I’ve Got this Cannon Fodder’s Back

149: 148 149: 148 The sharp alarm blared constantly, and guards quickly gathered.

Holding the person in his arms, Gu Yuan climbed up from the courtyard and temporarily hid in the ventilation duct, listening to the chaotic footsteps below.

His anxious heart gradually calmed down, and he silently tightened his embrace.

Lu Deng lay quietly on his chest, looking up slightly.

Gu Yuan used one hand to protect him.

His eyes remained calm.

He gently pressed his palm against Lu Deng’s back in reassurance before cautiously peeking down to check the situation.

More guards gathered and soon discovered that both cells were empty.

They immediately began shouting and anxiously searching everywhere, causing the situation below to be thrown into chaos.

Even in a post-apocalyptic era where boundaries had blurred, such cruel and extreme human experiments still couldn’t be exposed.

If they managed to escape and reveal everything to the public, the entire base would face attacks and sanctions from other bases.

Even if the escapees had no evidence, simply appearing outside would be enough to expose all the dark deeds hidden here.

The superiors were furious, and the guards were at a loss.

They nervously searched everywhere, trying to find any trace of the escapees.

Gu Yuan gradually pieced together the situation and concentrated on observing, focusing on finding a way to escape.

Lu Deng didn’t look down.

Even without looking, he knew what would happen next.

The base wouldn’t allow a single test subject to escape and would soon completely seal off the entire lab.

If they didn’t catch the escapees within a day, the base would remain in lockdown for as long as necessary.

Anyone without a pass would have a hard time moving, and their journey ahead would likely be difficult.

But that didn’t really matter.

As long as they were together, no matter what happened, he wouldn’t feel despair.

Lu Deng tightened his arm, and vines silently slipped out from his sleeve, searching for their next route.

The clothing provided to the test subjects was minimal, just enough to cover their bodies and hide scars.

Gu Yuan’s clothes wrapped around him, bringing them so close they could hear each other’s heartbeats.

Even returning to his youth’s appearance, Gu Yuan was still half a head taller, with a face that hadn’t yet shed its adult sharpness, though it retained some gentleness.

His broad shoulders and long arms could easily envelop Lu Deng completely.

His chest was warm, quickly dispelling the bone-chilling cold.

Lu Deng closed his eyes briefly, the confusion in his gaze dissipating.

He tightened his grip on Gu Yuan’s hand and whispered, “Follow me.” The ventilation ducts were like a maze, but if they could find the right direction, they could reach a relatively safe place.

Lu Deng was familiar with the layout.

After a brief exploration, the vines found an exit.

Gu Yuan suddenly felt a flicker in his heart as he prepared to lead the way.

He instinctively glanced down.

Among the test subjects being roughly transferred, Gu Yuan caught a fleeting glimpse of a shadow.

It was a young, black-haired boy, even smaller and thinner than the others.

He walked unsteadily, head down, stumbling as he endured scolding for being too slow.

Heavy shackles dragged on the ground, chafing his ankles until they were bruised and bloody.

He had undergone too many experiments, and his body was on the brink of collapse.

Even the slightest touch made him cringe in pain, the pallor on his delicate face betraying restrained anguish.

One of the guards deliberately stepped on his shackles, causing him to lose balance and fall forward.

His forehead struck the sharp corner of an instrument, instantly blossoming into a bright red wound.

Gu Yuan’s heart clenched painfully.

He almost took a step forward before the figure vanished as quickly as it had appeared as if it were nothing but a momentary hallucination brought on by the pressure.

When he came back to his senses, Lu Deng was watching him, his quiet, dark eyes showing gentle concern.

…Just an illusion.

Gu Yuan looked at him steadily, his gaze moving from Lu Deng’s soft hair to his eyes, unable to resist reaching out to gently touch his brow.

Lu Zhiguang stood there, although puzzled, waiting patiently for him to return to his senses.

As he gently brushed away the hair covering his forehead, Lu Deng’s serene and clear gaze was fully revealed, with no visible scars.

Forcing down the depression in his chest, Gu Yuan didn’t say anything more.

He bent slightly to press a kiss to Lu Deng’s forehead, took his hand, and said, “Let’s go.” Lu Deng didn’t know what had happened but still welcomed the intimacy, his expression softening into a smile as he led Gu Yuan into the dark ventilation duct.

The way in the ventilation duct was twisted and full of turns, with occasional glimpses of light streaming through grates.

