Extreme germ phobia

Chapter 309 Muddle through
Ouyang gave a brief account of Smith's situation. Lu Wei's expression grew more and more serious as he listened, but he still had some doubts: "This guy has inhaled so much hallucinogen, are you sure he's telling the truth?"

Ouyang shook his head honestly: "I'm not sure, but he didn't inhale as much phagocytic fungus as we thought, so I think it's quite credible."

Lu Wei rubbed his face hard, his expression showing an indescribable frustration.

"Are you alright?" Ou Yang asked.

"No!" Lu Wei shook his head.

"Why do you look like this?"

"My expression is already pretty good!" Lu Wei was even more frustrated: "I clearly came to provide support, how did it end up being a kidnapper?"

Ou Yang shrugged helplessly: "Isn't it just a coincidence that we ran into each other?"

Lu Wei sighed, glanced at Smith on the screen, and said with an unusually complicated expression: "No matter how complicated his background is, just the fact that he is the head of the X organization in Xiushidun is enough for us to bring him back. The problem is how to bring him back without anyone noticing!"

Hearing him say that, Ouyang scratched his head.

One team has already arrived at Park Avenue and will join up with their own personnel who are trapped there. If they can sneak in, it won't be difficult to successfully evacuate Shy Stew.

But Smith's identity is too sensitive. Once it is exposed, the incident will escalate to a higher level, and it's hard to say how it will develop next.

Moreover, this is American territory. If the other side gets the news, will they resort to desperate measures and stop our personnel who could have left smoothly?
"We absolutely cannot let our compatriots risk their lives for this guy!" Lu Wei said firmly. "This is the most basic bottom line, and no one can cross it!"

Ouyang nodded in agreement: "Then we'll have to go alone!"

“Let’s tackle these issues one by one, starting with transportation!” Lu Wei said.

"How about an armored vehicle?" Ouyang immediately suggested.

Although the armored vehicle crashed into the wall, it was a staged scene, and the impact wasn't serious. It should still be able to drive... Hmm, the troublesome thing is that grenade.

“No!” Lu Wei frowned and shook his head. “Armored vehicles are too conspicuous. They can move freely in the city, but they will be unable to move an inch outside the city. It would be best to think of a way to take the person out quietly without anyone noticing!”

Ouyang scratched his head even more: "This is too difficult!"

Lu Wei added, "And we must do it as soon as possible, otherwise once the chaos subsides, the city will definitely be locked down again, and it will be difficult to leave then."

Ouyang suddenly had the idea to ignore everything else and just kill Smith.

He thought for a moment and said, "Let's change our approach. What kind of car can move freely in the city and not be conspicuous outside the city? How about we switch cars when we're almost out of the city?"

"Our identities must also be disguised, and we can't leave any clues," Lu Wei added.

One problem wasn't solved before another popped up, and Ouyang felt like his head was about to explode.

He wasn't a professional, and this matter was not only beyond his capabilities but also beyond his understanding; he couldn't find a clue at all.

Lu Wei had some experience with it, but he was only a dabbler.

Ouyang suddenly thought of Lao Ma. If he were here, he would probably have already come up with a solution, or even started taking action.
Thinking of this, what Old Ma had taught me came to mind: "Don't overthink it, just use whatever you have!"

"Huh?" Lu Wei was confused. "What do we have?"

Shortly afterward, a police car drove away from the police station.

This was an ordinary patrol car. Two police officers wearing bubble riot helmets and gas masks sat in the front seat. The helmets and masks covered most of their facial features, leaving only their eyes hidden behind the bubble masks. No matter how advanced the equipment was, it would be impossible to identify the two men.

In the back seat of the police car, Smith, covered in tangled hair, was still completely naked. His hands and feet were tightly bound with duct tape, and his mouth and eyes were wrapped with layers upon layers of tape. He could hear, but he could not see or speak.

Lu Wei stepped on the gas, and the police car accelerated suddenly.

The voice from Dongguai came over the radio: "Turn right ahead, keep speed!"

Lu Wei jerked the steering wheel, causing the wheels to screech violently against the ground.

Ouyang held Remington in his arms, with an M4 at his feet, his eyes scanning his surroundings with radar-like vigilance.

At each intersection, the police car would promptly indicate the direction. The police car constantly circled around the chaotic city, avoiding dangerous sections of road while also avoiding taking too remote routes.

Impersonating a police officer has both advantages and disadvantages.

