, in his immaculate uniform, was as steady and cold as bedrock — unshakable.

The other, with a clear and commanding presence, exuded a calm, powerful steadiness that settled the heart just by standing there.

Countless forerunners, countless successors —

and they stood like raised banners, unwavering.

—————————————————————

— End of Main Story —

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**TN

The main story ends here. We still have some Extra Chapters. 🙂