Chapter Twenty-Two: How to Deal with Dogs
August 17, 1993, 8:22 AM
Assembly point: Southwest, 8652 meters from Sars Street, Old Durt Hotel
“Are we not going out today?”
In the morning, Yang Wentian was the last to wake up. After breakfast, he went to Wang Luo’s room and saw Wang Luo scribbling something in his notebook.
“Yes, it’s dangerous. We’ll stay inside today.”
“So... is that all? Just like this, we can save the residents here?”
“No.” Wang Luo looked at Yang Wentian with a puzzled expression. “How could it be that simple...”
“Didn’t you say you wanted to save them?”
“I did, but only as much as I can.” Wang Luo had the air of someone who believed he had nothing in common with Yang Wentian. “It doesn’t mean I’ll put myself in danger...”
He’d never seen such a person... Yang Wentian, half amused and half exasperated, sat down on a stool. “If we do nothing, how will things play out?”
“It’s possible the company gets angry and releases the virus, turning this place into a dead city. Or maybe the company senses danger, withdraws, and moves to another experimental base. Perhaps the citizens riot successfully, and in desperation the company unleashes the virus, making this a dead city. Or maybe the mayor, police, and security suppress it effectively, and the unrest passes... Anything could happen.”
“So what’s our next move?”
“Stay here and watch.”
“You...” Yang Wentian was about to protest when Zhou Yingxiong pushed open the door and entered. “Are we still doing experiments today?”
“No.” Wang Luo replied lazily. “Today, we rest. I plan to stay here, and I advise you to do the same. Don’t contact outsiders, don’t do anything risky.”
Hmm? Has he sensed something? Yang Wentian immediately became alert.
Well, that’s fine. Things did get a bit too intense earlier. “You listed so many possibilities before. Which outcome do you hope for?”
“My hope?... I don’t really have any.”
Seeing Wang Luo hesitate, Yang Wentian felt something was off. But after a moment’s thought, he decided not to press further, and changed the topic. “If Umbrella opens for tours tomorrow, what should we prepare?”
“We’ll discuss it then...” Wang Luo turned to Zhou Yingxiong. “Old Zhou, where are the other two?”
“They... uh, went out early. By the way... I have something to ask...”
Seeing the others focus on him, Zhou Yingxiong seemed nervous, but finally he spoke. “Suppose a friend’s wife cheated on him, what should he do?”
“Divorce.” Wang Luo’s answer was swift and decisive. “Family matters are murky; that’s my only advice.”
“What if... he doesn’t want a divorce, wants to teach the other party a lesson... What if... the one she cheated with... is a dog...”
So that’s it. That’s why he looked so desperate, and why he read those passages after someone died! Yang Wentian looked at Zhou Yingxiong, torn between laughter and scolding, but decided saying anything would be inappropriate, so he remained silent.
“A dog.” Wang Luo repeated, watching Zhou Yingxiong’s face contort, barely holding back tears. It wasn’t the time for jokes... “Dogs aren’t protected by criminal law.”
After an uncomfortable silence, Yang Wentian spoke. “Wang Luo means, killing a dog isn’t murder. If your friend is that upset, he could just kill it.”
“And... what about her?”
“If you want to punish the woman, you could...” Wang Luo chose his words carefully. “Method one: record their mating, then play the video publicly in places where many people know her.”
“Method two: arrange for one of her family members to visit, so they catch her in the act.”
“Method three: buy dru