I followed the wires, hoping to find the generator before the sulfur burned out, otherwise I was surely finished!
The surrounding rats seemed to sense this too, closing in incessantly, ready to attack. The moment the light in my hand flickered out, they would swarm, tearing my flesh from my bones. I would eventually be reduced to a skeleton, dying a miserable death in the cement factory. The next day's news would read: "China's Top Detective Found Dead in Cement Factory, Died in the Line of Duty at 35."
At that moment, my mind was blank; I just ran, and ran, until... until I discovered another room within the secret chamber. A faint smell of burning lingered here. I turned and went inside, quickly finding rows of neatly arranged machines. There were safety switches; these had to be motors. Just as my sulfur was about to extinguish, I finally activated the generator. Perhaps heaven was on my side, for the moment current returned, the lights flickered on. Fortunately, these rats feared fire, or I'd have died a hundred times over.
Back in the light, I had approached perilously close. The light had barely reached the generator, and my flashlight wouldn't last much longer. Seizing the opportunity, I dashed out of the room and sprinted a hundred meters to reach the light.
These lights seemed to last, but I couldn't just stand here waiting to die; I had to move forward!
I started pushing a machine, recklessly. It was incredibly heavy, and for someone of my build, it seemed impossible to budge. Yet, at that moment, I found strength from somewhere, and with my bare hands, I managed to move a cement machine. I thought I was dreaming.
But the cement machine was actually moving!
Later, I realized someone had been helping me from the shadows, yet I hadn't noticed!
Once the cement machine was in place, I quickly climbed onto it and took down the electric light. It was the kind of bulb we often use, emitting a good amount of light, though it was a bit blinding up close. But what did it matter now? Without light, I would be torn to shreds by rats. I gripped this last ray of hope tightly. My steps grew heavy, each one feeling as if I were carrying massive boulders on my shoulders. I knew, in truth, these weren't boulders, but the immense responsibility entrusted to me by Captain Guo and the Punishing Sin Group.
I didn't know if anyone else had survived. Even if they hadn't, I had to see this through to the end.
This light was powered by wires, meaning I couldn't stray too far, confined to the extent of the electrical cable. I maintained this distance as I moved, until the wire snagged. I knew I couldn't go any further; the wire had reached its limit. I looked back. The rats were still lurking nearby, waiting for their chance to attack. How persistent! They looked ravenous, as if they could never get enough to eat.
Let me mention, these rats didn't attack out of some inherent cruelty, but purely for the meat, specifically human flesh. They seemed starved, reminding me of a case I'd investigated years ago – a cannibalistic criminal. I couldn't quite recall who it was, but the memory lingered faintly.
Unable to proceed, I wouldn't let go of the bulb or cut the wire. Was I just going to be stuck here? As I thought this, perhaps the rats had a sudden plan, and they began swarming towards the wires!
A terrible thought flashed through my mind!
No! The rats were going to bite through the wire!
I quickly dropped the bulb and sprinted in a direction ahead, using the last of the light's coverage. Taking two steps at a time, I reached a wall, crossed a barrier, and entered another secret chamber. There were no rats here, and it was quiet, but I had no light, so I had to feel my way in the dark. I desperately wished for daylight to come quickly.
As I thought this, I groped along the wall and found a crack. An unknown liquid was seeping out. Suddenly, I caught the scent of gasoline, and an idea sparked in my mind.
I took out a bottle and collected some gasoline. Then I fumbled for the lighter I usually used for smoking. Just then, countless rats swarmed over. I hadn't expected them to be so fast. The lights must have extinguished by now.
Before they could reach me, I smashed the bottle on the ground. It was one of my forensic reagent bottles, now filled with gasoline. As it shattered, I lit a cigarette and tossed it onto the ground. A section of the area erupted in flames.
The fire would last for a while. I took out more reagent bottles, filling them with gasoline. I looked at the box of cigarettes Gao Mingqiang had given me – I hadn't smoked them, saving them as a memento. But now, I had no choice. Reaching the edge of the firelight, I smashed another bottle and tossed my lit cigarette into it.
Whether it was a trick of my mind, I don't know, but at that moment, Gao Mingqiang appeared before me. He clenched his fist, holding his favorite apple, and nodded seriously at me.
That guy... even in death, he wouldn't let me off the hook, still so fond of apples...
A large blaze erupted before me. Using this method, I advanced a considerable distance, until I could finally see the sun's rays outside. By the time daylight arrived, I had used half my reagent bottles. I wondered if I'd have another chance to use them, but I kept the remaining ones. My cigarettes were also nearly gone. Standing on the highest point of the old cement factory site, I spotted an astonishingly tall tower not far away, its purpose unknown.
I surveyed the town of Leicester, and indeed, the entire Guangming City, and shouted with all my might! It was as if I had just crawled back from the brink of death, and for a moment, I felt an overwhelming sense of release. As the sun's rays beat down, the rats, terrified, scattered in all directions like a beaten army.
Light was indeed their bane!
It was their greatest weakness!