The Little Merman in the Apocalypse 2
Qiao Han waited patiently in place, and no one dared to disturb the silence.
But Su Luo still didn’t emerge, his soft tail swaying restlessly.
He hugged his shoulders, the heavy chains chafing the tender skin of his wrists, making him look pitiful.
The doctor gave a slight wave of his hand, and his subordinates understood.
The water level gradually lowered.
Su Luo could feel his skin becoming dry, bit by bit, and it was very uncomfortable.
Qiao Han didn’t rush him, maintaining his outstretched hand, his voice inexplicably calming.
“Be good.”
The boy looked up at the man’s eyes, bewildered, seeing only noble gentleness without any aggression, as if he could embrace everything in the world.
After a few seconds of hesitation.
Su Luo clumsily pressed his tail fin against the glass wall, then slowly stood upright.
The boy tentatively poked Qiao Han’s fingertip, the man’s palm was broad, easily enveloping his own.
Qiao Han remained silent, allowing him to explore slowly, with a hint of helplessness as if watching a mischievous child.
Deprived of water for too long, Su Luo’s skin began to sting from dryness.
His beautiful lips turned from rosy to pale.
Seeing that he no longer resisted, Qiao Han unlocked the chains on the boy’s wrists with a key and asked.
“What’s your name?”
The boy didn’t speak, using his finger to write crooked characters on the back of his hand.
Qiao Han focused for a few seconds.
“Luoluo, I’ll carry you back.”
The boy wanted to refuse, but he couldn’t walk without water.
The man’s coat draped over his shoulders, covering him completely, with only a glimpse of his pale blue tail visible.
The others lowered their heads, avoiding any unnecessary glances.
Su Luo curiously observed the unfamiliar city rising before him.
As a survivor’s base in the apocalypse, it was a blend of technology and violence.
All the buildings shared a uniform, cold silver-white shell, devoid of any warmth.
He vaguely felt a sense of unease, as if being watched.
Hidden cameras atop the high walls monitored everyone constantly, ready to obliterate any mutants instantly.
Su Luo shivered his thin, frail shoulders, not daring to look any longer.
As they approached the Research Institute.
The warmth from the artificial sunlight gradually faded, and the boy caught sight of a distant crowd, hearing cheers.
“Captain Chu has successfully returned with supplies, everyone hurry to line up and receive them!”
Entering the door.
The noisy chatter faded behind them, reducing the clamor in his ears.
Su Luo obediently curled up in Qiao Han’s arms, his fingertips clutching the man’s white sterile coat.
The faint smell of disinfectant in the air made him uncomfortable.
Fingerprint verification.
Su Luo was still examining the strange scientific instruments around him when he heard a slightly hesitant voice.
Someone boldly stepped forward to block Qiao Han’s path.
“Doctor, this female merman should undergo basic testing first and be submitted for upper management approval before being settled.”
Being so rare, the base leaders were more concerned about the newly captured little merman.
Unexpectedly, Qiao Han adjusted his glasses, lowered his eyes with a light smile, and said something that left everyone puzzled.
“He’s not female.”
The others were stunned, did they catch the wrong one?
But it was clearly judged according to the standard criteria.
Male mermen’s adult body shape and height are obvious at a glance.
Their genes inherently carry bloodthirsty violence, robust abs, and a height over two meters.
Su Luo had none of these.
His pale blue hair barely reached his waist, also covering his front features.
No one had doubted from the beginning, how could such a mistake occur?
The others clearly still didn’t believe it.
But Qiao Han’s words were never wrong, there was no need to deceive them.
As Qiao Han walked away, the remaining people exchanged awkward glances.
If Su Luo wasn’t a female merman, it meant they might get scolded or even have their monthly benefits canceled.
It was a big deal, and after a moment of hesitation, someone suggested.
“Why not have Captain Chu take a look…”
The boy was still unaware of his situation.
He curiously extended his finger for Qiao Han to prick.
Blood tests, all indicators were fine, no infection.
They then passed through a white corridor, entering a different environment.
The sign on the door bore a name Su Luo didn’t recognize, with an “A Zone” among them.
Inside, a glass tank housed pink jellyfish floating freely, playful dolphins chasing each other, and various gentle species.
The atmosphere was harmonious and serene, untouched by the apocalypse’s cruelty.
“Doctor, won’t it be dangerous to place him here?”
Knowing Su Luo was a male merman, the assistant grew more apprehensive.
He looked at the boy with undisguised fear, afraid the other might suddenly snap his neck.
After all, male mermen’s strength far exceeded that of ordinary people.
Harmless jellyfish and dolphins swam nearby.
They curiously eyed their new little neighbor.
