Chapter 28
Sometimes, coincidences hide unusual information.
Xia Weishuang turned her head to look, and Sang Lu was also slowly turning her head to look over. Her charming eyes were rarely filled with a look of almost innocent confusion.
Xia Weishuang took a step back and pointed to the manhole cover in front of her. “I don’t know what you’re looking for, but, do you want to try starting from here?”
Sang Lu walked over with almost no hesitation, but she looked at the manhole cover, still a little depressed.
“What are you looking for?” Xia Weishuang asked.
Facing Sang Lu, who would almost never take the initiative to explain anything, Xia Weishuang could only be more proactive.
Sang Lu knocked on the manhole cover and said, “I don’t know.”
Xia Weishuang: “…”
Sang Lu’s hand suddenly underwent a strange change, from a smooth and powerless state to a claw like a hawk’s. Small, translucent white scales that refracted a rainbow of light covered it, making this hand change from soft to incomparably hard.
“It’s underneath, but it’s not.”
As she spoke, Sang Lu reached down and, with a bang, threw the manhole cover aside.
Xia Weishuang immediately took two steps back and at the same time shouted to Xia Qingxue, “Little Xue, stop looking! Get away and hide!”
Over there, Xia Qingxue had just been disappointed. “How come there are no keys? Hmm, this one can be opened, it’s not locked properly.” However, there was still no car key.
After hearing the loud noise, the few of them were startled. They turned their heads and saw Xia Weishuang’s strange expression, so they immediately scooped up Mi Lele and ran into the distance.
Although they didn’t know what had happened there, Xia Weishuang’s expression definitely meant that there was danger.
Unfortunately, their car was wrecked again and again, so they couldn’t hide inside and wait.
And Xia Weishuang didn’t hide too far away, because there was a fuel storage tank here. Sang Lu’s actions might not be measured, and it would be difficult for them to get oil. Moreover, Sang Lu would protect her but didn’t care about others.
But unlike the scene Xia Weishuang had expected, where a monster would crawl out, after the manhole cover was gone, a corner of the underground fuel storage tank was revealed.
She carefully poked her head out and looked, but didn’t find anything wrong. The electric pump, flange, and oil pipeline were all intact and didn’t seem to have been damaged by a monster.
“Could it be that the thing you’re looking for is under the fuel storage tank?” Xia Weishuang was a little puzzled. “Or is it next to the fuel storage tank?”
Because Xia Weishuang wasn’t sure how big the fuel storage tank was, she didn’t know where the place Sang Lu was staring at was located in relation to the fuel storage tank.
Sang Lu didn’t know how to answer this question.
So Xia Weishuang said, “Sang Lu, who is stronger, it or you?”
Sang Lu’s eyes trembled slightly. She seemed not to have expected Xia Weishuang to doubt this question. The smile on her face gradually disappeared. Sang Lu raised her hand and pointed firmly at herself.
Xia Weishuang said happily, “That’s good. I’m going to get some oil. If any strange things come out to cause trouble on the way, I’ll rely on you.”
Tool-person Sang Lu: “…”
Xia Weishuang began to fiddle with the tools. After a while, nothing happened. Xia Qingxue was so bored over there that she squatted down and started to weave a grass ring.
Connect the pipe to the flange, connect the empty oil barrel, and then start the electric pump, and gasoline will flow out continuously.
This entire fuel storage tank might have stored tens of tons of fuel. They naturally couldn’t take so much. Xia Weishuang was not greedy and was only going to take a few small barrels.
But for some reason, at first, the oil filling was very smooth. After one barrel was filled, when it was the second barrel’s turn, it was as if the electric pump’s power was insufficient. The flow was small and intermittent.
Xia Weishuang’s brows furrowed slightly. She raised her hand and turned off the electric pump, then tightened the lid of the oil barrel.
“Sang Lu, it’s in the fuel storage tank.”
Sang Lu’s expression still didn’t change, until she reached out and touched the gasoline at the mouth of the pipe. The thing stuck to her finger, and it actually made her show a look of disgust.
