A Horrific Twist: "Human Material"?!

Night fell; it was eleven in the evening. The Resting Cemetery, teeming with crowds during the day, was now completely deserted and deathly quiet. A figure silently arrived. Bouquet in hand, Bai Zhou slowly crouched before Section Chief Liu's grave. —He had not come to present flowers in remembrance, of course. It was merely that if someone spotted him and asked what he was doing, he could produce the flowers and say he had come to pay his respects to Section Chief Liu. He could even claim that visiting deceased acquaintances at night was a tradition in Wancheng. —Even though Wancheng actually had no such tradition. In truth, however— Bai Zhou had come to dig up the grave! Not a single last word could be seen anywhere; a colossal question mark had been hanging over Bai Zhou's heart. Who had touched Section Chief Liu's body? Something was definitely wrong here. If it had been anyone else, Bai Zhou might have preferred to avoid unnecessary trouble. But this was Section Chief Liu, so he couldn't let it go. ...Before coming, Bai Zhou had even put his recent occult studies into practice, using red ink to draw a concealment ritual over his chest. It was a very minor ritual whose main function was to diminish his presence, making him harder to detect while hiding. A pity his wristband had already been turned in; otherwise, pairing it with optical camouflage would have worked even better. "I can't wait any longer..." Amid the dead silence around him, Bai Zhou set down the bouquet and slowly pulled a brand-new bench leg from behind his back. After his initial reluctance, he had begun to realize just how practical this thing really was. The material was easy to acquire, drawing no suspicion no matter when it was pulled out—the ultimate natural disguise. —Yet it could be used for just about anything. It could be swung as a club, and with slight modification, it doubled as a crowbar. Like right now. *Crack—crack—* Using the bench leg, he slowly pried open the seam of the cement slab sealing the urn, shifted aside one corner of the stone, and reached in to grope around. Before long, he pulled out a small box draped in the Federation flag. Setting the flag aside, he saw the black-and-white photo of Big Brother Liu on the heavy little black box, offering Bai Zhou an awkward grin. The two of them stared at each other. Staring eye-to-eye with the square face in the photograph, Bai Zhou couldn't help recalling the scene from the last time he had met Big Brother Liu. *Is this also a surprise you wanted to give me?* "Big Brother Liu, no offense intended..." Muttering under his breath, Bai Zhou pried at the urn with snapping *kaba-kaba* sounds. ...To be honest, the moment he pulled out the box, Bai Zhou had regretted it. Because he could feel its weight—it was heavy, meaning there was genuinely something inside. And what else could be inside besides ashes? Grave-robbing in the middle of the night—if the Special Control Bureau found out, dragging him off to the mental hospital wouldn't be the end of it. His behavior was even more unhinged than that of a Blood Worship cultist! Still, having come this far, he couldn't leave empty-handed. At least let him have one look. —He was already here, after all! *Snap!* The urn was successfully pried open. Bai Zhou set down the bench leg with a clatter, shoved the lid aside, and fixed his gaze inside. *There really are ashes inside, looks like I was just...* Bai Zhou's expression suddenly froze. He blinked in disbelief. *Where are the ashes?!* What met his eyes was nothing but damp, dirty silt, haphazardly stuffed into the urn. The grit was moving. Several crimson earthworms were churning and burrowing through the gravel, leaving trails of sticky, slick slime. There were also numerous nameless black beetles scuttling nimbly through the crevices of the sand, swarming across the interior of the modest urn. "...What is this?" Just holding such a sickening, creepy "bug box" made goosebumps erupt across Bai Zhou's arms, and he nearly hurled it away. His stomach churned, followed by an overwhelming surge of absurdity and the sensation of being utterly duped. Beneath the Resting Cemetery where heroic specialists were laid to rest, there were no ashes—only a pile of worm-infested sand? Had all of them spent half the day saluting and mourning over *this*? It was laughable. By all appearances, someone had simply grabbed a handful of dirt and shoved it in! No wonder he hadn't seen any last words. It would be a miracle if he could see last words on something like this! Then... what about the others? Bai Zhou looked around at the surrounding graves. Was it the same beneath the other tombstones? The question was, where had Section Chief Liu's ashes gone? Where had everyone's ashes gone? Bai Zhou could not comprehend it. Confusion and fury battered his mind. He wanted to know: who was desecrating Section Chief Liu's remains? Yet he truly couldn't imagine who would steal a box of ashes, or for what possible motive. What could mere ashes be used for? It wasn't as if someone could mix them into milk powder for calcium! Yet after a moment's contemplation, an unrealistic glimmer of hope arose in his heart... What if Section Chief Liu wasn't actually dead? Perhaps he had only faked his death and was dispatched incognito on an arduous mission. Bai Zhou had read such stories in Wancheng. In