Chapter Seventy-Six: Let Us Forge a Pact

Chapter Seventy-Six

Ling Feng paid no mind to the faint murderous aura emanating from Mei, nor to the icy chill radiating from Mo Chen and Ye Jingxuan. He simply gazed at Mei, and after a long pause, a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"This is your true nature, isn't it? That innocent facade is just an act to mislead others, isn't it? I found it odd when I first saw you on the surveillance footage at the Moonlight Base. How could an innocent child possess such a sharp gaze? Unfortunately, I was too busy at the time to greet you both." Ling Feng appeared at ease, his tone tinged with regret.

Back when Mei and Mo Chen first arrived at the Moonlight Base, Ling Feng had noticed them through the base's cameras. He'd become especially intrigued by Mei after witnessing her ability test and learning of her power's nature. At that time, official duties had forced him to leave before he could approach them, but before departing, he had instructed Yang Hao to pay special attention to the pair.

The information reported by Yang Hao only served to heighten his interest. Whether it was Mei's cleverness during Yang Hao's probing on the small town mission, or the strength she displayed in the second assignment, she had more than proven herself worthy of further scrutiny. On top of that, her abilities might very well be the key to unraveling the zombie virus, which is why, after this mission was set at Changyang Base, he decided to come in person to meet her.

As he had suspected, though she appeared young, Mei possessed a mature mind, a calm demeanor, and remarkable acuity. She was not one to be blinded by immediate gain, and could swiftly spot the dangers lurking behind apparent benefits—a skill many adults sorely lacked.

Yet, her temperament seemed at odds with her upbringing. If she truly came from some laboratory, her formative environment should have been simple and sheltered. Moreover, over the past two years, she had rarely interacted with others, so she should, in theory, be unfamiliar with the nuances of human relationships. Was she simply born this way, or had he overlooked something vital?

While Ling Feng's thoughts spun, Mei was only momentarily taken aback by his words, but not surprised. She had sensed surveillance the moment she entered Moonlight Base, though she hadn't known it was him. At least now she understood the look he had given her earlier in the conference room.

"So, what is it you wish to say, big brother?" Mei's expression remained cold and detached as she looked at him.

"I merely wished to make clear that I harbor no ill will toward you or Mr. Mo Chen. There's no need for such wariness. Cooperation can only happen willingly; if you truly are unwilling, I could hardly force you, could I? I admit, we are greatly interested in your powers, and we suspect your abilities may suppress the zombie virus. Surely, wanting to study that is not unreasonable, is it? After all, humanity as a whole faces the threat of extinction, and you may be the key to ending it all. Don’t you wish to return to a normal life with your friends as soon as possible, to live as you once did?"

Mei showed no reaction to his words. She had no interest in playing savior. That noble self-sacrifice to save the world—after all her years, she had never harbored such lofty ideals. She didn’t mind helping strangers, but only when she had the strength to spare and it posed no threat to her or those she cared for. If it came down to it, she would let the rest of the world perish without so much as a furrowed brow, so long as she could protect those dear to her.

Ling Feng watched her, trying to read her thoughts, and continued, "And there is something you may have misunderstood. We do not require you to sacrifice yourself to save humanity. We only hope that, at your convenience, you might cooperate with us on some experiments—nothing more. Also, are you truly certain there’s nothing wrong with your body? Is there really no instability from the genetic modifications? Longsheng Base boasts the largest scientific team and the best equipment in the country. I dare say, aside from Longsheng, you won’t find a scientific institution in this country to match us."

Hearing him repeatedly mention genetic issues, Mei, though not fully understanding, couldn’t help but feel a twinge of worry. She had some idea of the changes she and Mo Chen had undergone through countless experiments, but were there hidden dangers in those changes?

This, she could not be sure of.

Her body was still fusing, and in the process, any issues with her original form should be self-repaired. But what about Mo Chen? If there really was a hidden flaw in him, how could she help him?

The thought made Mei worry for Mo Chen, and her previous resolve began to waver.

At the same time, as Mei worried about Mo Chen, he was equally concerned for her health. Even Ye Jingxuan shared in this worry. The fact that she had once been injected with a gene-chain disruptor remained a thorn in both their hearts, a constant reminder of her latent vulnerabilities.

