Chapter 18: Dr. Ling Yun

“Ha! You’re Ye Lingyun’s son? That’s fantastic! I’ll notify someone to pick you up right away.” Ling Fengyan excitedly grabbed what looked like a brick—hmm… it turned out to be a phone.

“Are you really Dr. Lingyun’s son?” The boy called Little Stone looked at Ye Yang with great surprise and joy. Even the icy-faced girl’s expression shifted slightly; her gaze held a hint of astonishment, and Ye Yang thought he even detected a trace of admiration.

Originally, Ling Fengyan and the other two had things to attend to and weren’t planning to return to the camp. But upon this discovery, they voluntarily offered to drive Ye Yang back.

“What’s going on exactly?” Ye Yang asked, his face full of confusion. Could it be that his father had done something extraordinary?

“You don’t know yet?” the boy said in amazement. “Your dad is the greatest scientist in the world! Without a doubt! The most, the most, the most incredible person ever! He’s also my idol.”

Ye Yang rolled his eyes. He knew his old man was quite capable and held a high position, overseeing the entire Chinese Academy of Sciences. But the greatest? That seemed a bit exaggerated. To Ye Yang, his father was just a mad scientist who always tinkered with bizarre things.

“You all know him? Where is he now? In Yanjing?” Ye Yang didn’t care whether his father was great or not; he just wanted to see him quickly, to ask if he had done some strange modification on him. Most importantly, he longed to see his parents, missing them incessantly these past days.

The boy’s expression changed drastically, and the girl beside him frowned deeply. A chill ran through Ye Yang’s heart, an instinct telling him that things were not good. His father...

“Sorry, he’s no longer here,” Ling Fengyan said sorrowfully, turning back.

Though Ye Yang had prepared himself mentally, and even though he knew surviving in this world was a luxury, hearing this news still pierced his chest with sharp pain, and he groaned involuntarily.

Actually, Ye Yang didn’t care whether his dad was a great man or had done something remarkable. His only hope was that he was still alive, that he could see him once more.

When he crawled out of the cryogenic chamber, Ye Yang felt utterly helpless, as if abandoned by the entire world. His only wish was to see his family again, to look at his parents once more. But...

“Your dad was an extraordinary man, the most respected person among all hunters—no! Among all humanity!” Ling Fengyan murmured. “After the apocalypse, he discovered the weaknesses of those monsters, teaching people how to fight back with mercury toxin. He also researched how humans could evolve to gain powerful abilities.”

“Actually, hunters were invented by your dad! Without him, we wouldn’t stand a chance against the monsters roaming the world. Guns? They work against low-level monsters, but against high-level ones, they’re useless.”

“What?” Ye Yang was stunned. Hunters were his father’s creation? It was possible—the mad scientist had spent his life studying such matters.

“Yes, he... you could say he was the savior. Without him, this world would have perished long ago.” Ling Fengyan sighed.

Ye Yang was speechless for a long moment. So what he had been desperately seeking was his father’s invention? The creation of hunters, the evolution of humanity—all his father’s achievements?

But at this moment, Ye Yang cared about only one thing. He asked in a hoarse voice, “Can you tell me... how did he die?”

Ling Fengyan sighed deeply. He didn’t want to answer, but seeing Ye Yang’s resolute gaze, he had no choice.

---

“Like most people, and just like what happened in that small village, it was during a zombie horde invasion that Dr. Lingyun’s lab was completely destroyed, and no one survived.”

“There were too many high-level monsters that time. Even the lab’s security team couldn’t hold them off. The few hunters we left to protect him also died in battle.”

“To be honest, he was truly remarkable—the most remarkable person I’ve ever met. When the apocalypse struck, everyone else sought refuge in big cities, hoping for protection. Only he stayed behind, defending the lab with his life, refusing to leave even if it meant death.”

“When our rescue team finally arrived, it was too late. We only found his body. Until the very end, he was still researching, clutching the remote control for experiments tightly, as if trying to operate something.”

“He was my idol, my utmost respect. I remember him saying he no longer cared about life or death because the interdimensional experiment that triggered the apocalypse was supposed to be done in the American Academy of Sciences too, but for some crucial reason, he didn’t attend. His life was essentially a second chance.”

“That’s why he threw himself into research, discovering knowledge useful to humanity. Without Dr. Lingyun, humans would have been doomed long ago.”

Seeing Ye Yang’s pained expression, Ling Fengyan sighed again, “Don’t be too sad. He got what he wanted in a way. And this happened over ten years ago already...”

