bookbashuk Page 78
Page 78
He controlled the force of his knocking, making sure the person inside could hear him, but not sounding too urgent.
"Ms. Shizuka Marikawa, how are you? This is Zhou Ye."
Zhou Ye spoke, his voice calm.
Immediately afterwards, Nami also moved closer to the door and raised her voice:
"Shizuka-nee! It's Nami! We've come to rescue you!"
The room fell into a deathly silence.
A few seconds later, a rustling sound came from behind the door, as if an obstacle was being moved.
Then, a woman's voice, trembling with tears and filled with surprise and disbelief, rang out:
"Nami? Teacher Zhou? Is it really you?"
"It's us, Shizuka-nee, open the door quickly!" Nami responded eagerly.
"Thank goodness! Thank goodness! I'm alright! I'm coming out right now!"
Shizuka Marikawa's voice was filled with the ecstatic joy of surviving a catastrophe.
The sounds of moving miscellaneous items around the room grew louder and more hurried.
A moment later, with a "click," the door lock was opened from the inside.
The door was pulled open a crack, revealing a face streaked with tears, yet still unable to conceal its beauty.
It was Shizuka Marikawa.
She was wearing a pink loungewear outfit, her hair was a little messy, and there were tear stains on her face, but when she saw Nami and Zhou Ye outside the door, as well as the imposing mechanical soldiers behind them, she was completely stunned.
Immediately, when her gaze focused on Nami, all her fear, grievances, and despair erupted like a flood bursting its banks.
"Waaaa—Nami!" 373
Shizuka Marikawa suddenly flung open the door, threw herself into Nami's arms, and burst into tears.
Her body trembled violently with excitement and lingering fear, and she held Nami tightly in her arms as if she wanted to meld herself into the other's body.
"It's alright, Shizuka-nee, it's alright, we're here."
Nami gently patted Shizuka Marikawa's back, softly comforting her.
The life-or-death crisis she just experienced downstairs, the oppressive feeling of isolation and helplessness, and the fear were a despair that Shizuka Marikawa, a pampered school doctor and private physician, had never experienced before.
If Zhou Ye and Nami hadn't arrived in time, she didn't know how much longer she could have held on.
Zhou Ye stood aside, watching the two embrace and weep, his expression unchanged.
He simply made a warning gesture to the mechanical soldiers behind him, then glanced into room 607.
The room wasn't big, but Shizuka Marikawa had completely blocked it with bedside tables, chairs, and even some suitcases, leaving only a narrow passageway.
It seems that this usually somewhat eccentric school doctor still showed some survival instincts when faced with a life-or-death situation.
Saeko Busujima looked at Shizuka Marikawa with great interest, especially at the latter's impressive figure, which was difficult to completely conceal even in her loose-fitting loungewear.
"Alright, alright, Shizuka-nee, stop crying. We need to get out of here quickly."
Nami waited until Shizuka Marikawa's emotions had calmed down a bit before she spoke.
Shizuka Marikawa sobbed, lifting her head from Nami's embrace, her red and swollen eyes looking at Zhou Ye:
"Teacher Zhou... thank you... thank you for coming to save me..."
Zhou Ye nodded slightly:
"It was no trouble at all. Now is not the time for catching up; we shouldn't linger here."
He paused and added:
"Take what you need, we're preparing to evacuate."
Chapter 59 Shizuka Marikawa 2
Shizuka Marikawa, tears streaming down her face, glanced between Zhou Ye and the silent mechanical soldiers.
She took a deep breath and spoke with a heavy nasal tone.
“Um… Teacher Zhou, and these gentlemen…”
She pointed to the gun-wielding robots.
"Could you please turn around first?"
Shizuka Marikawa blushed, her voice barely audible.
"I want to change my clothes."
Zhou Ye remained expressionless.
"it is good."
He uttered a single word.
"Faster."
Nami held Shizuka Marikawa's arm and gave her a comforting look.
Saeko Busujima stood to the side with her arms crossed, a playful smile playing on her lips as she sized up Shizuka Marikawa's still voluptuous figure, which was covered in her loungewear.
Zhou Ye turned around, and the mechanical soldiers behind him also turned in sync, their metal joints making a slight friction sound, perfectly synchronized, like a single unit.
Soon, the rustling sound of fabric rubbing together could be heard from inside the room.
Shizuka Marikawa moved quickly, her survival instinct overriding her usual delicate nature.
She quickly took off her soaking wet loungewear and pulled out a dark tracksuit and a pair of running shoes from a suitcase.
Her movements were somewhat flustered, but without the slightest hesitation.
A moment later, she slung a small first-aid kit over her shoulder. As for those designer clothes? She'd worry about that later, once she was alive!
"I'm all better now."
Shizuka Marikawa's voice was still trembling slightly, but she was much calmer than before.
Zhou Ye and the mechanical soldiers turned around.
Wearing sportswear, Shizuka Marikawa looked less delicate and more capable, but her swollen eyes and pale face still showed the fear she had just experienced.
"Let's leave the academy now."
Without further ado, Zhou Ye prepared to give the order to depart.
"Um...Teacher Zhou!"
Shizuka Marikawa suddenly spoke, her voice filled with obvious hesitation and pleading.
She gripped the straps of the medical kit tightly with both hands, her knuckles turning white.
"I...I have a favor to ask..."
Zhou Ye looked at her without saying anything, waiting for her to continue.
Nami also looked at Shizuka Marikawa, her eyes questioning.
Shizuka Marikawa bit her lower lip, as if she had made a great decision.
"Could you... could you please save my friend?"
There was a cry in her voice.
"Nanri Kaori! My good friend Nanri Kaori!"
"She's in classroom A of the second year of high school in Building 4!"
Shizuka Marikawa spoke very quickly, as if afraid Zhou Ye would refuse.
"And, there's Principal Yuriko Takagi, her daughter Saya Takagi, and some students—they're all there!"
Zhou Ye's brow twitched almost imperceptibly.
He did not answer immediately.
A heavy silence filled the air, making it almost impossible for Shizuka Marikawa to breathe.
She could feel the invisible pressure emanating from Zhou Ye, which was far greater than that of those cold, robotic men.
"Mr. Ju Chuan~"
Zhou Ye finally spoke, his voice flat, revealing neither joy nor anger.
"We can go to the rescue."
Shizuka Marikawa's eyes lit up instantly, filled with hope.
"Really? That's wonderful! Thank you, Teacher Zhou!"
"but."
Zhou Ye abruptly changed the subject, instantly extinguishing most of the newly ignited flame of hope with his subsequent words.
"Can you guarantee that those people aren't brain-dead?"
The joy on Shizuka Marikawa's face froze.
"Brain...brain-dead?"
She didn't understand what Zhou Ye meant.
Zhou Ye continued, his tone completely unchanged:
"Or perhaps, they're just char siu brainwashed by that false heroism?"
"Naive, foolish, and self-righteous, they will only hold back in critical moments and may even drag rescuers into the abyss."
Zhou Ye's gaze swept over Shizuka Marikawa.
"Of the students you mentioned, how many are like this?"
"On our way to rescue you, we encountered quite a few idiots like this. Can you guarantee there aren't any among them?"
"I……"