C50 The Remote-controlled Plane Sent the Clock, and the Man and Woman Looked at Each Other in the Ey

Tang Bing remained unfazed by Qin Mengli's opposition.

His current task was to deploy a remote-controlled drone to deliver a pre-set alarm clock and cellphone to an apartment building at the rear.

Though he could have simply stashed the phones and clocks in a virtual backpack and descended empty-handed, he opted for caution. He retrieved a suitcase from the adjacent room, packed everything inside, and then hefted it downstairs, taking it to the wall behind the factory.

Transporting the phones and clocks to the apartment was a hassle, but it was a necessary endeavor!

To facilitate the transport, Tang Bing had rigged a makeshift swing beneath the drone using ropes and scraps of fabric. The materials were light enough not to impede flight. Placing the phones or clocks on this swing meant that with a slight tilt or sideways maneuver, they would slide off with ease.

This setup, while convenient for loading, made the transport more challenging. Tang Bing had to control the drone with precision, as there was no room for error.

Initially, he considered loading two phones or clocks at once, but the drone's limited power made that impossible. Reluctantly, he settled for transporting one phone at a time.

To ensure a smooth operation, Tang Bing practiced flying the drone within the walled area, getting a feel for the controls. Once confident, he began the real task.

"Here we go!" With the technique down pat, Tang Bing crouched at the wall's corner, his fingers deftly guiding the drone as it ascended with a phone, whispering the words as it cleared the wall.

The drone, with a phone dangling beneath, glided smoothly out of the factory and climbed higher, making its way toward the apartment building.

Tang Bing was laser-focused, his attention riveted on the drone's controls. Unbeknownst to him, Sun Meng and Qin Mengli were stealthily observing the spectacle from their room's window, while Zhao Dagang watched intently from his workshop window.

The remote-controlled plane ascended slowly and steadily, without a hint of wobble. Despite its leisurely pace, it maintained remarkable stability.

After roughly ten minutes, it reached the rooftop of the apartment building and began its successful descent.

"Fantastic!" Sun Meng, watching from her room, clenched her fists in excitement.

In her own room, Qin Mengli's face remained expressionless, but she quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Zhao Dagang couldn't contain his excitement, tapping incessantly on the window.

Even with the plane safely atop the apartment building, Tang Bing remained vigilant. He concentrated intensely, guiding the remote-controlled aircraft to gently lower, inching ever closer to the rooftop.

From takeoff to touchdown, he proceeded with exceptional caution, prioritizing a slow and steady approach to avoid any mishaps.

As the remote-controlled plane neared the rooftop, becoming nearly invisible from below, Tang Bing knew there was still a slight gap to clear. With decisive action, he executed a sharp turn.

The sudden maneuver caused the "swing" hanging beneath to sway wildly, and the mobile phone perched atop it slid off, succumbing to inertia.

The fall was minor, not enough to damage the phone.

Moreover, even if it did break, there were plenty more where that came from! These were all redundant gadgets now, dispensable and unworthy of concern.

As the plane veered away from the building, relieved of the phones' weight, the fabric fluttered triumphantly like a flag of victory.

Tang Bing's face may have been devoid of a smile, but his heart surged with excitement—his plan was a success!

He spent the remainder of the morning engaged in the monotonous task, moving at a painstakingly slow and stable pace, transporting each phone and alarm clock to the rooftop of the opposite apartment building.

By 11:10 a.m., with just 50 minutes until the alarms were set to ring, his efforts finally paid off!

The remote-controlled plane returned with its battery nearly depleted.

Despite the lack of heavy labor, Tang Bing's forehead was drenched in sweat. He wiped it away with his sleeve, his face breaking into a smile of satisfaction.

"Bing, you're incredible!" An excited voice burst from behind, trying to be hushed but still crystal clear. He turned to see Sun Meng beaming with excitement, "We did it!"

"We did it!" Tang Bing allowed himself a rare smile, nodding in her direction.

"Bing, I'm in awe of you!" Zhao Dagang appeared, hurrying over.

"Your idea was pretty good!" Tang Bing said with a smile, passing the airplane and remote control to him. "You've earned your stripes this time."

"Hehe," Zhao Dagang chuckled, cradling the remote control airplane. Then, a hint of disappointment crossed his face, "Looks like the battery's almost dead. Won't be much playtime left!"

"Dope! The supermarket's right there. How hard is it to grab some batteries while we're at it?" Sun Meng laughed, giving Zhao Dagang a friendly slap on the back.

"Oh yeah!" Zhao Dagang's face lit up again, "Meng, you're a genius. I didn't even think of that."

