Chapter 106: Analysis

Chapter 106

With Ling Feng’s endorsement, Ye Jingxuan and Mei smoothly entered the Longsheng Base.

Upon learning that Mei’s health was deteriorating, Ling Feng immediately contacted the research institute. This was part of their prior agreement: after Mo Chen and the others completed the mission on Mei’s behalf, the contract rune on her wrist would vanish, leaving only his unilateral contract intact.

Though indifferent to the penalties for breaking contracts, Ling Feng upheld the basic principle of integrity. He was determined to provide Mei with examination and treatment, though how far he would go remained to be seen.

After Ling Feng left, Mei fell into a deep sleep. The other five members of the Reverse Squad gathered in the outer room to talk.

“Tell us, what exactly happened after we split up?” Mo Chen asked Ye Jingxuan with a serious expression.

Ye Jingxuan thought for a moment and decided to start from the beginning. “Do you all remember the first encounter with the mutated giant lizard in the snowy mountains, when Mei’s arrow missed the mark?”

“Of course! I even remarked at the time that Mei could make mistakes too!” Lin Shaojie quickly chimed in.

“Are you saying it wasn’t just a mistake?” An Ziyou looked at Ye Jingxuan uncertainly.

Ye Jingxuan nodded.

A seasoned expert like Mei wouldn’t make such an error so easily. Though young, she was undoubtedly a formidable warrior.

“Though Mei never mentioned it, I suspect her body began to malfunction from that moment. She must have lost control briefly,” Ye Jingxuan explained.

He had been pondering Mei’s health issues for days and believed the most likely cause was the lingering effects of the gene-disrupting serum used earlier.

“Later, when we went searching for the four missing people, we encountered mutated ants underground, who swarmed us. Then Situ Huang from the Situ family took advantage of the chaos to steal a new energy source, triggering an earthquake that attracted the mutant ants. During the ensuing fight, Mei lost control again, and we all fell into a crevice, trapped underground,” Ye Jingxuan continued, deliberately omitting certain details.

Though unsure what use the new energy source had for Mei, since she wanted it, they had no intention of handing it over. The best course was to let everyone believe that Situ Huang had taken it. If Mei wished her teammates to know the truth, she could tell them herself.

“I see. That explains why Situ Huang managed to escape. There’s no reason you two couldn’t get out too, except that Mei’s body failed at a critical moment! Speaking of which, that Situ Huang is shameless—he clearly took the energy source but accused you all of stealing it and causing the earthquake. Truly despicable!” Lin Shaojie angrily cursed Situ Huang.

“Enough. He’s not here, so cursing won’t help. Don’t wake Mei with your shouting. Continue—what happened next?” Mo Chen interrupted, his face darkening as he stopped Lin Shaojie and urged Ye Jingxuan to go on.

“After Mei recovered underground, she summoned a subterranean dragon beast to dig a tunnel and lead us back to the surface. However, it dug in the wrong direction, and when we emerged, we were on the western edge of the snowy mountains. We then traveled northwest to the Qingsheng Base. Mei feared you would complete your mission and come looking for us, so she left a message for you through the military communication system. Initially, we were heading toward Longsheng, but halfway through, we encountered Number Three!” Ye Jingxuan said.

The moment Mo Chen heard “Number Three,” he sprang to his feet, excitement flashing in his eyes. “Where did you meet him? Where is he now?”

The others paused, suddenly recalling who Number Three was and his significance.

Unlike Mo Chen’s excitement, An Ziyou hesitated, asking, “How did Number Three find you? I mean, meeting him by chance on the road seems too coincidental.”

Mo Chen’s fervor cooled slightly upon hearing An Ziyou’s doubt.

Indeed, it was suspiciously coincidental.

His concern for Mei had clouded his judgment; he’d focused on the possibility that Number Three could help her, forgetting that although they were all test subjects from the same facility and had lived together for over a decade, they barely knew each other.

Even if he did find Number Three, their barely existent relationship might not persuade him to assist Mei.

“It wasn’t a coincidence. He must have intercepted the message we sent and deliberately waited for us on our path—more precisely, for Mei. Though he didn’t reveal his ultimate purpose, his gaze showed deep interest in her, filled with the cold curiosity of a researcher,” Ye Jingxuan explained.