The deeper they went, the fainter the guards’ shouts became until they were barely audible.

Only the sound of footsteps and quickened breaths could be heard.

Darkness tended to make people feel tense, with the sound of machinery on either side humming faintly, heightening the unease.

As he was counting his heartbeats, Gu Yuan’s mind drifted to an old memory.

He and Lu Zhiguang had once acted out a scene like this together.

A young man trapped in a lab, enduring countless human experiments, tormented day after day in an inescapable prison… The database’s contents had been heavily encrypted.

Though he’d received special authorization to restore his memory, there were still many parts he couldn’t fully remember.

As Gu Yuan struggled to recall the rest of the storyline, Lu Zhiguang stopped briefly in front of him.

A warm, yellowish light appeared in his hand.

Startled, Gu Yuan looked up instinctively.

The light was soft and looked fluffy.

Tiny, warm rays spread out, illuminating a small area, like a newborn chick nestled in his palm.

The light didn’t reach far before it was swallowed by the darkness.

However, in this almost pitch-black environment, it was a gentle comfort.

In Lu Deng’s hand was a tiny firefly grass.

The warm light danced lightly over his forehead, casting a faint golden dust on his lashes.

His clear eyes reflected the glow, gazing quietly at Gu Yuan with a soft expression.

Looking at him, a gentle warmth flowed through Gu Yuan’s heart.

“This should help a little.” Lu Deng passed the firefly grass to him, the soft glow transferring into Gu Yuan’s hand.

“Its light only illuminates a small area so that they won’t see it from the outside.

Just be careful…” “Is this also a post-apocalyptic plant?” Gu Yuan accepted it, curiosity lighting his gaze.

“I thought all plants in the post-apocalypse were like bloodthirsty vines, but I see there are gentle types too…” The soft green leaves stretched gently, with delicate, curling tips made almost transparent by the light.

Gu Yuan couldn’t resist poking the leaves gently.

As he was about to compliment it, the firefly grass straightened up abruptly, spinning its leaves vigorously as its bloom opened wide to reveal tiny, sharp teeth chomping down on his finger.

Gu Yuan: … Lu Deng looked up at him, eyes filled with mirth.

There were many people still searching for them outside.

But squatting in the dark, cramped ventilation duct, the dangers and shadows around them suddenly seemed less threatening.

With his lover beside him, even in a place that held his most frightening memories, he found it hard to feel afraid.

After laughing quietly on Gu Yuan’s shoulder, Lu Deng finally took a deep breath, coughed softly, and knocked lightly on the blooming firefly grass.

“Open your mouth, let go.” The firefly grass released Gu Yuan’s finger, and Lu Deng placed it on his shoulder, finishing the introduction.

“…Just remember not to touch it randomly, and it won’t bite.” The tiny teeth didn’t hurt much, only leaving a faint line of red.

Shaken, Gu Yuan nodded quietly, then looked at Lu Zhiguang, catching a lingering smile in his eyes.

Noticing his gaze, Lu Deng blinked up at him in confusion.

Gu Yuan smiled at him, hugging him closer.

“Good bite.

I’ve felt for a while that I deserved one.” Since entering this mysterious refining space, this was the first time he had seen Lu Zhiguang smile so freely.

Only now did a certain weight in Gu Yuan’s heart finally ease.

He lowered his head, embracing Lu Deng and pressing a tender kiss to his brow and eyes.

The firefly grass rested on his shoulder, covering its bloom as though shy, its glow softening.

The ventilation duct became a small safe haven full of peace.

Lu Deng was held in his arms, feeling even more at ease.

He decided not to rush forward and relaxed, squinting his eyes and gently rubbing against his neck.

Gu Yuan kissed the top of his head.

Just as he was about to ask something, the boy in his embrace held his hands.

Lu Deng looked up at him, his voice was light and warm, “I’m all right…” Gu Yuan was slightly startled, then gave a light smile.

His arms went under his armpit, wrapped around his back, and sat upright, holding him.

“I know.” The solid embrace seemed to let him relax and lean on at any time.

Lu Deng pursed his lips and revealed a carefree smile.

He held him close and leaned on his shoulder, whispering, “When I came out, I checked the time.

We must leave here within five days.” Hearing him refocusing on serious matters, Gu Yuan sat up.

“How far do we need to go?

Is it safe once we leave the research lab?” “No, the explosion will be large, enough to destroy the entire base,” Lu Deng replied, carefully recalling the details in his memory.

“After the base realizes we’ve escaped, they’ll lock it down.