At this time, Xia Weishuang suddenly realized that perhaps Sang Lu’s difficulty was not that she couldn’t find the other party’s location, but because she hated gasoline.
If the other party was hiding in the fuel storage tank, then it would indeed be difficult not to touch the gasoline.
Xia Weishuang said helplessly, “I don’t know what this thing is, but… it’s best not to start a fire.”
Even if the fuel storage tank was empty, it could still cause a big fire.
Sang Lu touched Xia Weishuang’s head with her other clean hand. Several tentacles extended from her back. Then, two thin ones wrapped around the oil barrel, and two thick ones wrapped around Xia Weishuang’s waist, sending the person and the barrel together to Xia Qingxue’s vicinity.
“Sis, what’s wrong over there?” Xia Qingxue immediately came up, took the oil barrel, and helped Xia Weishuang move further away.
Xia Weishuang shook her head. “I don’t—”
BOOM!
Sang Lu’s speed was always so fast.
The ground trembled, shaking people so much that they couldn’t stand steadily.
Xia Weishuang quickly turned her head and saw a large hole in the ground. Countless cracks spread out from it like a spider web. Cracks also appeared on the concrete pillars of the gas station, as if they were about to shatter in the next second.
The smell of gasoline even spread to Xia Weishuang’s side. Without a doubt, the fuel storage tank had been broken by Sang Lu.
A viscous, huge, soft thing like petroleum asphalt emerged from the ground. At first glance, one would think that thing was some kind of gasoline monster. Its color was dark red with black, and its skin was not completely smooth. It had sparse hair on it, and at the top was a large, black, slightly protruding thing that glowed yellow in the daylight. Because it was far away, she couldn’t see clearly what it was.
“A slime?” Xia Qingxue was dumbfounded, watching this super huge thing squeeze out of the ground bit by bit.
This thing, which she didn’t know what it was, looked a bit like plasticine or maybe a slime. As soon as it appeared, it immediately added a more complex smell to the gasoline-filled air.
A smell of decay and rot spread out.
Because of its excessive size, the tall Sang Lu looked extremely small in front of it. At this time, Sang Lu’s tentacles were trembling rapidly in the air at a dazzlingly high frequency. She did not attack this monster, but was shaking her tentacles like a cat shaking its fur, trying to shake off the gasoline on them.
The monster in front of Sang Lu, because it was not known what it was originally, and since it was hiding in the fuel storage tank, let’s call it the gasoline monster for now.
The gasoline monster was huge and soft, and could change into different shapes, which was very similar to Sang Lu. However, it looked very clumsy, and its mass was too large, causing it to move slowly. Every time it moved, it would cause the ground to tremble.
While Sang Lu was shaking her fur, the gasoline monster arrogantly pulled itself up and enlarged itself, then, relying on its huge size that seemed to be able to submerge the gas station, it mercilessly crushed towards Sang Lu.
“Sang Lu!”
Even though Sang Lu said she was stronger, Xia Weishuang couldn’t help but call her name.
At the same time, the few girls who were far away from the center of the battlefield were not having a good time either. The ground was shaking, making them dizzy. Xia Qingxue fell to the ground and simply hugged Mi Lele and didn’t get up.
Anyway, getting up would just mean falling again.
And Xia Weishuang and Ke Xiaoxiao bumped into each other. Ke Xiaoxiao’s head hit Xia Weishuang’s chin, a sour and refreshing feeling that almost brought tears to Xia Weishuang’s eyes.
In the end, they all learned from Xia Qingxue and sat on the ground. Xia Weishuang rubbed her chin and looked at Sang Lu’s side with undisguised worry.
Seeing that Sang Lu had nimbly dodged the gasoline monster, she breathed a sigh of relief—Sang Lu, who hated gasoline so much, would definitely be miserable if she was covered in gasoline by the gasoline monster.
Because she particularly hated the gasoline on the gasoline monster, Sang Lu’s actions became a bit “timid.” She was trying her best to avoid getting gasoline on her.
And here, Ke Xiaoxiao was also holding her head and saying to Xia Weishuang, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, you didn’t do it on purpose.”