the story, a woman named Madame Snow faked her death, lay in a coffin, and was mailed to a notorious terrorist organization called the "Seven Dwarfs." When they opened the coffin out of curiosity, Madame Snow leaped out, resolutely detonating the explosives strapped to her body to perish together with them. —As it turned out, Madame Snow was an elite of the Black Robe organization who devised this ingenious ploy to safeguard Wancheng's peace. Bai Zhou had read this tale in the recruitment brochure for the Black Robe Youth Training Corps, and the memory was still fresh. Clearly, faking death shouldn't be particularly rare in covert organizations... *Tap—* Suddenly, a faint sound came from beside him. It sounded like footsteps, yet exceptionally soft. In the dead silence of the surroundings, the noise gave the already high-strung Bai Zhou a sharp jolt. Who would come to the Resting Cemetery at this hour? Bai Zhou immediately snapped the urn shut and looked toward the source of the noise. A quiet gravestone stood silently not far away. "?" Bai Zhou almost thought he had misheard. Because the sound just now seemed to have come from right there. A corpse coming back to life? Surely not—we're all colleagues here. In the next instant, several more extremely faint sounds rose from below, accompanied by the muffled murmur of voices. Then, the cement slab sealing the urn in front of that silver-white gravestone began to shake. *Something's wrong!* Bai Zhou sprang up to flee, but there were no obstacles around him. The only place he could hide was... Yanking up the Federation flag from the ground and clutching the urn, Bai Zhou jumped without hesitation into the grave pit that was supposed to house Section Chief Liu's urn. Then he reached up, pulled the cement slab back over, and shut it tight without a gap. The Resting Cemetery returned to silence, showing no trace of anything amiss. —Yet a second later, the cement slab was quietly slid open again. A hand reached out and groped around. Touching the bench leg left outside, it snatched it back with a *whoosh*. The slab closed once more, leaving everything as it had been. Only a hairline slit remained. A pair of eyes hid within the darkness behind the gap, cautiously observing the outside. "..." Holding the urn, Bai Zhou hunched down, his nerves wound tight inside the pitch-black, cramped pit. The pit meant for an urn wasn't overly large or small; lying down was impossible, but squatting fit just right. A space exceptionally roomy for an urn felt exceedingly tight when packing an entire living human inside. Probably no one would have ever imagined that a single-occupancy grave pit could one day turn into a double. After all, no matter how much one missed the deceased, no one would lie in here to sleep together... Pitch-black, cramped, but warm and almost cozy, a decent experience overall—never doing this again. Before long, a crisp sound from outside caught Bai Zhou's attention. Before the gravestone not far away, the cement cover was pushed completely open. A group of people emerged from within. First heads, then shoulders. And then their heads and shoulders bobbed up and down as they steadily ascended. —There was a staircase down there? Bai Zhou was dumbfounded. He looked down at the solid dirt beneath his own rear end. Completely different. How could there be an underground passageway beneath the Resting Cemetery? In the blink of an eye, the people had all stepped out. Several carried massive briefcases, scattering warily among the forest of tombstones. Others wore sunglasses and squatted on the ground with their legs spread wide. Though they all wore identical suit uniforms, the ways they wore them differed wildly. One had rolled his sleeves up high, exposing a red spider tattoo on his arm. Another had popped his collar wide to bare his naked chest, and another had simply sliced off the bottom half of his jacket... They somehow managed to turn black suits into bizarre getups. Only the lead man wore his suit properly, but his bald head was the most conspicuous of all. —They're from the outside! The moment he laid eyes on them, Bai Zhou confirmed this fact. Had the Blood Worship Cult attacked ahead of schedule? Then again, the Blood Worship Cult didn't seem this... slouchy and undisciplined, did they? Bai Zhou hugged the urn tightly in the pit, arching his back and holding his breath, every nerve taut. Yet how could outsiders know about this secret passageway...? "Boss, we crept through that tunnel for half the day just to come to this dump?" A lackey grumbled in discontent, pulling a cigarette from his pocket and presenting it with both hands to the bald man. "Acting so mysterious and making us wait so long..." "Just who are they to have such huge face?" *Smack!