Remote routes may seem safe, but there's no guarantee there won't be armed thugs. What if some clueless person spots a police car, especially a lone one, and suddenly gets carried away and decides to kill a few officers to test their courage?
Therefore, remote routes should not be taken.

Conversely, sections of road where fighting is taking place or has ended are actually safer.

Because one of them is either a police officer or a security guard, they are considered "friendly forces" that the two can use.

It is indeed difficult to strike a balance between relying on the strength of friendly forces to ensure one's own safety and not getting involved in the conflict.

But Dongguai did a great job; Ouyang and Luwei didn't have to think at all and just had to follow instructions.

Suddenly, Dongguai sounded an alarm: "A conflict is imminent ahead! Speed ​​up and rush forward!"

Ouyang could already see that the intersection ahead was piled with burning old tires, with thick smoke billowing into the sky.

Several police cars were parked at a safe distance, showing no intention of approaching.

It is clear that the area behind the barricades has been taken over by armed thugs, but it is unknown which faction these thugs belong to.

Ouyang immediately put down the Remington and hugged the M4 to his arms: "Are you okay?"

"Don't worry!" Lu Wei stepped harder and harder, and the police car accelerated continuously, suddenly breaking through the police cordon and speeding past the barricades only three or five meters away. The airflow generated by the car made the flames roar.

The nearby police officers were all stunned. A short officer asked curiously, "Aren't these friendly forces coming to provide support?"

“Who knows!” another fat police officer shrugged. “Maybe they were just passing by.”

"Just passing by?" The short man was suspicious; something felt off. "Did thugs steal a police car?"

The chubby police officer raised an eyebrow in surprise, neither refuting nor agreeing.

The shorter man felt something was amiss and immediately reported the situation to his superiors, demanding an investigation into the police car.

The result, of course, was nothing.

In the face of the chaotic situation, the police's emergency response center was already in disarray. How could they possibly waste resources just because a minor officer had become suspicious?
The journey continued, and Lu Wei received another call from Dongguai: "Slow down, the conflict ahead has just ended, avoid triggering an overreaction!"

Lu Wei immediately slowed down, and the police car slowly drove through the intersection.

A school bus, burned to its skeleton, lay overturned on the side of the road, with a police tow truck parked nearby. Clearly, the school bus had originally been used as a roadblock.

As I drove by, a police car that was still burning came into view, and an officer lay on the ground, his blood already congealed beneath him.

Outside the building a few dozen meters away, ten police officers lay sprawled on the ground. Through the glassless windows, the officers' hurried figures could be vaguely seen, seemingly clearing out the remaining armed thugs.

As you continue walking, more police cars are parked on the side of the road; some are overturned, some are riddled with bullet holes, and some have shattered windows.

Everywhere you look, there are wounded and injured police officers, but no one is treating the wounded, let alone collecting the bodies of the dead. The number of bodies of the armed rioters is pitifully small, less than a tenth of the number of police officers.

As Ouyang was wondering if all the rioters were hiding in buildings along the street, he saw a group of police officers escorting a group of elderly Americans, half black and half white, out of the building.

Some were nonchalant, some looked terrified, and some were trembling – they were clearly novices.

In addition, several disheveled women with tear-streaked faces followed behind the police officers.

The youngest is fourteen or fifteen years old, and the oldest is at most twenty-seven or twenty-eight. Considering that white people have a shorter retention period, they might only be in their early twenties.

The police officer shouted an order for the suspect to kneel down with his hands behind his head, but the suspect not only refused on the spot, but also struggled violently.

The officer, who had absolutely no patience, kicked the suspect in the back of the knee, causing his knees to slam violently into the ground, making him scream in pain.

The officers, expressionless, raised their guns and blew the suspect's head off.

Ou Yang couldn't quite describe the feeling in his heart.

It wasn't sympathy or pity, but simply a feeling of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing both admiration and sorrow).

The US has a long history of waging war and causing havoc in other regions. Now that its homeland is in chaos, the US's life is no longer safe.

Does this count as the boomerang hitting yourself?
Just as Lu Wei was about to drive past, a middle-aged police officer holding a gun on the side of the road suddenly signaled him to stop.

The two immediately became alert. Lu Wei slowly brought the car to a stop, and Ou Yang rolled down the window: "Hello, officer, what can I do for you?"

He didn't recognize the police ranks here, and he wasn't even sure if his disguised identity was higher or lower than the other person's, so he could only speak in the most formal tone possible.

In another scenario, he would definitely use a joking tone, but with so many police officers dead here, being too flippant would only offend people.