"Stop calling me Ms. Meng!" Sun Meng protested, her mood souring, "I hate that nickname!"

"It's not a nickname, it's your name!" Zhao Dagang countered with a grin.

"I'm going to hit you!" Sun Meng threatened playfully, but Zhao Dagang was already darting away with the remote control, laughing all the while.

Their spirits were commendable, maintaining such optimism in the face of the apocalypse. Watching them frolic and dash into the factory building, Tang Bing decided to follow and head back to his room for some rest.

But as he rounded the corner, he was met by Qin Mengli standing against the wall, her face devoid of emotion.

Tang Bing halted, locking eyes with her, his expression stoic.

They stood in silence, face to face, neither uttering a word.

Qin Mengli had approached to confront Tang Bing about his treatment of her. Despite her outright rejection and his killing of Zhang Tao, she hadn't brought it up again, even joining his team. After all, feelings between people can't be forced. She didn't like Tang Bing; did his four years of pursuit mean she was obliged to accept him? Couldn't they keep things simple and just be friends?

Despite harboring many unspoken words, she found herself speechless in front of Tang Bing. She longed to lay everything out in the open, yet inexplicably, the words just wouldn't come.

Tang Bing was deeply conflicted when it came to Qin Mengli. Initially, he had wished she hadn't sided with him but had instead gone with the others to the military sanctuary in B City. That way, he wouldn't be subjected to daily emotional agony.

Qin Mengli's rejection still echoed in his ears, impossible to forget. If she were out of sight, the relentless pressure to survive might have spared him these thoughts, easing the pain. But now, forced to confront her presence daily, every glimpse of her reignited memories of his futile four-year pursuit, overshadowed by Zhang Tao's few, swiftly effective words. He was tormented by the thought of her cold refusal of him, contrasted with her acceptance of Zhang Tao, a man she barely knew.

From their exchanges, Tang Bing gathered that Zhang Tao had done little more than hold her hand—a brief contact, yet enough to drive Tang Bing to the brink of madness, the stark contrast tearing him apart inside.

He had come to realize, of course, that when you chase the wrong person, no amount of effort will suffice.

Even if he were to eliminate Zhang Tao, it was unlikely that Qin Mengli would ever reciprocate his feelings. She might even grow to despise him!

She had agreed to be Zhang Tao's girlfriend, and just as their relationship was beginning to blossom, he had brutally interfered. Having killed Zhang Tao, he was, in her eyes, an irredeemable murderer. How could she ever overlook that and be with a killer?

Tang Bing saw only two reasons why Qin Mengli would choose to stay and join his team. The first was her distrust of her colleagues and the strangers leading them to B City. She likely felt safer with him, someone she had known for four years, rather than a group of unknowns. She had her reasons, of course. And despite his having killed Zhang Tao, Qin Mengli wouldn't fear him; she knew him well enough to be confident he wouldn't harm her. This, Tang Bing believed, was the most probable explanation.

The second possibility was that Qin Mengli's love for Zhang Tao ran so deep that she was willing to seek vengeance on his behalf. Her silence about Zhang Tao and her tolerance of everything by his side were all part of a calculated plan to find the perfect moment to take her own life in retribution for her boyfriend.

Yet, Tang Bing considered this scenario highly unlikely.

Given his insight into Qin Mengli's character, he knew that if her love for Zhang Tao was truly profound, she wouldn't maintain such a distance from him. Despite her apparent dislike for him, she had silently endured his four-year courtship. Had she not felt utterly cornered, she wouldn't have resorted to such drastic language to put an end to it all. If her love for Zhang Tao was genuine, she would have been more accommodating, moving at a pace comfortable for him. In that case, Tang Bing would have witnessed a much closer relationship between them.

There was no question that Qin Mengli was attracted to Zhang Tao. He was tall, handsome, well-dressed, and the heir to a large company's fortune—a combination that naturally drew the attention of many women. By comparison, most girls would likely choose him over Tang Bing.

This also indicated that Qin Mengli had high standards, standards that Tang Bing had failed to meet. There was no chance for anything between them, a fact she had made crystal clear to his face.

With these thoughts, Tang Bing felt a fresh wave of pain.

He knew he would continue to suffer, especially when faced with Qin Mengli's presence daily.

In all honesty, with the collapse of law and order, he could force Qin Mengli to yield to him without much consequence. Zhao Dagang and Sun Meng would likely turn a blind eye.

But having already killed Zhang Tao and others in a fit of rage, he refused to further indulge in lawless behavior.

Above all, he aspired to retain some semblance of humanity in the future, not descend into monstrousness.

Closing his eyes, Tang Bing no longer allowed himself to look at Qin Mengli. He walked past her with a detached air.