Laboratory 3, second basement level.
Lei Lie lay on a metal bed, his limbs secured by alloy shackles, with two additional restraint straps across his chest and waist.
His face was still deathly pale, but he looked much better than before. The data on the vital signs monitor showed that his blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature were slowly returning to normal.
That fellow Chen Shijie hadn't lied; he had indeed used the best medicine and equipment to save him.
Scarface was there too.
He was locked in the adjacent room, curled up in a corner and clutching his head, his entire body shivering violently.
His eyes were unfocused, and his lips moved incessantly as if he were muttering something, though the words remained unintelligible.
His mental state was indeed in terrible shape.
Su Wan’s mental power meticulously searched the Liaison Office, but she found no sign of Chen Shijie.
Her brow furrowed slightly.
The words Chen Shijie had said to her before they parted flashed through her mind.
He had said that if he wasn't at the Liaison Office, it meant he had been detained by the Research Institute, and she must go there to save him.
Leaning against the cold wall, Su Wan cursed inwardly.
She took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to just leave him behind.
The Awakening Potion!
It could increase the probability of an ordinary person becoming an Ability User from one in a thousand to twenty percent!
If this technology truly succeeded, the combat strength of Terminal Station would experience a qualitative leap!
Therefore, she could not abandon Chen Shijie.
Su Wan pulled her thoughts back, her gaze landing on a matte black armored vehicle parked in the Liaison Office’s backyard.
Just then, a familiar figure slipped out from the side door of the Liaison Office.
It was Feng Mu.
Su Wan stepped out from the shadows, and seeing her, Feng Mu quickly hurried over.
“Master.”
“Is the vehicle ready?”
Feng Mu nodded and pointed to the black armored vehicle behind him. “It’s ready. It’s bulletproof and blast-resistant—sturdy enough. I’ve laid quilts in the back so people can lie down; it won’t be too bumpy.”
Su Wan nodded. “Wait here. I’m going to bring the men out.”
“Master, should I—” Feng Mu started to ask if she needed help, but seeing Su Wan’s calm eyes, he swallowed the rest of his words.
Although he was also a Level 3 Ability User, his strength was far too weak compared to Su Wan. Going in would only cause trouble.
“Just wait here.” Su Wan turned and walked toward the side door of the Liaison Office.
Shadow Stealth activated, and her form became a weightless shadow, gliding silently into the building.
The corridors were empty, save for a few emergency lights overhead emitting a faint white glow.
Most of the security personnel had already been deployed to handle matters related to the Cold Wave; there weren't many people left in the Liaison Office.
Su Wan followed the stairs down to the second basement level.
At the end of the corridor, a heavy iron door was tightly shut. It featured an electronic lock and a fingerprint identification zone.
Su Wan raised her hand, her mental power condensing into a needle that probed the interior of the electronic lock.
The structure of the lock core appeared clearly in her consciousness—fine gears and springs interlocking.
The needle of mental power gently nudged a gear. With a click, the lock opened.
Su Wan pushed the iron door open, walked to the bedside, and lightly flicked the alloy shackles.
Her Level 4 Early Stage strength exploded with precision in that moment, and the joints of the shackles snapped instantly.
Lei Lie’s eyelids flickered, and he slowly opened his eyes.
The moment he saw Su Wan, his pupils constricted slightly. His lips moved for a few moments before he managed a raspy voice. “Great... Adult...”
“Don’t speak.” Su Wan pressed down on his shoulder, her voice calm. “I’m taking you out.”
Lei Lie nodded slightly and fell silent.
Su Wan helped him up from the bed, slung his arm over her shoulder, and walked toward the door.
She leaned Lei Lie against the wall, then entered the adjacent room and approached Scarface.
Scarface’s mental state was even worse than Chen Shijie had described.
“Scarface.”
There was no reaction; he continued to clutch his head, his body trembling non-stop.
Su Wan reached out, placing a hand on his shoulder as her mental power quietly delved into his consciousness core.
It was a chaotic void.
His consciousness core was like a boiling pot of leftovers—various information fragments churning and colliding within, devoid of order or logic.
The side effects of the Truth Serum were more severe than she had anticipated.
She withdrew her mental power immediately, pulled Scarface up from the floor, and draped him over her other shoulder.
One on each side, the two men were quite heavy.
But with Su Wan’s Level 4 Early Stage physical stats, this weight was nothing.
She carried the two through the corridor and up the stairs.
The three of them were spotted by two patrolling security guards, but before they could even react, Su Wan used Mental Domination, and both men lost consciousness.
Liaison Office backyard.
Feng Mu stood by the armored vehicle, pacing anxiously. Seeing Su Wan emerge from the side door, he rushed to meet her.
Seeing Su Wan carrying two people, he gasped. “This is...”
“Don’t ask. Open the door.”
Feng Mu hurriedly pulled open the side door of the armored vehicle.
The interior was lined with thick quilts and several soft pillows.
Su Wan settled Lei Lie and Scarface inside, using straps to secure their bodies to prevent injury during the bumpy ride.
“Take them out of the city first!”
“Master, what about you?” Feng Mu asked.
Su Wan closed the car door, her gaze falling toward the direction of the Inner City.
“I still have some business to handle.”
Feng Mu’s pupils shrank slightly, but he didn't ask further.
“I’ll get them out of the city and then return to the Outer City branch?” Feng Mu asked.
“Yes,” Su Wan nodded. “Once you’re out of the city, take them directly back to Terminal Station. Someone will be there to meet you.”
“Understood.” Feng Mu hopped into the driver’s seat and started the engine.
The armored vehicle glided silently out of the Liaison Office’s backyard, heading toward the city gate.
Standing in the shadows of the backyard, Su Wan watched the black armored vehicle disappear at the end of the street. Then, she turned and began walking toward the Deep Blue Research Institute.
She walked quickly, her pace light and steady.
Her mental power was like an invisible net extending forward, capturing every movement along the way.
While the Outer City was in total turmoil, the Inner City didn't seem to have changed much despite the arrival of the Cold Wave.
People wore thick clothes and went about their business.
No one noticed her.
The silhouette of the Deep Blue Research Institute appeared ahead.
Under the cover of Shadow Stealth, Su Wan silently approached the main gate of the institute.
...
Upon returning to the Research Institute, Chen Shijie ignored all inquiries and walked straight into his office.
He went to the control console and tapped the screen several times.
The Test Subject Files for Lei Lie and Scarface appeared on the screen—photos, serial numbers, test data, experimental records... everything was there.
He brought up the Deployment and Transfer Interface, entered the address for the Outer City Liaison Office, and clicked confirm.
【Transfer application submitted, pending review.】
Chen Shijie leaned back in his chair and waited for a few minutes.
The status on the screen changed from “Pending Review” to “Approved.”
Without delay, he immediately summoned two assistants to unbind Lei Lie and Scarface from their metal beds, lift them onto mobile stretchers, and load them into the Transfer Vehicle through the back door.
Rate on N.U.
