A deafening explosion erupted nearby, startling the guards as they collectively turned toward the towering flames from a distant building.
Compared to the commotion in the city center, the exposure of the secret laboratory’s location was far more horrifying for them.
“Intruders! Be on high alert, everyone!”
“Quick, go check it out!”
The guards grabbed their weapons and rushed to investigate without hesitation. Meanwhile, chaos unfolded in the city center—a massive black Tyrannosaurus loomed among the skyscrapers, drawing the city’s defense artillery to redirect and fire incessantly. Amid the fiery chaos, the earsplitting roar of cannon fire echoed continuously.
Overhead, at least 80% of the reconnaissance aircraft had been diverted by the chaos, leaving a significant gap in the monitoring system.
Though the guards near the clinic had received strict orders not to act rashly, the sight of such a terrifying black dinosaur within the First Base’s territory unsettled them deeply.
By the time they reached the site of the explosion, the high temperature from the blast lingered. Charred walls bore scorch marks, and thin wisps of black smoke curled from the ground. The surroundings were eerily empty—no sign of life could be found.
As no trace of the intruder appeared, the guards gradually began to relax.
“That explosion was powerful. Nothing could’ve survived it, right?”
“Just recently, the defense team surveyed this area. Nobody lives here—who could’ve caused such a stunt?”
“Stay sharp. Whoever planted that bomb isn’t far from here!”
Barely had those words left his mouth when a purple silhouette darted through the grass, startling a guard. He raised his weapon with alarm.
“Mutant detected! We’ve got a runaway mutant!”
The shout sent all the guards outside the clinic into full pursuit. One guard paused briefly to report, pulling out his radio.
“Central Command, this is [Outskirts]. We have an unknown mutant intruder. Requesting immediate backup!”
“Zzz… Click… What’s the situation? Zzz…”
A burst of static interrupted the transmission. Before the guard could repeat his message, a pair of arms silently crept behind him.
“You… Gah!”
Wen Xin swiftly snapped the guard’s neck with a sharp twist, the crack of bone muffled amidst the chaos. Dragging the body aside, he stripped the uniform and changed in under a minute. Concealing himself under the clinic’s pharmacy counter, Wen Xin waited.
After a few tense seconds, a low hum of machinery emerged near the cleaning station. A hidden door materialized in the wall, and armed guards poured through it, hurrying into the open.
Only when the last of them had exited did Wen Xin emerge and slip into the elevator.
The lift’s mirrored interior revealed a small but curious detail that Wen Xin barely glanced at—thin, glowing blue electronic lines etched a motivational phrase:
The bright future awaits us—march forward courageously.
To conceal his work, Dr. An Qi had built two secret labs in total.
The first lab—where Xiao Hei and the others were born—featured fortress walls and anti-detection systems, located in an uninhabited wilderness. It was vast and suited for housing mutants.
The second lab lay hidden beneath City H. Known only to insiders, it used military-grade soundproof and shockproof materials. The funding for its construction was enormous, yielding significant, practical scientific achievements.
The initial research team had indeed sought to benefit humanity but had strayed from their purpose over time.
Outside events had no impact on Wen Jinfeng, who remained imprisoned. The guards were forbidden to approach within five meters, and his meals were delivered via offline robots. Enclosed by soundproof walls, not a whisper of the outside world reached him.
But Wen Jinfeng didn’t mind. He had endured worse conditions before.
Moreover, his prior meeting with Yan Zhongjie had revealed the man’s barely concealed anxiety. Wen Jinfeng surmised that the situation favored Wen Xin’s side.
If that were true, there was nothing to fear.
So long as Wen Xin didn’t impulsively rush into enemy territory, the S-class guards around him ensured his safety. Wen Jinfeng could finally breathe a little easier…
Yet his thoughts abruptly shattered as he heard a faint sound above.
An ominous feeling surged in his chest. He jerked his head upward just in time to see a fiery red laser cutting through the ventilation duct. Smoke billowed as a piece of metal clattered to the floor, kicked away by a swinging figure who landed gracefully before him.
“…Wen Xin?!”