Even her recent inability to sleep without company was taken by the two as a foreboding sign.

Ling Feng's words struck directly at their greatest fear—what if Mei’s body failed before they found Number Three? Would they have to watch helplessly as something happened to her?

With this in mind, the three of them independently came to the conclusion that visiting Longsheng might not be a bad idea. If Ling Feng was deceiving them, they were hardly without means of resistance. With their current power, if they truly wished to act, few could stand in their way.

Thus, though all three felt tempted by the mission, none revealed it to the others. Mei, looking to judge their feelings, raised her head to meet Mo Chen and Ye Jingxuan’s eyes.

Mo Chen, catching her glance, understood immediately and spoke to Ling Feng: "All your words sound pleasant enough, but you’re just a major—can you really call the shots at Longsheng? Do you expect us to risk our lives on nothing but empty promises? Major, you’re quite skilled at getting something for nothing."

Ling Feng, of course, understood they were moved, so he clapped his hands three times. An adjutant entered, bringing a black briefcase, and handed it to him.

Ling Feng took a document from the briefcase, placed it on the tea table, and pushed it toward them.

"This is the letter of authorization signed by General Ling Zhi, the highest authority at Longsheng Base, before my departure. He has entrusted this entire mission to me, and any promises I make during the operation carry the same weight as his own."

Mei curiously picked up the document, only to find it was an ordinary piece of paper, printed with plain text, and looked at Ling Feng in puzzlement. This wasn’t some magical contract—why did he think they’d believe a few lines of text and a handful of red seals?

Mo Chen and Ye Jingxuan, though not as skeptical as Mei, also paid little heed to the authorization.

"And what use is this? It’s just an ambiguous scrap of paper. If Longsheng goes back on their word, who do we complain to?" Mo Chen sneered, glancing at the document.

Ye Jingxuan, who had been silent, now spoke: "Longsheng doesn’t revolve around Ling Zhi alone. Give us something more valuable."

Ling Feng, unperturbed, adjusted his glasses and asked, "Then what would it take to convince you of our sincerity?"

"Are you an ability user, big brother?" Mei tilted her head and asked.

Ling Feng gazed at her for a while before nodding.

"Then let’s resolve this the way ability users do!" Mei, seeing his nod, replied lightly. "The way of ability users."

Ling Feng repeated her words slowly, clearly perplexed.

Taking advantage of her small bag as cover, Mei drew a special scroll, a bottle of magical ink, and an ornate pen from her spatial pocket, placing them on the table. "Let’s sign a contract! Based on what you just promised, let’s make it official."

What she called "the way of ability users" was actually a magical contract, a method mages in her original world used to prevent either party from breaking their word after striking a deal.

She believed that in this world, ability users were akin to mages, so after confirming Ling Feng was an ability user, she thought to use this method.

"How do we sign?" Ling Feng, curious, looked at the scroll, ink, and pen on the table.

Mei unrolled the scroll, opened the ink, dipped the pen, and wrote out a long passage on the scroll. When she finished, she pushed it toward Ling Feng. "Have a look. If there’s no issue, copy these words yourself."

Ling Feng read the scroll. She had written out all his promises: after the mission, Longsheng Base must provide the Reversal Squad with a thorough and truthful examination, never using the checkup as a pretext for any experimentation. If any health issues were found, Longsheng must do all in its power to treat them. In turn, the Reversal Squad would assist him in the mission and, voluntarily, cooperate in some experiments.

"This contract is not rigorous enough. What counts as a health issue? Does that mean if you get injured or poisoned in the future, Longsheng becomes your private doctor? Also, what standard defines mission completion? What if the mission fails or there’s an accident—how is that handled?" Ling Feng pointed out the flaws one by one.

Mei inwardly rolled her eyes. Humans in this world were troublesome—so many questions! In her old world, contracts were never so complicated.

"These contracts rely on intent. As long as both parties lack the intent to violate the written terms, it will hold. You can use your mind to sense how I define a ‘health issue,’ and after you copy the contract, I’ll know how you define completing the mission. If an accident occurs, responsibility falls on whoever caused it, and even death won’t spare one from the contract’s punishment. Once signed, both parties must fulfill their promises. If you break it, the consequences are severe!"