Chapter 21: Rescue Operation

Ye Fengwan sensed Ruan Ming’s distraction, but with their current relationship, she couldn’t probe any deeper.

But she could clearly feel that Ruan Ming had let down her guard against her.

She was silent for a moment, then touched her smart terminal on her wrist and opened her chat with Bai Xing, composing a message: Buy two protective suits, one Level 1, one Level 3, based on my measurements. Have that young man, Ah Yuan, take them back to Ruan Ming.

Bai Xing’s reply came almost instantly: Received.

Just as Ye Fengwan was about to lie down and sleep, her wristband vibrated again.

She thought it was Bai Xing, but saw Shangguan Yu’s number flashing.

She glanced at the clock on the bedside table, and an uneasy feeling rose in her heart.

Sure enough, as soon as she connected, Shangguan Yu’s voice carried no warmth whatsoever.

“Qu Wu’s Brotherhood has captured another thirty or so people. Word from our informant is they’ll leave for the Unclaimed City at 1 PM on April 24th, old route.”

Ye Fengwan’s heart plummeted.

“They just shipped out a batch last month, and now they’re sending another just days later. It’s getting more and more frequent,” Shangguan Yu said through gritted teeth.

“The Unclaimed City recently developed a batch of new weapons. It might be for that,” Ye Fengwan speculated.

Shangguan Yu’s breathing was heavy, clearly furious: “If we don’t intervene, more and more people will fall into their demonic grasp!”

Ye Fengwan asked: “What do you need me to do?”

“Past rescue operations didn’t require your involvement, but this time’s intelligence indicates Fang Changqing will inject these people with L-Gene Serum half an hour before transfer.” Shangguan Yu followed with a curse, calling him an animal.

Ye Fengwan’s temples throbbed. The memories of what she had seen at the Second Research Institute were instantly reawakened.

The L-Gene Serum was a drug capable of completely erasing an individual’s will. Anyone injected with it would lose their own thoughts and emotions, obeying only the “master” who held the M-Gene Mother Serum.

These people wouldn’t spread the virus, nor would they autonomously cause destruction, but they were almost indistinguishable from walking corpses.

Although obedient, the District Master of the Unclaimed City didn’t like them, because such people also possessed irreversible flaws: wooden, mechanical, dull, slow to react, and extremely inefficient.

This serum was usually only used on slaves who attempted to escape or resist their masters.

But now, before these people even left the Safe Zone, the Qu family was using the serum on them, which made Ye Fengwan both furious and shocked.

Shangguan Yu said: “If the L serum isn’t neutralized within two hours, these thirty people will permanently become zombified husks with no thoughts.”

Besides the Institute Director of the Second Research Institute, Fang Changqing, only Ye Fengwan had the ability to neutralize the serum.

Ye Fengwan rubbed her brow. “Of course, I know that.”

Shangguan Yu didn’t want to pressure her, because the Qu family had long been suspicious of Ye Fengwan. Any unusual moves could alert the enemy. Moreover, behind her was Ye Jianggui; one move could affect the whole situation.

But if they didn’t save them, these people would fall into hell forever.

Ye Fengwan was silent for a moment, then spoke: “I’ll handle the medical part. You all take care of the rest.”

Shangguan Yu immediately responded: “Okay.”

…

Research Institute #2. A massive truck drove out.

When passing the gas station, the large truck turned in as usual.

The journey to the Unclaimed City was long. The truck consumed a lot of fuel; it not only needed a full tank but also extra fuel reserves.

Inside the tightly wrapped cargo hold, twenty or thirty people lay scattered about. Some had their eyes closed as if asleep, others had rolled-back eyes and foam at the mouth, looking extremely abnormal.

Four guards sat on either side of the hold, muscles bulging, clearly Strength-type Espers.

With a lurch, the vehicle stopped the next second.

One guard complained discontentedly, “We have to stop here for gas every time. Can’t they just deliver it directly to the institute?”

Another said, “The gas station is run by Commander Meng’s youngest son, not the Base Chief’s property. Oil supply is tight right now; the price changes daily. Why should they deliver fuel to you?”

The first guard retorted unwillingly, “Meng Xin, that sickly weakling, doesn’t even have an ability, a total coward. Now that Meng Tai has a new son, he won’t leave the Central City position to him anyway. Why is the Base Chief still so polite to him?”

Another guard interjected, “Don’t you forget that the little tyrant has an older sister. That woman is no simple character. Who Central City falls into whose hands in the future isn’t certain yet.”

Just as they were talking, the small door leading to the front cab suddenly opened, and a burly man crawled in.

It was the guard from the passenger seat.

“Old Li, what are you doing here—”

His words were cut short mid-sentence.

Old Li’s expression twisted ferociously.