Wen Jinfeng’s eyes widened in rage. “What are you doing here?! Where’s the escort? What about the guards and the S-class?!”
Wen Xin, reassured by his brother’s robust condition, stowed the laser cutter back in his bag. “The research lab infiltration is critical, and I couldn’t find anyone suitable, so I decided to handle it myself.”
He spoke calmly, outlining his plan. “Dr. An Qi stored anti-mutant substances here. Xiao Hei and the others couldn’t join me, so they’re distracting Yan Zhongjie aboveground while I sneak in.”
Wen Jinfeng, though furious, could tell the plan was well thought out. He suppressed his anger and raised his hands for Wen Xin to unlock the handcuffs.
“This isn’t the time to chat. What’s the situation now?”
Wen Xin quickly updated him. With their communication disrupted in the mines, Wen Xin had no clarity on the city center’s status.
Wen Jinfeng frowned. “Yan Zhongjie wouldn’t risk sending mutants here unless he had a countermeasure. We can’t linger—we must retreat immediately.”
Wen Xin nodded in agreement. Yet his next words startled his brother: “Not yet. We can’t leave now.”
“Why?”
“San San’s sense of smell is exceptionally sharp. It sniffed out that you were being held in this secret research facility. Not just you—An Qi is here as well.”
Recalling the wretched state of An Qi, Wen Jinfeng’s expression twisted with disgust. “You want to deal with An Qi?”
“Exactly,” Wen Xin replied without a trace of hesitation. “An Qi, at his core, is a deranged and ruthless individual. By himself, he’s not terrifying. But under his control, First Base becomes a threat that could disrupt the entire world.”
“We must eliminate him now before he regains his strength and causes more tragedies.”
Even Wen Jinfeng had to admit that Wen Xin’s plan was audacious.
They were only two people—one of whom hadn’t fully recovered and had combat capabilities close to nil. Killing An Qi in a heavily guarded secret lab seemed like an impossible fantasy.
But there would never be a better opportunity than this.
Wen Jinfeng had always indulged his younger brother without limits, and their family still had unresolved grudges with An Qi.
If Wen Xin said he wanted to kill, Wen Jinfeng wouldn’t hesitate for a moment. “In that case, I’ll handle it alone. Give me all the weapons you have and go back the way you came. Without you to control them, who knows what chaos the mutants will stir up?”
Seeing his older brother once again instinctively turn into an overprotective “mother hen,” stubbornly trying to send him away, Wen Xin suddenly noticed something peculiar. He raised an eyebrow slightly.
“Brother, the weapons bag is on my belt. What are you rummaging in my pocket for?”
Wen Jinfeng’s hand froze briefly before he continued to reach forward as if nothing had happened. “Are you saying there’s nothing else in there?”
Wen Xin wasn’t so easy to fool. He grabbed the hand in front of him.
Carefully studying Wen Jinfeng’s expression, he reached into the inner layer of his pocket and pulled out a vial. “Is this what you were looking for?”
To prevent the vial from breaking, Wen Xin had arranged for it to be doubly sealed. Yet, even with the extra layer of protection, the luminous glow within shimmered like a galaxy, mysterious and mesmerizing.
Such a potent energy source couldn’t be found anywhere else on Earth.
Wen Jinfeng’s expression shifted, his tone complex. “So you really brought it with you.”
Wen Xin returned the vial to its place. “You had someone deliver this to me. Isn’t it normal for me to carry it?”
Before Wen Jinfeng could speak, Wen Xin looked up, his gaze as still and deep as an ancient well. “But you never intended to hand it over to me, did you? You only did it because there was no one else you could fully trust.”
“Otherwise, you wouldn’t have omitted any mention of its function in your letter.”
Realizing there was no way to hide the truth, Wen Jinfeng sighed and curled his lips in a wry smile. “My dear little brother, why can’t you still be as naive as you were when you were younger? You were much more endearing back then.”
“Regardless,” Wen Jinfeng’s voice turned sharp, his eyes steely as he extended his hand toward Wen Xin, “this isn’t something you can handle. Give it to me.”