“Sister Shuangshuang…”
Xia Weishuang was staring at Sang Lu’s side, a little dazed. For a moment, she didn’t notice. Ke Xiaoxiao was a little aggrieved and had to shout in her ear, “Sister Shuangshuang!”
Xia Weishuang was startled. “What’s wrong?”
Ke Xiaoxiao lowered her head again and said weakly, “Senior Sang Lu is so amazing.”
So she called her back just to praise Sang Lu? Xia Weishuang felt a little strange, but still said, “That’s right, she is indeed very amazing.”
Ke Xiaoxiao began to get to the point. “Qingxue is also very amazing. They are all espers. Sometimes I really envy them… I feel so weak. Sometimes I also think, why is fate so different? Is it that ordinary people are destined to have a harder time? Sister Shuangshuang, you are also an ordinary person. You can definitely understand this feeling, right?”
Xia Weishuang felt super awkward, because she also had an ability, but Ke Xiaoxiao didn’t know.
Xia Qingxue’s ability was not easy to hide in front of close people, and she didn’t think she needed to hide it in front of these few people. But she respected others’ privacy and didn’t tell Ke Xiaoxiao about Xia Weishuang’s and Mi Lele’s abilities.
When they wanted to say it themselves, that was their business, and it had nothing to do with Xia Qingxue.
Xia Weishuang coughed dryly and said, “Actually, I also have an ability.”
Ke Xiaoxiao: “…”
Xia Weishuang said with some embarrassment, “My ability is a bit of a chicken rib, there’s nothing much to say. But don’t worry, I can still understand your thoughts.”
Then Xia Weishuang encouraged her, “Ordinary people also have their own way of living and can also protect themselves. Besides, there are more ordinary people in this world. Xiaoxiao, you are a smart child. I believe you can live well without an ability. There’s no need to feel sorry for yourself.”
Ke Xiaoxiao: “…………”
A loud bang suddenly came from the gas station again. Xia Weishuang turned her head and saw that Sang Lu had actually rolled up the concrete pillar of the gas station!
Then, Sang Lu, with the pillar in her hand, fiercely flipped it, flipping the gasoline monster over like a fried egg. The gasoline monster lay in the big pit on the ground, pressing the pit even bigger and deeper.
Its “top of the head” was facing Xia Weishuang’s side. Xia Weishuang looked closely and found that the black, slightly protruding thing actually looked like a human eye, standing vertically, with only one, so large that it was deformed and terrifying.
The next moment, Sang Lu, with the uneven end of the concrete pillar, fiercely nailed it into the gasoline monster’s body. The gasoline monster immediately let out a sharp and piercing cry, like a baby’s cry, which pierced deep into their ears.
Xia Weishuang and the others covered their ears and all showed expressions of pain.
Sang Lu still didn’t let go of the concrete pillar. She extended her tentacles and hung herself in the air, indifferently watching the struggling monster below. Then, with the concrete pillar, she forcefully swiped down, like a knife cutting through a leather bag, a sharp needle piercing a balloon. A large amount of stinking black-red liquid gushed out from the gasoline monster’s body, with a layer of pale yellow oil floating on top.
The monster was struggling in its death throes. Sang Lu firmly nailed the concrete pillar at the end. Then, she once again crushed the upper and lower ends of another concrete pillar, preparing to pull it out and nail the upper end of the gasoline monster as well.
This way, no matter how much the gasoline monster struggled, it could only be fixed to the ground and wait for death.
Xia Weishuang saw that the ceiling of the gas station was crumbling, and concrete blocks and dust were constantly falling.
Xia Weishuang’s pupils suddenly shrank. She shouted, “Don’t!”
But she was a moment too late. When Sang Lu removed the second concrete pillar, the ceiling completely collapsed! Dust and smoke swept over like a small storm. Xia Weishuang had no choice but to cover her mouth and nose, close her eyes, and lie on the ground, waiting for the dust and smoke to pass.
Her body and hair were covered in dust. As soon as the airflow passed, she immediately got up and prepared to run towards Sang Lu.
