4.Resistance Escape

Wang Zuo frowned, checked the time, and said, "Follow if you want, but we won't wait for you." Then, he turned to the other resistance fighters. "Move out!"

The group took off at full sprint, vanishing into the dense fog.

Qin Hu was startled but quickly followed, not even sparing a glance at the skinny man.

The skinny man felt as if the sky was collapsing. He had finally encountered the resistance forces—his only chance at survival. If he couldn't keep up, he would be left behind to die. Gritting his teeth, he forced his leaden legs to move, desperately chasing after them. As he ran, he pulled out his last half-piece of candy, biting down on it with a crunch.

He knew he wouldn't last long, but he couldn't afford to give up. This was his only chance.

Qin Hu sympathized with the skinny man, but he wanted to live more.

The Visen had not occupied Lan Jing for long, but their actions had utterly destroyed human society. Having witnessed death and betrayal time and time again, Qin Hu had long since hardened his heart.

Wang Zuo and his group moved with astonishing speed. Even after running out of the residential district, they showed no sign of slowing down. Qin Hu had already gone two days without food, and this relentless pace made things even worse. It felt as though a black hole had formed in his stomach—no matter what he put in, it would instantly vanish.

After running several hundred meters more, a series of explosions suddenly erupted behind them.

Qin Hu knew the skinny man was done for. Though they weren't close, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow.

The team remained unfazed, maintaining their speed. Qin Hu's hunger gnawed at him, making him feel as if he were on the verge of collapse. At that moment, he finally understood why some survivors had resorted to eating human flesh.

At last, Wang Zuo slowed down and lifted a manhole cover by the roadside before jumping in first.

Qin Hu was surprised. He knew that Lan Jing had an extensive drainage system and that many survivors hid in the sewers. But he hadn't expected the resistance forces to use them for entering and exiting the city.

Thinking about it, it made sense. The Visen had sealed off Lan Jing completely—without a secret route, how could the resistance forces move in and out undetected?

The resistance fighter in front of Qin Hu stopped and gestured for him to go first. Understanding the signal, Qin Hu jumped into the manhole and was shocked to find a hover vehicle waiting below.

This was high-tech, equipped with anti-gravity technology—a luxury few on Lan Cang Star could afford. Only the military had them in large numbers.

The last resistance fighter closed the manhole cover, plunging the sewer into darkness. Qin Hu could only make out vague silhouettes.

Wang Zuo grabbed his arm and led him onto the vehicle.

The vehicle started up silently, speeding away through the underground tunnels.

Not long after they left, a staggering figure reached the manhole, frantically searching the surroundings but finding no trace of the resistance forces.

Exhausted, the skinny man collapsed onto the ground, gazing up at the sky with tears in his eyes.

But he quickly forced himself to his feet and fled the area—he didn't want to die. No matter how worthless his life seemed, he would survive at all costs.

Inside the sewer, Qin Hu couldn't see outside, and the darkness made him uneasy. "Where are we going?"

"Out of the city," Wang Zuo replied curtly.

Qin Hu grew even more curious. "The Visen haven't found this tunnel?"

The Visen's blockade was airtight. If escaping was as simple as finding a random sewer tunnel, why would the city's survivors stay put?

"Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask," Wang Zuo warned.

Qin Hu hesitated before finally gathering his courage, a mix of anxiety and hope in his voice. "My father is Qin Gang, deputy battalion commander of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Brigade of the Defense Force. Do you know him?"

Silence filled the vehicle. Wang Zuo clenched his teeth so hard that he tasted blood.

Qin Hu's hope wavered. "None of you know him?"

Wang Zuo licked the wound in his mouth. "Do you… know where your father went?"

"Yes," Qin Hu said. "He returned to his unit when the military issued the mobilization order."

"Do you know where his brigade was deployed?"

"No." Qin Hu answered truthfully. "After Lan Jing's communications went down, I lost all contact with the outside world. I know the satellite was destroyed by the Visen, but please, tell me—what happened to my father?"

Though the others remained silent, their attitude made Qin Hu's heart sink.

Wang Zuo let out a long sigh before looking at Qin Hu and speaking with difficulty. "I was from the 1st Battalion, 4th Brigade. I don't know what happened to the 7th Brigade… What about the rest of you?"

"I was 3rd Battalion, 6th Brigade."

"1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade."

"2nd Battalion, 9th Brigade."

"Direct Support, 4th Battalion…"

Each person reported their former unit, but none were from the 7th Brigade.

Qin Hu was on the verge of tears. "None of you knew anyone from the 7th Brigade?"

Another silence followed. Finally, Wang Zuo softly explained, "It's not just the 7th Brigade. The 1st and 5th Brigades are gone too."

Qin Hu could no longer hold back his tears. "Please… please tell me what happened to the 7th Brigade! My father—what happened to my father?!"

No one answered. No one wanted to shatter this boy's last hope.

Qin Hu seemed to sense something. He wiped his tears away forcefully. "I won't cry, I won't cry… Just tell me the truth. I can handle it."

Wang Zuo's lips twitched as if in pain.

It was such a childish statement, yet coming from Qin Hu, it was filled with helplessness. He couldn't help but ask, "How old are you?"

"Almost sixteen, in two months."

"What about your mother?"

Qin Hu's voice grew even quieter. "I was single-parent matched. I never checked who she was."

Wang Zuo's sympathy deepened. He wanted to comfort Qin Hu but didn't know what to say.

Suddenly, a voice crackled over the resistance's communication channel. "Single-parent matched? What's that?"

"You don't know?" another voice replied in shock. "It means you want a kid but don't want to get married—or you can't find a girlfriend. So, you submit a request, and the authorities arrange it for you. Got it?"

"Wait, the government hands out girlfriends? Why didn't I know about this?"

"Idiot, not girlfriends! They use the reproductive cell bank—artificial methods. Get it now?"

"Enough!" Wang Zuo snapped, irritated. "Shut up, all of you!"

Single-parent matching had emerged alongside interstellar colonization as a unique method of reproduction. The main reason was simple: on space-faring colony ships, population numbers were far below the natural sustainability threshold.