Three hours later, Butler Hawk answered the internal line and informed them that Qin Xuan had arrived.
After ending the call, Gong Yue stood shirtless by the bed, the scratches on his back particularly noticeable. Seeing Ye Shanshan staring at him, he asked, “Shanshan, what should I wear?”
Ye Shanshan felt unexpectedly charmed by this small gesture of Gong Yue turning his head. Unable to resist, he laughed and rolled around on the bed before quickly jumping off. Glancing at the wrinkled clothes on the carpet, he realized they were unwearable. Happily, he ran to the walk-in closet, picked a crisp white shirt from a neat row, and brought it to Gong Yue.
While buttoning the shirt for him, Ye Shanshan brought up a familiar topic, “Ge, your wardrobe is too plain. It really stifles my creativity.” He was genuinely eager to buy Gong Yue some new clothes.
Gong Yue slightly lifted his chin to let Ye Shanshan fasten his tie. For once, he didn’t respond to the comment.
Ye Shanshan wasn’t too persistent; if not today, then next time. He believed that with enough sincerity, Gong Yue would eventually agree.
Once the tie was properly adjusted, Ye Shanshan patted Gong Yue’s chest and changed the topic. “Alright, you go take care of business. I’ll pack up the things we need to bring and check on Liang Jingjing. After all, it’ll be home alone for a while. But it’s fine—Xiao Zuo and Xiao You will keep it company and help groom it.”
After Gong Yue went downstairs, Ye Shanshan stretched lazily, grabbed a V-neck sweater at random, and made his way to the storage room. As he passed the study, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Patting his head, he remembered that he had left his phone in the study. He walked in and immediately spotted it on the desk.
Meanwhile, the dedicated fans who were still waiting in the livestream chat perked up at the sound of a door opening.
“——!!! I knew waiting was worth it! Someone’s here! Who do you think it is? My guess is Shanshan! But wasn’t he just having dinner? How did it take so long? I was dozing off and almost went to sleep…”
“——Hahaha, when I heard Shanshan say ‘Why did my battery drain so fast?’ I nearly slapped my desk laughing. The livestream app was running the whole time—of course, the battery drained fast! Has he still not realized what’s going on?”
“——Honestly, if Ye Louzhu just keeps this phone in his pocket, who knows what unexpected moments we might witness? Exciting!”
“——Wait, what happened? Why did the audio suddenly cut out? Did he turn off the mic? I see that Shanshan has gone offline!! I’m crying at my desk! What’s going on?!”
At that moment, Ye Shanshan was staring at his blacked-out phone, puzzled. He couldn’t understand why the battery had drained so quickly. Shrugging, he pocketed it and continued toward the storage room.
The storage room was at the end of the hallway, a spacious area with neatly arranged storage cabinets and shelves filled with Ye Shanshan’s creations.
When he first arrived in B City, he had an endless supply of energy and was always misplacing things. As a result, most of the items here had actually been carefully stored away by Gong Yue. Even his earliest works—like a crude ice sculpture of a pig, his first pottery piece, a roughly woven bracelet, and a small wooden fish carving—were all carefully placed in compartments.
Ye Shanshan headed straight for a cabinet against the wall, pulled open the bottom drawer, and retrieved several modified weapons.
After carefully selecting a few, he took them back to the bedroom.
There was a time when he was fascinated by melee weapons. He spent months studying them, and Gong Yue even bought him various firearms, long blades, and daggers. This led to speculation from outsiders, with even his instructor asking if Gong Yue was planning to enter the arms trade.
Later, Ye Shanshan dismantled every weapon he had, becoming obsessed with modifications. He ended up with quite a collection of customized weapons.
Sitting cross-legged on the bedroom carpet, he strapped on a wristband-like device and tested the buttons to ensure everything was functioning properly.
As he continued tinkering with a handgun, he caught something white moving in the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he saw Liang Jingjing slowly approaching, moving at an unusually sluggish pace—probably because it had randomly activated a low-speed mode.