A hand grabbed the corner of her clothes. “Sister Shuangshuang, calm down…” Xia Weishuang didn’t even notice that someone was trying to persuade her. She subconsciously continued to run forward and directly broke free from the other person’s hand.
The dust and smoke at the scene of the accident were even more serious. Xia Weishuang squinted her eyes and covered her mouth and nose, but she was still choked and coughed.
Slowly, as she got closer, the visibility became a little better.
She saw a mess of concrete blocks and steel bars on the ground. And at the top of the debris, stood a tall and thin figure.
In the instant the ceiling collapsed, she had gone from below to above.
Rustle, rustle!
Xia Weishuang walked forward on the uneven concrete blocks. This was not easy. She stumbled and almost fell when she stepped on an uneven concrete block.
Xia Weishuang saw countless whip-like shadows hidden in the dust. Unconsciously, she had been surrounded.
Then, she was entangled and protected by this terrifying weapon and sent to Sang Lu.
“Sang Lu.” Xia Weishuang cupped Sang Lu’s also dust-covered face and smiled. “You scared me.”
Sang Lu gave her a deep smile.
The ground had not yet completely calmed down. The monster that had been nailed down by Sang Lu was still making its last sounds of life, writhing and trembling.
After about ten minutes, the dust dissipated, the gasoline monster was lifeless, and the wind brought fresh air.
Xia Weishuang took a deep breath, but was almost choked to death by the stench of the gasoline monster. She could only continue to cover her nose and breathe.
Sang Lu stood beside her and began to shake off the dust. She was close, and accidentally shook some on Xia Weishuang.
Xia Weishuang took a few steps back, covering her mouth and said, “Sang Lu!”
Sang Lu: “…” She silently moved a little further away, then nimbly jumped to a high place in a few moves.
Xia Weishuang approached the large pit where the gasoline monster’s corpse lay, took a look, and almost threw up.
If it were treated as an animal, then what should have been its belly was now split open with a large opening, revealing the extremely deep black-red, fine fluff inside, and… a sticky mass of stomach contents that had melted together.
Among those stomach contents were white bone fragments, tattered clothes, a buckle from a belt, tangled hair… and car keys.
This was a monster that fed on humans. This was the culprit of the strange phenomenon at the gas station.
Xia Weishuang endured her anger and disgust, and used a long, rectangular piece of concrete to push the monster’s “belly” to the sides, so that more of it could be exposed instead of being covered by the stomach contents.
Xia Weishuang’s heart sank, because she found that the inside of this monster was extremely similar to the place where the woman inside the small supermarket she had seen was giving birth.
The gasoline monster was not a gasoline monster at all, but another monster made of flesh and blood. The inside of its belly was as if it were composed of fleshy “tiles,” and the pattern of the “tiles” was very similar to the face of a human crying in pain.
After shaking off the dust, Sang Lu jumped back to Xia Weishuang’s side, pulled out the concrete pillar that was stuck in the gasoline monster’s corpse, and began to flip this piece of rotten meat over and over again… she couldn’t find it.
Although Sang Lu still had a beautiful and ghostly smile when she turned her head, Xia Weishuang could still tell that she was a little depressed.
Xia Weishuang lowered her eyes slightly and suddenly grabbed Sang Lu’s hand.
“Sang Lu, you’re looking for a crystal, right?”
Sang Lu slowly nodded. “And, meat.”
Meat?
What meat?
Xia Weishuang raised her head and smiled at Sang Lu, very gently. “I know where the thing you’re looking for is.”
If Sang Lu hadn’t been by her side, perhaps today Xia Weishuang, Xia Qingxue, Mi Lele, and Ke Xiaoxiao would all have become food for the gasoline monster. And the others didn’t have Sang Lu by their side, so they had already become food for the gasoline monster, and in the future, even more people would die for no reason.
“Sis, is it safe over here?” Xia Qingxue asked from a distance, her voice raised.
Xia Weishuang made a gesture for her not to come over.
She led Sang Lu to the small supermarket. The small supermarket at this gas station had its glass windows and door broken due to the collapse of the ceiling in front, making it a miserable sight.
Xia Weishuang came to the duty room and knocked lightly on the door.
