Chapter 578: Tinnitus
Evelyn Ford’s words struck the Hooper family like a thunderbolt, leaving them stunned and speechless for a long moment.
Mr. Hooper clutched his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood. He glared at Evelyn Ford with a twisted expression, then suddenly let out a cold laugh.
"So you’re the scum from Wyrmrest Base. It’s a real shame you didn’t starve to death."
Evelyn toyed with the gun in her hand. "The high-and-mighty Hooper Family, aren’t you on your knees begging a ’scum’ like a stray dog? The Hoopers have had quite a few new additions over the years. Those kids of yours are so pale and chubby. If they were thrown into a refugee camp, I wonder if they’d even last three days. Starving refugees just love tender-skinned little children."
Mr. Hooper lunged at Evelyn, ready to strike her. "You venomous bitch! If you dare touch my two sons, I’ll tear you to shreds!"
Evelyn tutted. "Torn to shreds... that suits you perfectly. I’ll be sure to arrange it for you later."
"They enjoyed the benefits your Hooper Family provided, so of course, they must atone with you." Evelyn watched the Hooper brothers’ furious expressions, feeling utterly calm.
’There’s no such thing as karmic retribution in this world. Whether it was the Hooper Family or the Holloway Family, they’ve lived better than anyone else all these years. They would never feel guilt or regret for the evil they’ve done.’
"No, don’t hurt them! If you want revenge, come after me! I’m begging you, don’t hurt my sons." Mr. Hooper knelt on the ground, kowtowing frantically to Evelyn. He was already in his forties. He used to be a party animal, and his body had long since been worn out. His two sons had only been born after he came to Lyra.
Before the apocalypse, he’d had countless girlfriends. Just as Mr. Hooper had said, he never wanted to take responsibility. He specifically sought out girls from small towns, and once he got tired of them, he’d pay them off with a few tens of thousands. When some of them got pregnant, he would just disappear. In total, more than ten girls had gotten abortions because of him. Perhaps it was because of his past sins, but both of his sons were born with poor health. The older one had a heart condition, and the younger one was intellectually disabled and overweight. But he was terrified of having no heir, so he raised them on the best medicine and the finest food, deathly afraid they might suddenly die.
Mr. Hooper’s health was already shot. If these two sons died, he would never be able to have another. He couldn’t let his family line end. At this thought, he started kowtowing and begging Evelyn for mercy like a madman.
Watching his bipolar display, a flicker of contempt crossed Evelyn’s eyes.
"If you want your sons to live, that will depend on your performance."
Evelyn looked at the others. "The same goes for all of you."
The plane was about to reach the Fourth Base. Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick left the space, and their consciousness immediately returned to their bodies.
The Fourth Base wasn’t as large as the Third Base, with a population of around 800,000. The region was rich in resources, including several oil fields. Over the years, the Fourth Base had traded oil with other bases for a large amount of supplies, allowing it to sustain itself.
The goods for this trade were wheat, medicinal herbs, rice, and petroleum. The Second Base, in return, traded thirty-five tons of weapons, same as before.
Ryan Rowe had already finished reading the documents in his hands. Seeing Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick wake up, he leaned forward slightly and briefed them on the situation at the Fourth Base.
At six in the evening, the trade with the Fourth Base was successfully completed. Everyone had dinner on the plane before setting off to return to the Second Base.
Frelia was vast, and the bases were far apart. Back when they were fleeing, Frelia had always seemed so distant. But now, on a plane, they realized you could make a round trip to three different places in a single day.
On the way back to the Second Base, Evelyn kept her gaze fixed on the pitch-black window. Tens of thousands of feet in the air, there was still not a single speck of light. Everyone except Ronan Kendrick had started using oxygen. Evelyn’s tinnitus grew worse, as if a drum were beating inside her ears. Echoes of "THUMP-THUMP-THUMP... BZZZ-BZZZ-BZZZ..." resounded in her brain, and she suddenly felt the urge to retch.
"What’s wrong? Evelyn, can you hear me?"
Ronan Kendrick’s voice seemed to drift in and out. Evelyn opened her eyes to look at him, but just as she was about to say she was fine, a sharp pain shot through her brain, and she lost consciousness.
When Evelyn Ford woke up again, she was lying on the bed in her dorm room. Ronan Kendrick was sitting beside her, still in the same clothes as before. His hair was disheveled, and he looked listless.
Evelyn reached out, wanting to smooth his messy hair, but Ronan’s eyes flew open and he grabbed her hand.
"You’re awake? Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere? Does your head hurt? Are you hungry? Thirsty?"
Evelyn shook her head. "I’m fine, just a little tired."
Her voice was incredibly hoarse, as if someone had forced her to drink poison. Her throat was itchy and sore.
Evelyn struggled to sit up. "Why did I suddenly pass out? Was it hypoxia?"
Hypoxia at high altitude was a strong possibility, but she had been using oxygen the whole time, so that shouldn’t have been the case.
"Several people in the cabin passed out. The specific cause is still under investigation. Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere else?"
Evelyn shook her head. "My throat’s a little sore, but my ears are back to normal. What about the others?"
"Ryan Rowe went to the administration building. The others who fainted were taken to the medical office in the Undercity for treatment. I took the liberty of bringing you back to our dorm. It’s three in the morning now; you’ve been unconscious for several hours. I didn’t alert Mr. Graham and the others, to avoid worrying them. The supplies from the trade are still in the space. Ryan will come find me after he’s done, and I’ll take the goods out and hand them over to him."
Evelyn smiled. "You handled everything perfectly. I’m hungry."
"Okay, let’s eat first."
The people in the space were still alive. Ronan Kendrick had gone in to check on them. To prevent them from committing suicide, he had fed them Soft Bone Pills.
Evelyn got out of bed and stretched her body. Her limbs were a little sore, but it was nothing serious. She took out some special medicine and a throat lozenge from the space and swallowed them, then brewed herself a pot of tea.
After eating, Evelyn took a shower. By the time she was done, it was already six in the morning. Ronan went next door to get Officer Graham and the others. They arrived quickly. Zoe came running in, PATTER-PATTER-PATTER. She was still in her pajamas, her eyes barely open, and threw herself into Evelyn’s arms.
"I thought you wouldn’t be back for a few days! I can’t believe how fast you were. What time did you get back?"
"We got back to the base last night. We figured you were all resting, so we didn’t call you." Evelyn didn’t plan on telling them about her fainting spell.
"You got back last night? That’s so fast! By the way, how are the Third Base and the Fourth Base? Did they all install the Solar Lamps?" Quincy pulled two hair ties from his pocket and tied Zoe’s hair into two pigtails that stuck straight up.
Evelyn smiled. "They’re all installed. The bases are pretty similar to ours. The Third Base is very large, with a lot of people."
"Evelyn, what’s with your voice? Why is it so hoarse? Did the trip not agree with you?"
"Just a side effect of the flight, I guess. It’s nothing serious. It’ll be better in a couple of days."