CHAPTER 187: CHAPTER 185: ORIGIN

Qin Lan and Ding Ning’s arrival was slightly later than Chen Xin had anticipated.

Nevertheless, they came in a car specifically sent for them, and arrived at Chen Xin’s doorstep.

Using the remote control to open the newly upgraded gate for the first time, as the heavy metal door slowly descended and the cold wind rushed in, Chen Xin couldn’t help but feel an indescribable sensation inside.

He felt as if he were some kind of big boss or villain in a bunker, nothing like a protagonist’s entrance.

After all, in movies, when doors open like this, the person appearing behind them is rarely the protagonist or any positive character.

But this was just a random thought; as the gate fully lowered and seeing Qin Lan and Ding Ning step out of the car, Chen Xin took a few steps forward to greet them.

However, the snow at the entrance was rather deep, and the half-meter thick snow made it difficult for Ding Ning and Qin Lan to get out directly.

"This gate is really cool!" Ding Ning exclaimed, as she jumped down from the snow piled at the entrance, then turned to help Qin Lan down, and only then did she ask Chen Xin, "But last time I came, wasn’t it different?"

"I made some renovations. The previous sliding doors would be stuck by snow accumulation outside, so I switched to the current lift-style gate, which is much better." Chen Xin explained to Ding Ning, and also looked at Qin Lan on the side, "You’re here, Lan?"

Qin Lan nodded slightly to Chen Xin, and replied softly, "Yes, sorry for any inconvenience this might cause."

"Inconvenience? I’m thrilled you could come," Chen Xin replied with a smile, then glanced outside at the person who had brought them, though it was a young special police officer he didn’t know, he still greeted him, "Comrade, thank you for bringing them over, come in for a rest and have a drink."

But the officer shook his head and quickly said, "No, thank you. I have other matters to attend to and need to return to the city immediately."

After speaking, the officer handed over a black duffel bag and a long rectangular box, said goodbye to Ding Ning and Qin Lan, and turned to leave in the car.

Watching the officer leave, Chen Xin didn’t pay much heed, and proceeded to close the gate once more.

Once the gate was closed, he looked over at Ding Ning, asking, "Xiao Ding, what did your note mean? What’s going on here?"

"There’s a major operation that requires your cooperation, A-Xin. Sister Lan and I are here to protect you," Ding Ning quickly explained, glancing at Qin Lan, signaling her to continue the explanation, while she herself hurriedly opened the bag she brought to check its contents.

Chen Xin could only turn to Qin Lan, waiting for her explanation.

"A-Xin, do you remember the father and daughter who froze to death at your doorstep before?" However, Qin Lan didn’t explain directly, instead asking a seemingly unrelated question.

"The father and daughter who froze to death at my doorstep?" Chen Xin was a bit surprised, but still nodded, since such an incident was indeed hard to forget.

Seeing Chen Xin acknowledge that he remembered, Qin Lan continued, "That father and daughter escaped from a private shelter nearby. That place was originally built as a shelter for them and other relatives before the disaster, but it was occupied by the terrorists who attacked Shelter No. 2 in Baling County. They escaped to seek help, but unfortunately..."

Chen Xin understood what Qin Lan regretted, for the father and daughter had frozen to death at his doorstep.

However, Chen Xin still felt something was amiss, and asked Qin Lan, "How did the police find out about this?"

"We found a phone on the little girl, and upon turning it on, discovered a pre-recorded video," Qin Lan’s tone was low, whether due to just being discharged from the hospital or thinking of fallen comrades, but she continued, "The video was secretly recorded, explaining the origins of the terrorists occupying their shelter, and their planned attacks on the city’s major facilities."

At this point, Qin Lan paused noticeably, adjusting her emotions before continuing, "After the terrorists took over the shelter, they didn’t kill the survivors, only controlled them. But the little girl’s parents kept looking for ways to escape. With the mother’s sacrifice and other relatives’ cooperation, they managed to escape, believing this place, A-Xin, to be an official shelter, which is why they came knocking, only to... freeze to death at your doorstep."

"This... is really unfortunate." Chen Xin sighed; if only he had installed a doorbell at the time.

Perhaps finding this topic heavy, Qin Lan quickly moved past it, continuing to introduce the situation: "Afterwards, when the attacks occurred, while I was injured in the hospital, the municipal department had already launched an operation, sending people to that shelter, but... the terrorists had already left, and all the original people in the shelter had been killed."