* The cigarette flew to the ground. A vicious slap landed squarely on his forehead, knocking him flat on the ground. "The hell do you know?!" The bald man glared with fury and hissed: "For this job: ask less, talk less, and just do your work!" "If you keep blabbering, even I won't be able to protect you!" Clutching his head, the subordinate groaned and scrambled up: "Yes, boss..." A chill ran through the group; the lackey doing the Asian squat jumped straight to his feet as well. "—They're here." Suddenly, the bald man turned solemn. Everyone's spine snapped straight instinctively; sleeves that had been rolled up were pulled down, concealing the spider tattoos on their arms. Following their gaze into the distance— several muscular men in black suits, carrying an aura entirely distinct from this crew, walked slowly forward flanking a single figure. As the distance closed, that figure became clearer. Twitching whiskers, a round bulging head, and bright, piercing eyes... A plump, righteous-looking Black Cat Sheriff plush doll was cradled in the person's arms. A military-uniformed man with features as delicate and feminine as a woman's stepped into view before everyone. "...?!" Hiding in the shadows, Bai Zhou felt a sudden jolt of shock. Adjutant Han? Why was he here! The "patron" Section Chief Liu trusted, a longtime colleague, the very Adjutant Han who had told Bai Zhou earlier today that he had high hopes for him and had secured his promotion... How could he be here at this hour, meeting a bunch of outsiders? Had he betrayed the Major and was selling out the organization? But... why? He held high authority and immense power in the base, practically second only to one person. Had the organization not given him enough? Bai Zhou clamped a hand over his mouth, not daring to make the slightest noise, barely daring to breathe. He realized he might have inadvertently stumbled upon a critically dangerous secret. "..." Sizing up the bald leader with casual indifference, Adjutant Han knitted his brows slightly: "Where is Xiao Li?" "Brother Li was assigned elsewhere by the master. I'm Xiao Wang, newly promoted. I'll be in charge of handovers like this from now on." The bald man smiled and offered a business card with an exceedingly respectful demeanor. Glancing casually at the card, Adjutant Han made no comment and pocketed it. "What are you standing around for?" The bald man turned and glared at the subordinates behind him. "Yes, sir!" The subordinates immediately brought forward several briefcases, which Adjutant Han's men took with care. "...All in order." They popped open the briefcases, did a quick tally, and nodded crisply to Adjutant Han. "Very good." The corners of Adjutant Han's lips curled slightly. He held out the Black Cat Sheriff doll in his arms. "This is the 'Human Material' for this batch." "Inspect the goods." He spoke softly and concisely, appearing thoroughly practiced. The bald man cupped his hands and gingerly received the Black Cat Sheriff doll. This adorable yet righteous Black Cat Sheriff, with its chubby, rounded appearance, looked to the suited men... as if drenched in chilling horror. Holding his breath, he swallowed hard, and with trembling hands pulled open the zipper on the plush doll. *Zzzzzzt—* The cotton stuffing one would expect was nowhere to be found. Inside the belly of the "Black Cat Sheriff" was a transparent glass window with exceptionally smooth edges. Through the window, a suffocating sight met the eye: Submerged in pale-yellow nutrient fluid, a fist-sized heart beat steadily and powerfully. Countless blood vessels stemmed from the heart, connecting downward to numerous organs. These organs, seemingly streamlined and modified, were densely packed into the Black Cat Sheriff's abdominal cavity, yet continued to function normally. They formed a miniature, precision circulatory system, absorbing nutrients and expelling metabolic waste with every cycle of blood pumping. —And from the heart upward, numerous vessels ran straight into the doll's head. Looking from below, one could faintly discern that at the very top of this canister rested a fresh, living human brain. Its grayish-white gyri and sulci were deeply furrowed; faint sparks flickering across the folds from time to time seemed to prove that... this brain was still thinking. —Inside this cute doll of contrasting black and white, an emblem of justice, was packed a "living human." His life was still sustained; his brain could still think and feel; his biological systems continued to operate, yet he no longer required food or breath. Beneath the tranquil nutrient fluid lay the most intensely surging current of life. It was unthinkable that Adjutant Han had been carrying around such an object all along. Yet the bald man knew that this was the subject of their transaction. —"Human Material"! The bald man's stomach suddenly heaved, and he raised a hand to cover his mouth. Nearby, a pale-faced lackey dry-heaved softly and couldn't help muttering: "This thing is disgusting..." "Hm?" Adjutant Han's gaze shifted over. His tranquil stare was like looking at a corpse. Behind him, several men in suits stirred aggressively. The atmosphere plummeted below freezing. Until the bald man stepped forward, bowing and apologizing with a fawning smile: "The superiors sent their regards. Once we bring back the 'Human Material' today, the potion you requested will be delivered tomorrow!" Only then did Adjutant Han's expression soften. "It is not disgusting, nor is it some 'thing.'" With a gentle pat, a hand lightly patted the Black Cat Sheriff's round head. Adjutant Han's stroking gesture was immensely gentle, his voice tinged with a faint intoxication. "In fact, I don't even care for the name you always use—'Human Material.'" "For it is the most perfect work of art, a symbol of the miracle of life." "...So when you address him, please use his name." Adjutant Han's tone took on a touch of nostalgia, as though he were looking upon an old friend. He said: "—His name is Liu Zhen."