Chapter 678: One Shot of Pain
After clearing out the air-raid shelters, even if planes came again, they could only blow up some buildings on the surface. They would no longer be able to kill people. As long as those things in the sky set foot on the ground, Yaoyang Base would win without question.
A few more days passed. More people gathered at Yaoyang Base. Both versions of Yun Tao were brought out of the Grand Fortune Hotel.
Word spread quickly. The leadership decided that both Yun Taos would be executed.
Some were delighted. Some sighed. Those who were happy felt that Chen Chaofa would finally be confirmed dead. Those who sighed felt it was a pity that one Yun Tao had to die because of Chen Chaofa, which was not worthwhile at all.
But regardless, everyone lived their own lives. Whoever died, died. It was not them.
Inside Yaoyang Base, a few scattered high-rises stood half-buried above the snow. Without city walls and without roads, people moved within the open snowfield, freely running across the frozen landscape.
After one disaster after another, Fatty had more and more children in his care. The children who once had to be carried could now run on their own. The adults built sleds for them, and the children laughed as they slid across the snow.
Zhang Boxun and Zhan Lian, both high-level metal-type ability users, each escorted one Yun Tao through the snow.
An Ran stood quietly under the winter sun, wearing a dark purple wool coat. A golden scarf around her neck shone under the light.
When the two Yun Taos stopped before her, An Ran withdrew her gaze from Doll on the sled in the distance. She turned, looked at the two calm-faced Yun Taos, and suddenly her eyes reddened.
She seemed reluctant, though no one knew whether it was real reluctance or merely an act. From her expression alone it looked as if there were many words she wanted to say, many farewells still unsaid, yet she did not know which of them she should be bidding farewell to.
Behind her, the adults rushed out to collect the children playing in the snow. One adult wanted to pick up Doll, but Little Mint had been guarding her.
Little Mint’s still, empty eyes lifted toward the adult. The adult’s mind buzzed, and he froze on the spot, his brain briefly shutting down.
Little Mint calmly pulled the sled, carrying the laughing Doll, and brought her into An Ran’s reach.
Near and far, countless visible and hidden eyes watched Zhan Lian and Zhang Boxun pull out black pistols. Both men checked the bullets, released the safeties, then raised the guns in shooting posture, aiming at the Yun Tao beside each of them.
“Papa, Papa…” Hengheng’s anguished cry came from one of the houses.
The second Yun Tao looked in Hengheng’s direction, eyes full of reluctance. The first Yun Tao looked at An Ran, his voice trembling.
“Let me take a look at Hengheng.”
An Ran turned to the other Yun Tao.
“And you? Do you want to see Hengheng one last time?”
“No. If I really die, it is useless to see him now and will only make me emotional. If I don’t die, I will have plenty of chances to see him again.”
“Yes.” An Ran nodded and said to the second Yun Tao, “What is real cannot become false, and what is false cannot become real. What you are about to face is only the pain of one shot.”