Mermen were generally skilled at hunting marine life, and these species were on Su Luo’s diet list.
Logically, he should be kept separately.
Qiao Han unyieldingly chose a quiet, well-lit spot for Su Luo.
“It’s okay, he won’t eat these animals.”
The assistant clearly didn’t believe it, but had no choice, not daring to argue.
Su Luo felt a bit safer entering the familiar seawater.
His clear eyes darted around, like a child curious about everything.
With a flick of his tail, he swam back and forth in the water, finally settling.
He crouched in the corner farthest from Qiao Han, watching the man without blinking.
“Heh…”
The man turned to instruct the assistant on something.
Su Luo, too far away to hear, quietly moved closer to eavesdrop, just in case it was something against him.
Qiao Han’s peripheral vision caught the little merman’s actions clearly, but he didn’t stop him.
The assistant frowned.
He was startled by Su Luo’s near approach, thinking the boy was hungry.
“Please wait, I’ll bring the food right away.”
On the way, he muttered softly, knowing mermen preferred meat, especially the kind with a bloody taste.
As for the doctor’s request for fruits and vegetables… uh, would a merman eat those?
Qiao Han was busy operating something among a pile of complex instruments, and Su Luo, uninterested, shrank back.
He busily used seaweed to cover his body, even gathering shells and sea grass to build a simple little nest.
Thinking he could rest safely for a while.
Unexpectedly, heavy footsteps approached from afar, finally stopping outside the door.
“Knock, knock.”
Qiao Han didn’t lift his head as he spoke.
“Come in.”
Though the man’s expression didn’t change, Su Luo vaguely sensed a hint of displeasure in his tone, as if he could tell it was someone he disliked just by the knock.
Chu Weilin set down his gun on the table.
“Bang!”
The clash of metal against the table startled the little merman building his nest in the glass tank.
The boy stopped his construction.
“Blub, blub.”
Su Luo released a string of bubbles, then hid himself more securely.
The newcomer’s demeanor and oppressive presence filled him with extreme danger and fear, the murderous aura penetrating to his bones made him tremble.
Chu Weilin, dressed in black, stood in the shadows, his tone indifferent and starkly different from Qiao Han’s gentle warmth.
“Bring him out for examination.”
Ensuring the base’s safety was Chu Weilin’s responsibility, including this gender-ambiguous little merman.
Medical methods could also detect it, but the results would take two hours, and Chu Weilin had no patience to wait.
Qiao Han set down the test tube in his hand, his brown eyes revealing an unfamiliar darkness as he silently confronted Chu Weilin.
“You’ll scare him.”
Meaning he refused.
“Scare him? That’s not my concern. I’m busy, busy killing zombies, no time to leisurely research like Dr. Qiao in the lab.”
Qiao Han’s eyes darkened behind his glasses, the other’s undisguised sarcasm deliberately nauseating him.
The white robe swished as the man walked over to Su Luo, bending down to speak gently to the crouching boy.
“There’s a test you need to cooperate with, don’t be afraid, it’ll be over soon.”
The boy caught sight of Chu Weilin’s figure, inexplicably frightened, unwilling…
So he shook his head, bubbles forming between his lips.
Before Qiao Han could carefully reassure Su Luo.
A cold, sturdy mechanical arm emerged from above, plunging into the water to rudely clamp the boy and drag him out.
“Chu Weilin!”
Qiao Han’s facial expression broke, his hands clenched into fists beneath his white robe, his words devoid of any politeness.
“Sorry, Doctor, I have no interest in watching you two waste time dawdling.”
Su Luo fell to the floor in panic, strands of water dripping from his hair to his shoulders.
His beautiful pale blue tail lost two scales in the scrape.
“Ouch… it hurts…”
Qiao Han, filled with anger, strode over to hold the boy, applying the best ointment with utmost care.
“It’ll be better in a few days, be good.”
Chu Weilin uncapped the bottle in his hand, applying some liquid to his black-gloved fingers, his dark eyes devoid of emotion.
He didn’t even remove his gloves as he spoke.
“Alright, hold him down, I’ll check.”
Crouched in Qiao Han’s embrace, the boy struggled to escape, but failed.
He could only watch as Chu Weilin drew closer.
He bit his lower lip, his wet eyelashes trembling.
“No…”
The timid plea didn’t elicit any pity from the other.
The man’s gaze lowered, his cold eyes landing a few inches above the boy’s tail.
“Right here.”
The damp mist clung to Su Luo’s long lashes, his jade-like earlobes gradually turning crimson as the temperature rose.
Qiao Han covered the boy’s eyes…
“The examination will be over soon, close your eyes.”