The fluffy white ball finally came to a stop in front of him, unmoving. Stroking its ears, Ye Shanshan propped his chin on one hand and spoke to it.
“Ge has an important mission—it’s dangerous, so I can’t take you with me. You stay home and play, okay? When I come back, I’ll spend time with you.”
With that, he picked up the little cat and placed it on his shoulder before continuing to sort through weapons to find ones suitable for Gong Yue.
The helicopter landed on a clearing on the island, the rotor blades whipping up gusts of wind. As the cabin doors opened, Ye Shanshan and Gong Yue stepped out together.
Looking toward the sea, they could see an organized formation of ships surrounding the island, sealing it off completely.
Waiting nearby was Kris, clad in a tight-fitting camouflage uniform with his jacket and ammo belt tied around his waist. A blade of wild grass was casually clenched between his teeth, adding a rugged, battle-hardened edge to his demeanor.
“Young Master.” Kris greeted Gong Yue before giving a report on the past ten hours. Taking the wild grass out of his mouth, he squinted slightly against the sea breeze. “Two people were injured. The island is full of traps. I counted nearly ten landmines—nine were disarmed and dug out, but one detonated. The explosion was quite loud.”
He gestured toward the waist-high wild undergrowth. “And in these areas, there are scattered gun barrels hidden everywhere. They’re all heat-sensitive—if they detect a moving heat source, they’ll lock on and fire automatically. I’ve already led a team to clear the area twice, but there’s no guarantee we got them all. Be careful.”
“Alright,” Gong Yue said, reviewing the photos taken earlier. He then asked Kris, “Are heat-weapon detectors ineffective?”
While listening, Ye Shanshan squatted down nearby, examining the plants and soil with his hands.
“That Durant must have done something. The detectors are practically useless—might as well be broken. We’ve had to rely on experience to find the traps.”
Ye Shanshan picked up a leaf, looked up, and asked Kris, “Earlier on the plane, I heard you say that the person who found the underground cave entrance was someone named Lenny?”
“Yes. He stepped on a mine, and to avoid triggering it, he lunged to the side and crashed into a rock wall. That’s when he accidentally discovered that a part of the mountain wall, hidden beneath thick vines, was actually hollow. He reported it to me.
I led a team to check it out. After clearing the vegetation, we confirmed it was indeed a cave. The entrance is very narrow, but the space inside is massive. The echo scanner indicates that the cave extends downward for about a hundred meters. It’s most likely the entrance to the underground cavern.”
Seeing Ye Shanshan nod, Kris turned and shouted, “Lenny!”
A few seconds later, a man wearing camouflage gear and a hat walked over. Unlike the other mercenaries, he wasn’t particularly muscular and had a somewhat brooding demeanor.
Ye Shanshan studied him for a moment, his gaze sharpening. Strangely, he felt like he had seen this man before. He searched his memory but couldn’t recall the name “Lenny” or any associated memories.
What’s more, he keenly noticed that Lenny had glanced at him several times while approaching.
Keeping his expression neutral, Ye Shanshan bent down, picked up a rock from the ground, and casually walked around to Lenny’s back. Comparing the figure and profile, he became certain—he had seen this person before. Even if they hadn’t met in person, he had at least seen an image of him.
Going through the intel he had reviewed earlier, Ye Shanshan confirmed that Lenny, as a mercenary, had always operated in Northern Europe. There was no way they should have crossed paths.
So when exactly had he seen him?
After circling around, Ye Shanshan returned to Gong Yue’s side and handed him the most aesthetically pleasing rock from his collection. “Hold this for me.”
Then, he selected two more from the remaining pile and held them in his hands.
Noticing Gong Yue looking at him, Ye Shanshan opened his palm. “These two rocks feel different.”
Gong Yue glanced at them for a few seconds before nodding. “Hmm.”
After finalizing the contingency plans and ensuring everyone had weapons and communication devices, Kris picked a team, and they followed Lenny into the forest.
This island had never been inhabited before. The dense wild undergrowth grew freely, towering trees blocked out the sky, and the air was filled with the calls of birds and insects.