A pair of large, vein-popping hands began choking the guard’s throat, making him unable to breathe.

“Old Li, what are you doing!” The others cried out in alarm.

Before the burly man could answer, three people wearing protective masks suddenly emerged from behind him, knives in hand, and lunged forward.

…

Inside a villa three kilometers from the gas station, a young man around twenty years old leaned lazily against a rocking chair. His face was pale, but he had a devil-may-care attitude.

He said to Shangguan Yu, “Always causing me trouble day after day. If my sister hadn’t told me to help you when I can, I wouldn’t even bother with you.”

Shangguan Yu raised an eyebrow: “Out there, they say I’m your mistress. For the sake of our ‘relationship,’ shouldn’t you help with this?”

Meng Xin looked disgusted: “Do I have issues? Why would I fancy an old woman seven or eight years older than me?”

Shangguan Yu didn’t back down: “Your sister is over ten years older than you. By your logic, isn’t she an old woman too?”

Meng Xin retorted: “Pah pah pah, my sister is mature and steady, completely different from you.”

Shangguan Yu snorted: “Always saying ‘sister this, sister that,’ as if you’re the only one with a sister?”

Meng Xin said proudly: “Well, you don’t have one.”

Shangguan Yu pointed to the back room where Ye Fengwan was busy: “She has a sister too, whose reputation in the bases isn’t smaller than your sister’s.”

Meng Xin: “Anyway, you don’t have one.”

They traded a couple more jabs.

Just then, a sudden commotion erupted from the room.

Shangguan Yu whipped her head around.

She saw one of the people Ye Fengwan was treating suddenly lurch, his hands tightly strangling her neck.

This sight nearly scared Shangguan Yu’s soul out of her body. She sprung up like a spring, her legs extending long in an instant, crossing from the window straight into the room in one stride.

At the same time, Bai Xing and the others assisting with treatment nearby rushed over.

Unexpectedly, three people on the ground suddenly sprang up to block them.

Clearly, these were Qu family agents planted among them.

The man strangling Ye Fengwan was a Strength Esper. This grip was clearly meant to kill her.

“Ye Fengwan, Second Young Master long suspected you’re the Rebel Alliance’s insider, sent me to infiltrate precisely for this moment.” The man laughed sinisterly. “Even if Second Young Master likes you, he can’t let a menace like you continue living.”

Ye Fengwan’s face turned red from lack of air, her eyes bulging, her lips turning purple.

The man grinned wickedly, increasing the force of his grip.

At this critical moment, Shangguan Yu rushed up from behind, not even having time to draw a weapon. Her hands clamped down on his neck just as fiercely.

The man felt pain and instinctively wanted to break free, but couldn’t bear to let go of his prey.

Just a few more seconds, and he could strangle her to death.

But how could Shangguan Yu give him that chance? Her right hand became thin and long, winding around the man’s neck loop by loop.

The “rope” contracted relentlessly, choking his fragile neck like steel wire.

The man’s face contorted in agony. Feeling his Adam’s apple about to be crushed, he had to let go and turn to fight this rubber-like woman.

Ye Fengwan lost her balance, her neck lolling to the side, and fainted.

Shangguan Yu caught the sight from the corner of her eye, extreme worry gripping her, and her attacks grew even more ferocious.

Her freely extending ability made her exceptionally agile, her entire body almost turning into a rope, binding the man tightly and rendering him immobile.

Barely freeing one hand, she reached for the short blade at her waist, drew it, and fiercely stabbed it into the man’s abdomen.

Blood gushed out. The man’s mouth opened wide, but he could make no sound at all.

Shangguan Yu increased the pressure until she felt the opponent’s strength rapidly draining away, then finally let go.

The man collapsed to the ground, spitting blood, and said intermittently, “…By now, Second Young Master has long led people to the Ye residence. With Ye Fengwan gone, Ye Jianggui will be defenseless. The crime of today’s truck robbery… she’s doomed to take the blame.”

Shangguan Yu gritted her teeth and stabbed him again.

The man writhed in pain, his voice hoarse: “…Even if you can send her back, her current state… will only make her more suspect… Hahaha, if I die, having Ye Fengwan as a burial companion is worth it… worth it…”

Bai Xing and the others finally dealt with the remaining three.

Shangguan Yu was frantic with worry. She shouted to them, “Leave this to you! If you can’t handle it, find Meng Xin. I have to get Fox out of here, or a disaster’s going to happen.”

Bai Xing and the others urged her eagerly, “Go, go quickly.”

Shangguan Yu swiftly hoisted Ye Fengwan onto the motorcycle. She elongated one arm, looping it around Ye Fengwan to secure her, while her other hand gripped the handlebar. Speeding along hidden paths, her target was straight for the Ye residence.