Before we leave, we must collect some supplies from the lab, including the pass card.

However, the lab will have staff during the day, so we need to wait until nightfall.

Therefore, we have to stay in the ventilation duct for a while…” They might survive if they didn’t make it out in time, but it would be a big risk, and Lu Deng didn’t want to endanger Gu Yuan.

Gu Yuan trusted him and didn’t ask how he knew all this.

Instead, he listened and committed everything to memory.

“All right, we’ll find a way together.” Relaxing slightly, Lu Deng took his hand and offered him a fragrant fruit on his palm.

“There’s no need to hurry.

Let’s rest for now and conserve our energy.” The fruit was thin-skinned and juicy, looking deliciously sweet Gu Yuan had a good memory; he held the fruit in his palm, carefully examining it.

Wondering what he was doing, Lu Deng blinked at him, but Gu Yuan spoke first.

“Just to make sure… it won’t suddenly jump up and break my teeth, will it?” Lu Deng chuckled and shook his head, taking a bite to show it was safe.

He has plant ability, and as long as there are enough seeds, it won’t take much power to stimulate them.

Gu Yuan finally felt relieved when he saw that he had something to eat.

With a smile, he leaned over and kissed him on the lips, then picked up some fruit and took a bite.

The sweet juice slid down his throat and soothed his thirst.

Gu Yuan, reinvigorated after eating the fruit, saw the figure who was tirelessly exploring again and stood up to help with the pathfinding.

The two walked and rested, timing their journey so that by nightfall, the laboratory stopped operating, and they arrived at the ventilation opening directly above the lab.

Vines stretched through the grid of the duct, unscrewing the bolts at each corner and securely catching the falling grate.

The laboratory was dark, with shadows stretching in every direction.

Lu Deng took a deep breath, glanced back to signal Gu Yuan, and prepared to jump down.

But as his eyes swept over the equipment below, his heart gave a jolt, and he instinctively halted his movement mid-way.

Sensing the change in him, Gu Yuan placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, silently signaling a question.

Lu Deng only pressed his lips together and shook his head, giving him a faint smile before leading the way.

His nimble figure landed soundlessly, and he motioned for Gu Yuan to follow.

The vines carefully resecured the ventilation grate above them, and Lu Deng summoned a few more firefly grasses to shed a gentle light around them.

Guided by a soft glow, he walked straight to a cabinet where the lab’s medicines were stored.

Gu Yuan trailed him, unable to ignore the ominous unknown equipment scattered throughout the lab, whose uses he could only guess.

He can almost imagine how many terrible things have happened here.

Seeing is believing.

Seeing the array of cold surgical tools, body modification implements, and walls covered with experimental procedures and reports.

He finally understood why Lu Zhiguang had been so anxious to check on him earlier.

Even if someone only underwent one experiment here, the agony was indescribable.

The despair and shadow brought by being slaughtered without the ability to resist.

Even the strongest person in the world cannot fully withstand them, and they will wear away.

Not to mention teenagers who had spent their whole lives enduring this day after day since the day they can remember… Remembering the instinctive flinch he’d seen in Lu Zhiguang, a sharp pain shot through Gu Yuan’s heart.

He fought the urge to reach out to him, though his hand stilled mid-air before he quietly stepped back.

He needed to focus and restrain himself from dwelling on the connection between these horrors and Lu Zhiguang.

Otherwise, he’d abandon the entire mission and devote himself to dismantling this nightmare.

But more often than not, he couldn’t help his thoughts, his gaze now steady and full of anguish, falling on Lu Deng’s figure.

Why was Lu Zhiguang so familiar with this place, as if it were the back of his palm?

How did he know there would be an explosion in five days?

How can he be so calm and easily escape from the cell?

Why did he suddenly stop as if startled just before jumping down?

Gu Yuan did not dare to think deeper, yet he was unable to stop his mind.

His gaze firmly fell onto his back, his eyes stung, almost shedding tears of blood.

Lu Deng didn’t plan to stay here for long.

He swiftly packed the necessary medicines into the pocket of his small pitcher plant.

He turned, signaling for Gu Yuan to help find the access pass, but the sound of a password door being pressed suddenly echoed from the door.

Gu Yuan reacted instantly, pulling Lu Zhiguang behind him.

Feeling the shiver of his icy body against his own, his gaze darkened entirely, a fierce strength simmering within him.

Dr.

Hei, known as the Black Doctor, pushed open the lab door.