As they moved through the forest, everything was eerily quiet. Apart from the rustling of the wild grass, the only sounds were the distant cries of unidentified creatures.
Ye Shanshan and Gong Yue walked side by side. Subconsciously, Ye Shanshan analyzed the birdcalls, animal noises, insects, and surrounding plants.
A few minutes later, his pace suddenly slowed. Looking toward the right, he tugged at Gong Yue’s sleeve. “Ge, that bird over there seems startled—”
Before he could finish his sentence, Ye Shanshan’s pupils contracted. He abruptly lunged at Gong Yue, knocking him to the ground.
At that very moment, four bullets whizzed past where they had just been standing, embedding themselves into the thick tree trunk behind them.
Realizing what had happened, Kris and his men immediately drew their guns.
After the sharp cracks of gunfire, a flurry of wings erupted as birds scattered into the sky. A few moments later, the forest returned to its eerie silence.
Kris’s team split up to check the area and soon returned with their report. “Same as before. All heat-sensitive weapons. The bullets are spent.”
After standing up, Ye Shanshan positioned himself in front of Gong Yue and took the four retrieved bullets. His expression turned sharp. “The bullets were aimed at Gong Yue’s thigh.”
As soon as he made this observation, he once again sensed a gaze that had been intentionally or unintentionally watching him. Pretending not to notice, he remained expressionless.
Bright rays of light occasionally pierced through the dense foliage. The deeper they went, the damper the ground became. The decaying leaves gave off an unpleasant smell.
Everything went smoothly after that, and they soon reached the underground cavern entrance that Lenny had discovered. The opening was less than two meters high, narrow, and surrounded by vegetation. The ground was littered with freshly cut vines, indicating recent clearing.
Ye Shanshan spoke curiously to Lenny, “Kris said earlier that you found this entrance by accident when you stepped on a landmine, dodged the explosion, and coincidentally crashed into the concealed opening. Is that right?”
He looked at Lenny and smiled. “That sounds really thrilling!”
Lenny seemed unskilled in social interactions. When Ye Shanshan asked again, he gave a rough description of the situation before falling silent, holding his gun and standing aside.
Despite Lenny’s cold demeanor, Ye Shanshan maintained his smile and even praised him, “You’re really impressive.”
Of course, there was no response.
Ye Shanshan didn’t mind. He took two quick steps forward, tugged on Gong Yue’s sleeve, and handed him one of the stones he had been holding. A dimple appeared at the corner of his lips.
“I analyzed them, and these two stones are definitely different. Can you hold onto this for me?”
Gong Yue instinctively wanted to turn his head toward Lenny but quickly stopped himself. He took the stone from Ye Shanshan and placed it in his bag.
Once inside the cave, they all activated their glow sticks. Kris, leading the way, explained the situation to Gong Yue. “We’ve already tested the air here. The oxygen levels are fine, and there are no toxic gases.”
The cavern floor was remarkably smooth, with barely any noticeable undulations. When they looked up, they could see stalactites hanging from the ceiling. Ye Shanshan carefully examined the rock walls.
“Ge, my earlier hypothesis was correct. This is indeed a lava tunnel formed by a volcanic eruption. It should connect directly to the underground cavern.”
As they walked deeper, they noticed that the path continually sloped downward.
Ye Shanshan calculated their depth based on the slope and their walking speed, comparing it to the underground cavern mapping from the scanner. He instinctively reached out and held Gong Yue’s hand.
Somewhere in the distance, water dripped, turning the entire cave into a natural echo chamber.
Soon, the tunnel narrowed. Kris contacted the surface team to confirm their depth and location. After being told everything matched their expectations, they decided to proceed.
Ye Shanshan kept his attention on Lenny, noticing that he had gradually sped up, subtly distancing himself from the group.
He remained alert. Sure enough, when they reached a low, steep bend, he suddenly heard a faint metallic clatter behind him.
Ye Shanshan instinctively turned around and saw a metal panel drop from a rock crevice behind them, rapidly descending.
