Yuanyuan nodded resolutely at Ning Wei, then took off her jacket.
She walked to Zhang Shuang and draped the jacket over her.
This was a small gesture, meant to protect Zhang Shuang's privacy.
Seeing Yuanyuan's action, Zhang Shuang's eyes flickered.
Yuanyuan sat down beside Zhang Shuang, very close to her.
"What do you want to say? If you don't want others to hear, you can whisper it in my ear." Yuanyuan looked at Zhang Shuang gently, as if they were old friends reuniting.
"Aren't you afraid of me?" Zhang Shuang asked.
"I am very afraid, but I also trust Ning Wei very much," Yuanyuan replied.
"Is Ning Wei your friend?" Zhang Shuang asked curiously.
Yuanyuan glanced at Ning Wei and then replied, "More than friends, we are teammates who can entrust our backs to each other!"
Hearing this, Zhang Shuang fell silent for a long time, finally saying, "I truly envy you."
She didn't elaborate on what she envied.
The effects of the medicine slowly wore off, and she could feel her body becoming very uncomfortable.
A coppery sweetness surged into her throat. Zhang Shuang tried to suppress it, but instead choked, and a mouthful of fresh blood sprayed out, landing entirely on her unsightly fish tail.
"Are you alright?" Yuanyuan quickly supported her.
Zhang Shuang wiped the blood from her mouth and waved her hand.
"Lean closer, I'm dying. After I say this, I'll have no regrets."
Yuanyuan leaned in quickly. Zhang Shuang's breathing was rapid; it was clear she was in great distress.
Zhang Shuang spoke her piece quickly into Yuanyuan's ear, and Yuanyuan's expression shifted.
After finishing, Zhang Shuang tightly gripped Yuanyuan's wrist, "Did you remember?"
Yuanyuan nodded, "Don't worry, I will definitely do it! My own strength is not enough, but I have so many teammates behind me. Please believe me!"
The people around them were bewildered, not knowing what private agreement they had reached, and how they had been drawn into it.
Zhang Shuang's eyes suddenly became exceptionally bright again, though in everyone else's view, it was merely the glow of a dying person.
"The key was placed in my stomach by Zhang Haiyang. Give me a knife, I'll open it myself," Zhang Shuang said, gasping for breath.
Li Zi'ang quickly handed her the ivory tusk.
"Go back," Zhang Shuang gently pushed Yuanyuan.
Yuanyuan looked reluctant, then slowly stood up and joined Zhu Yulian and the others.
Zhang Shuang held the ivory tusk, and everyone slowly stepped back, watching as she slowly moved her large tail, inching backward.
She wore the pinkish-white jacket Yuanyuan had given her, so from behind, she looked like an ordinary person.
She explained softly, "Opening the abdomen would be too bloody, so I won't let you watch."
Everyone held their breath, clearly hearing the sound of the ivory tusk cutting through flesh and blood.
All of them turned their heads away in anguish. Although they had steeled themselves, facing an innocent life, they couldn't remain indifferent.
Zhang Shuang was ruthless. She not only cut open her abdomen but also retrieved the key, wrapped in a plastic bag, from her own stomach.
As soon as she finished these actions, an immense pain washed over her. The special medicine Zhang Haiyang had injected her with had now ended.
She collapsed onto the floor with a thud, her skull hitting the floor with a crisp sound, a testament to how painful it was.
However, compared to the wound on her abdomen, this pain was negligible.
Her hands lost their strength, and the ivory tusk fell beside her.
Blood gushed from her mouth, but her eyes were filled with liberation.
Only death could bring her the freedom she desired, and for this freedom, she had waited too long.
Enduring the physical agony, Zhang Shuang smiled, and finally left this world.
White smoke had already filled half the room. Mei Nan picked up the bag from the floor, carefully took out the key, and then silently went to open the door first.
As soon as the door opened, the white smoke stopped, and it also activated another switch – a large suction machine that, in the blink of an eye, drew the white smoke away.
"Shall we go?" Mei Nan stood at the door. The others slowly walked over, leaving only Ning Wei and the other girls.
Yuanyuan's face was full of grief, "She could have had a beautiful life."
Ning Wei whispered in her ear, "I know what you promised. Everything else can wait until we rest and recover, okay? I promise, I will help you achieve what you promised Zhang Shuang!"
Yuanyuan nodded, "Then what about her?"
Yuanyuan was referring to Zhang Shuang's body.
"It's just a broken corpse. Her soul has found liberation. If she truly cared that much, she would have left a message before she died," Wang Jing also said.
Yuanyuan wanted to take Zhang Shuang's body with them, but it was heavy and would require at least two people to carry, making it a considerable burden for their team.
The others did not share Yuanyuan's sentiment, as they had not experienced the fear of being targeted and nearly dying during a mission.
Fortunately, she had survived because she had teammates she could rely on.
Zhang Shuang, however, had not been as fortunate.
Because of their shared experience, their hearts were in sync, and Yuanyuan deeply understood Zhang Shuang's feelings.
Except for Ning Wei and a few others, everyone else was already waiting at the door.
This experience was enough to leave a lasting impression on them. However, having all gotten wet, they were now drenched and hungry, and no one wanted to waste too much time waiting.
Yuanyuan had paid a great price to obtain this key, so everyone was willing to wait a little longer.
"Let's go," Yuanyuan took a deep look at Zhang Shuang, then said to the others.
As she was the first to walk out, Ning Wei and the others slowly followed.
They had arrived in two groups, but they were returning as one, albeit with a different number of people.
There was no time to mourn their fallen teammates, as they were not yet safe.
In the dormitory area, there was a dedicated place for showering and washing clothes, as well as machines for drying them.
Therefore, everyone quickly dealt with their wet clothes here.
Those who finished tidying up first, in groups of two or three, went to the mess hall to cook.
After this ordeal, they no longer stood on ceremony, cooking communal meals.
Most importantly, having experienced being trapped, the first thing they did in the mess hall was boil dozens of eggs.
Each person ate two to tide them over, and the rest were distributed, ensuring everyone had at least two eggs on them.
Seeing this, Tang Tang couldn't help but chuckle, "They're treating eggs like emergency rations."
Despite her words, she was quick to hand out the eggs.
After everyone had finished their clothes, they all gathered in the mess hall.
With everyone's collaborative efforts, they finally prepared their first "reunion meal."