“Not sad?” Ye Yang’s face was stained with tears. He buried it deep in his arm, trembling uncontrollably, whispering with a sob in his voice, “How can I not be sad? That old man... he...”

Suddenly, something dawned on Ye Yang. He understood everything—the reason his father never left the lab even in death was because he was right there! Why did his father risk his life in research? To save him! And clutching the remote tightly at death’s door— that was...

Ye Yang remembered his cryogenic chamber had emerged from underground. He recalled that after entering the lab, he found the cryogenic chamber’s original position was very well hidden, tucked away in a nearly impossible spot to find. At the time, he didn’t understand why. But now...

He could imagine the chaos in the lab—the bloodshed, the zombies and monsters running rampant. His father’s last act must have been to hide him, to keep him from being discovered by those creatures.

When the zombie horde stormed the lab, and everyone fled, only his father charged back, risking everything to save him. He was protecting him with his life!

Even the fact that he didn’t participate in the interdimensional experiment was because...

“Old man, you’re not coming back? Damn it! Your son’s bringing his wife home to meet you! And you’re not coming back? That’s your daughter-in-law! How dare you not come back? Fine! From now on, our grandson won’t call you grandpa, I won’t bother with you!”

This wasn’t some important matter at all—it was just Ye Yang’s childish tantrum. He wanted his father to come back and see his long-unseen son and daughter-in-law!

“Sorry, Xiao Yang. Dad couldn’t save you. Sorry, I have to freeze you now...”

Sorry? Sorry?? His father gave up his life for him, but his last words were an apology to Ye Yang?

At that moment, Ye Yang felt overwhelming guilt, almost wishing he could die. The one who should be saying sorry was himself. If he hadn’t been hit by that black aura, if he had been more ruthless and cut off his own arm at the time, maybe his father wouldn’t have...

Ye Yang cried until he could no longer stand, mumbling apologies again and again. But what use was it? His father would never come back, never call him Xiao Yang again.

---

Ye Yang wept like a child, but none of the three people in the car mocked him. Instead, the cold, aloof girl moved closer and gently patted his shoulder, softly offering words of comfort.

When loved ones pass away, everyone reacts this way. Is it weakness? No, it is their way of mourning.

“What about my mother?” Ye Yang spoke again, his voice cold and piercing. He already guessed that his mother would never leave his father’s side. Still, he wanted to ask.

“Dr. Yue Huaxuan, right? Hmm... I’m not very sure about her situation. I wasn’t part of that rescue mission, sorry—I had other duties then,” Ling Fengyan said apologetically. “But I will help you find someone to ask.”

“Thank you...” Ye Yang nodded and said no more. He curled up on the car’s seat, silent, as if dead inside. Perhaps, his heart truly had died. He didn’t even want to ask about the secrets of the hunters anymore.

“By the way, you had no idea about any of this? Why?” Ling Fengyan suddenly remembered something and asked, confused.

“Yes, I had no idea. I... was frozen by my father underground in the lab for over twenty years,” Ye Yang said dejectedly.

“Frozen? Twenty years?” The three in the car were utterly shocked, staring at Ye Yang with disbelief.

A car carrying four people soon returned to the drifter camp. The camp was bustling, seemingly celebrating the recent victorious battle. Several bare-chested men were holding women dressed in heavy makeup, boasting about the crisis and their bravery.

Pushing open the bar door, a piercing cry immediately rang out—it was Qi Fang’s sobbing. Uncle Zheng was trying to comfort her, but the girl was already a tearful mess.

“Ye Yang...” a mournful cry as the girl threw herself into Ye Yang’s arms, trembling fiercely. Tears streamed down her cheeks, soaking Ye Yang’s chest.

“It’s okay, it’s all okay now. Bodyguard Number One is here, no need to be afraid, don’t be sad...” Ye Yang comforted her hoarsely, wrapping his arms tightly around her, as if trying to melt away her sorrow with warmth until she nearly ran out of breath.

In truth, Ye Yang was not just comforting her, nor was he merely trying to warm her. How could he not need warmth himself? They clung to each other not out of love or anything else, but because their fates were identical—they lost their most precious people on the same day, losing all hope.

Outside the bar, a commotion erupted, followed by the sound of a helicopter. The door was suddenly smashed open, and several figures rushed in.

“Xiao Yang? Is that you, Xiao Yang?” A tall, thin middle-aged man hurried over, eyes full of joy and amazement as he looked at Ye Yang.

“Uncle Lin...?” Seeing the somewhat familiar face, tears flowed freely down Ye Yang’s cheeks once more.