Listening to Qin Lan’s account made Chen Xin’s scalp crawl; hearing about ruthless terrorists in games or news doesn’t have much reality, but when such things are happening in real life, close to oneself, it inevitably makes one feel terrified and horrified.

"Who are they really? Why would they do this?" Chen Xin calmed himself down and raised the critical question to Qin Lan.

However, Qin Lan did not answer. Instead, she looked at Ding Ning, who was still checking the equipment: "A-Ning, you explain, you know the situation better than I do."

This time, Qin Lan and Ding Ning brought a full set of special police combat gear, including helmets, bulletproof vests, and other equipment, and the long rectangular box contained Qin Lan’s sniper rifle.

These pieces of equipment were evidently disguised as Qin Lan and Ding Ning’s luggage, which Ding Ning had been counting and organizing.

Hearing her name called, Ding Ning stood up and explained to Chen Xin, "A-Xin, you know this city is located at the northern end of Xiang Province, bordering Gan Province and E Province, right?"

"Of course, I know. Also, in the past, this city was a transportation hub connecting the three provinces due to its location at their junction. However, because the land route was mountainous and the water route difficult, the junction area was practically a no-man’s land until developments after the establishment of the country." Chen Xin recalled information about the city he had researched for writing novels, allowing him to explain smoothly.

Although the city is a key water and land transport hub, connecting not only the three provinces but also north and south of the Yangtze River, the area is already hilly, rugged terrain, and the meandering Yangtze River creates nine twists and eighteen bends, added with hidden reefs and shoals, making it difficult to navigate in ancient times.

The river’s 240-kilometer route covers only a straight distance of 80 kilometers, twisting sixteen great bends, known as the "Nine Twists Intestine." Even historically, this stretch of the Yangtze River in the city’s jurisdiction is known as "The Mighty Yangtze, danger lies in Jingjiang."

After the country’s founding, a rectification project was intentionally undertaken to straighten the river and remove underwater reefs, finally making this stretch of the Yangtze River navigable.

As for the land, due to recent efforts from the Flame Country in promoting national infrastructure, numerous highways have been constructed, so Chen Xin had little impressions about the land routes.

But recalling driving past the junction of the three provinces, with its endless mountains, hills, and spans of bridges and tunnels, one can imagine how difficult travel must have been in the past.

"Since you know about these, A-Xin, it makes explanation easier," Ding Ning acknowledged and appreciated Chen Xin’s knowledge, before continuing, "Because this city used to be a no-man’s land, although not overrun with bandits like Xiangxi, the area wasn’t exactly peaceful either. Some historical issues have lingering effects even after all these years, so in more remote villages of Baling County, beliefs associated with the White Lotus Sect still persist."

"What the F**k!" Chen Xin was stunned by Ding Ning’s revelation, involuntarily blurting out the expletive in English.

However, both Ding Ning and Qin Lan understood why Chen Xin reacted so strongly, because the White Lotus Sect is incredibly ancient, famous enough to be mentioned in novels or folklore, making it an excellent villain trope among writers like Chen Xin.

Yet, unexpectedly, the White Lotus Sect became a real villain in reality, which was beyond Chen Xin’s imagination, especially since the sect still has activities even today, leaving one dumbfounded.

"We didn’t believe it at first, either, but according to collected clues, these people are indeed related to the White Lotus Sect, a surviving branch from the Tartar Dynasty era, long present in Baling County’s remote villages," Qin Lan said, giving Chen Xin a bitter smile. She hadn’t expected to hit the nail on the head; those terrorists truly were part of a cult.

Chen Xin pinched the bridge of his nose, calming his emotions before continuing, "But if they have existed since the late Qing Dynasty, wouldn’t the municipal government have known? Didn’t they eradicate them during movements like ’Destroy the Four Olds’ and fighting feudal superstitions in the past?"

"The municipal government certainly cracked down on them, but that only drove them underground. With beliefs rooted for a century or two, they are deeply entrenched," Ding Ning shook her head helplessly, expressing the same reaction she had when hearing about this from the political commissar, "Moreover, they generally abide by laws, and the White Lotus Sect worships Maitreya Buddha, making it difficult to eliminate them because of their subtlety. Thus, as long as they didn’t cause significant disturbances, the municipal government chose to overlook them."

"Yet no one expected the advent of the apocalypse to become an opportunity for them, leading to such a major incident," Chen Xin concluded, revealing a bitter smile.