“What exactly did he say to Mei?” Mo Chen, now calm, resumed his seat and asked.

“He told her where to find a bracelet possibly linked to her origins.”

Mo Chen recalled the black bracelet on Mei’s wrist. He had noticed her growing thin and fragile but hadn’t paid much attention to the bracelet itself.

“A bracelet connected to her past? Did you find it?” An Ziyou, who hadn’t noticed the bracelet before, inquired.

“Yes. It’s hidden underground at the sanatorium.”

“That place was abandoned, wasn’t it? Didn’t they take the bracelet when they evacuated?” Mo Chen frowned. Knowing what the sanatorium was, he questioned further.

“No, everything remains intact there—Mei’s bracelet, human specimens, experimental instruments, and other items.”

Mo Chen’s expression grew thoughtful. He had assumed the sanatorium had been deserted after their escape, but apparently not.

The others, overhearing the conversation, realized the sanatorium was actually the laboratory where experiments were conducted on Mei and Mo Chen; the name “sanatorium” was merely a facade.

“Why would Number Three help Mei? What is his motive?” Qu Wenyuan, who had been silent, hesitantly asked.

“He didn’t say, only that he would visit Mei again before leaving. However, Mei’s condition worsened sharply after coming into contact with that bracelet.”

Though uncertain if the bracelet directly caused Mei’s decline, Ye Jingxuan blamed himself for not being more cautious. He should have stopped her from wearing it without inspection.

“That bracelet can’t be the problem. When we were in the lab, I overheard the staff talking about it. The bracelet’s material is unique; current methods can’t leave a trace on it, nor does it carry any drugs. Its special nature is why they never wanted to return it to Mei.

“There must be something you’re overlooking. That place was far ahead in genetic research, and gene-based drugs were their specialty. Many genetic medicines don’t require injection; skin contact, inhalation, or ingestion can activate them,” Mo Chen said calmly, suppressing his earlier anger.

Hearing this, Ye Jingxuan immediately reviewed every detail of their meeting with Number Three. Aside from an unexpected cup of coffee, Number Three had taken no special actions and hadn’t even touched Mei.

But Mei hadn’t drunk the coffee—nor even touched the cup. If airborne transmission were the cause, why was Number Three unaffected?

Could it have been a laboratory ploy?

In the lab, Mei only touched the keypad and the bracelet.

Ye Jingxuan considered every possibility that might have caused Mei to be compromised but soon realized dwelling on it was futile.

Number Three had deliberately revealed the bracelet’s location to ensnare Mei. Why, no one knew.

“Do Number Three and Mei have a grudge? Why else would he harm her so?” An Ziyou shared the same doubts.

“We grew up in the same test center but weren’t allowed to communicate. We rarely even saw each other, so I don’t know if there’s any enmity between them,” Mo Chen shook his head.

Their only interaction was the joint escape from the lab; beyond that, nothing.

The group was puzzled by Number Three’s motives and decided to leave the question aside for now.

“At the base entrance earlier, I was too impulsive. Sorry about that. If you want, you can hit me back!” Mo Chen, now completely composed, stood and apologized to Ye Jingxuan.

He hadn’t meant to blame Ye Jingxuan for failing to protect Mei but was frustrated at not being able to stay by her side, so he vented his anger on him.

Ye Jingxuan hadn’t expected the apology or the offer to retaliate, so he paused before replying, “I accept your apology. There’s no need to hit back.”

Seeing this, Mo Chen said nothing further and went into Mei’s room to check on her rest.

With the topic settled, no one pressed further.

Lin Shaojie, recalling the oddly shaped vehicle Ye Jingxuan had stored in his spatial pocket, couldn’t resist asking about it.

Upon learning the car was not only incredibly fast but also stable and equipped with autopilot, Lin Shaojie’s eyes lit up. When he found out Mei had given it to Ye Jingxuan—and that she only had one—his enthusiasm deflated, and he looked at Ye Jingxuan with envy.

He longed for such a car himself.

(To be continued.)