The middle-aged police officer glanced at the front of the car: "Which police station are you from, and why are you here?"

He wasn't making trouble out of nothing.

Despite the chaos in the city, the city hall still tried to group officers from the same unit together when assigning tasks.

After all, familiar companions not only increase a sense of security, but also make cooperation more seamless.

Of course, given the chaos in the city, breaking up established structures is common. Armed thugs have attacked police officers, stolen police cars, and impersonated officers on more than one occasion. There have even been several suicide attacks.

So when the middle-aged police officer saw the two unfamiliar officers, he immediately stopped them without saying a word.

Ouyang was prepared and calmly gestured to the back seat: "We have found a madman, suspected of being infected. We are ordered to move him to a suitable place."

"What?!" The middle-aged police officer's face turned green. He took several steps back and instinctively raised his gun.

Ouyang quickly stopped him: "Hehe, be careful!"

The nearby police officers sensed something was wrong and gathered around.

The middle-aged police officer quickly shouted, "Back off! Everyone, back off!"

The officers became even more nervous, instinctively thinking they had discovered a car bomb, and simultaneously raised their guns.

Ouyang quickly raised his hand to signal: "Don't be nervous, everyone, don't be nervous!"

"There are infected people on the bus, and you're telling us not to be nervous?" The middle-aged police officer was so angry he almost fainted, wishing he could point at Ou Yang's nose and yell at him.

You're all covered up so well, aren't you afraid of infecting others?

Ou Yang quickly clarified, "Didn't you notice that the front and back seats of this car are separated?"

The middle-aged police officer was taken aback. Upon closer inspection, he realized that it was indeed the same as what Ou Yang had said.

He finally breathed a sigh of relief, but an uncontrollable anger still simmered within him: "You two, get out of the car right now!"

“Sorry!” Ou Yang shrugged. “Neither of us can leave the vehicle until we get him to his destination. If you have any questions, you can contact the dispatch center!”

At this moment, Smith in the back seat seemed to hear something. He kept writhing like a worm and humming in a particularly ambiguous and strange tone.

Ou Yang felt terrible; his scalp tingled.

If it were a woman, that would be one thing, but what's with this hairy thing, like an incompletely evolved monkey, whining like that?
That's how they managed to cover his mouth; otherwise, who knows what else he might have said!

Just in case, Ouyang had given Smith enough hallucinogens beforehand. Right now, the guy was definitely trapped in the hallucinations and couldn't extricate himself. Who knows what he was thinking?

Based on what Ouyang had learned before, Smith was extremely power-hungry and a man who would stop at nothing to climb the ladder, and power often meant more money and women...

Cough cough, Ou Yang suddenly regretted not getting involved with this guy's little brother as well.

The middle-aged police officer still refused to give up and actually started contacting the dispatch center. Ou Yang was completely exasperated, thinking to himself, "Why is this guy so stubborn?"

Fortunately, he had prepared in advance. As he quietly opened the metal can containing the hallucinogen, he gripped the gun tightly in his hand.

This thing doesn't distinguish between friend and foe. Even if you take precautions beforehand, you can't be sure what kind of hallucinations others will experience or what kind of behavior they will exhibit after inhaling the hallucinogen.

Lu Wei quietly asked over the radio, "Dongguai, is there any way?"

"Don't worry!" came the simple two words over the radio.

Lu Wei looked up and saw the middle-aged police officer staring at the microphone with a suspicious look, then turning to look at the others.

Another officer tried it and also looked helpless.

Several officers huddled together to test it. Close-range calls were unaffected, but at slightly greater distances, the interference was so severe that they couldn't hear what was being said at all.

Ou Yang twitched the corners of his mouth, almost bursting into laughter.

It's obvious without even asking that Dongguai did something wrong.

Without giving the other party a chance to confirm, Ou Yang pounded on the car door several times: "Officer, can we go now?"

The middle-aged police officer wanted to refuse, but leaving a suspected infected person behind was too risky, so he could only wave his hand impatiently.

Ouyang quickly closed the metal can and whispered, "Let's go!"

Lu Wei quickly started the car and drove away at the fastest speed possible, without arousing suspicion.

They hadn't gone far when gunfire suddenly erupted from behind.

In the rearview mirror, several police officers suddenly opened fire indiscriminately without any target, bullets flying everywhere.

Lu Wei floored the accelerator, and the police car sped away.

Ou Yang let out a long breath, thinking to himself that this thing was too dangerous. He should avoid using it in the future, otherwise it might cause some trouble!
(End of this chapter)