With a loud “clang,” the tunnel was sealed off. The rest of the group was trapped on the other side, leaving only Ye Shanshan, Gong Yue, and Lenny on this side.
Loose gravel tumbled to the ground due to the vibration, and the surrounding silence was unsettling.
Gong Yue took out his communicator, only to confirm that the signal had been cut off.
They exchanged a glance and immediately reached an unspoken agreement.
Ye Shanshan ran his fingers over the metal door’s surface and then turned to Lenny.
“This door is made of an extremely durable alloy. There’s no way we can break through it with our current weapons. So, Gong Yue and I plan to continue forward. You’re just here for the job. If you don’t want to come with us, you can stay here. Kris will definitely find a way to get help, and this door will probably be blown open soon.”
Lenny cocked his gun, disengaged the safety, and fired directly at the door. As expected, it only left a shallow mark.
Glancing at Ye Shanshan, who was waiting for his response, Lenny fell silent for a moment before saying, “I’ll go with you. Three people watching each other’s backs is better. Staying alone here isn’t safe.”
With that, he turned and continued forward.
The moment he turned around, Ye Shanshan’s expression subtly shifted. He adjusted the wristband on his arm and followed along with Gong Yue.
After walking about two hundred meters, the rock walls began to show signs of artificial excavation.
Another fifty meters ahead, they encountered a half-open door.
There had been no other paths along the way. Ye Shanshan reached out and pushed the door open. Inside, it was pitch black—except for the flickering red and green lights.
A familiar scent hit Ye Shanshan’s nose, instantly triggering his memory.
He had smelled this before—in the laboratory on Mishus Island.
Realizing what it was, he immediately covered his nose, feeling a wave of nausea.
Gong Yue put away his glow stick and took out his flashlight, adjusting it to full brightness. As the beam illuminated the cavern, the scene before them gradually came into view.
The walls were lined with tangled wires and pipes.
In the center of the cavern stood rows of transparent glass containers, each about one meter in size. Their bases were connected to pipelines and electrical wiring, marked with red and green indicator lights.
Each container was filled with a different colored liquid.
As the flashlight swept across the dark glass vessels, it was difficult to make out what was inside. However, vague silhouettes could be seen within.
Then, the light landed on a pale green container.
For the first time, Ye Shanshan and the others saw exactly what was inside.
“That’s… a baby?” Gong Yue’s voice carried uncertainty.
Ye Shanshan instinctively gripped Gong Yue’s arm, a chill running down his spine. It took him a long moment before he could speak.
“It’s a fetus. A fully developed fetus.”
After observing for a few seconds, he made an estimate. “It should be around seven or eight months old.”
Scanning the room, Ye Shanshan’s grip on Gong Yue’s hand tightened.
“These fetuses are already dead. They’re being used for further experiments.”
Using the flashlight, they examined each container. There were about fifty of them, all neatly arranged. Each contained a fully formed fetus, around seven to eight months old. Their umbilical cords were connected to plastic tubes. Their skin was deep red—except for those submerged in darker liquid, whose complexion was unnatural.
Ye Shanshan shut his eyes for a moment, struggling with the discomfort welling up inside him. His breathing became heavy.
Now, he was certain: these glass vessels were incubation chambers. But these were all failures—discarded by Durant.
Yet, they still had residual value, as evidenced by the drugs being pumped through the plastic tubes connected to their umbilical cords.
Using the flashlight, Ye Shanshan found the control panel. The screen displayed dense lines of data, detailing the conditions of each numbered incubation chamber and the scheduled drug infusions. However, the system was locked—only an administrator could modify it.
Suppressing his revulsion, Ye Shanshan rapidly typed on the keyboard. One by one, the red warning signals were bypassed. Finally, he hacked into the system and pressed the shutdown command.
Simultaneously, the plastic tubes connected to the fetuses’ umbilical cords retracted in unison, cutting off the drug supply.
Now, the lifeless fetuses simply floated inside the liquid.
The scene was horrifying.
Then, suddenly, the sound of electricity crackling filled the room.
Ye Shanshan and Gong Yue heard a voice ring out—
“Welcome!”
