Chapter 443: Secrets Beneath the Surface

Xia Qing voiced her doubt. “Captain Yang, you said the Evolved Eagle Owl from the Blazing Fire Squad dropped explosives to kill you and Xu Pin. That story might fool Tang Zhengsu, but do you really think the Blazing Fire people buy it?”

“They can doubt all they want but can’t prove anyone else did it. And I have proof of their crimes,” Yang Jin replied.

Yang Jin had two solid pieces of evidence—or witnesses, really. First, a Blazing Fire Squad member snuck into Territory Two posing as a refugee and then headed to Hill Fifty to torment and provoke the Evolved Bear. Second, after the explosion, Blazing Fire sent a Speed Evolver to capture Yang Jin.

Xia Qing wanted to know why Dan Ying sent people over after the blast. “Why send a high-level Speed Evolver right after the explosion? What were they after?”

Yang Jin didn’t hesitate. “Blazing Fire’s been secretly researching how to trigger evolution abilities. They need high-level experimental subjects. Their research methods aren’t any cleaner than the underground lab at Hui One Base before it blew up. The only difference? Blazing Fire keeps it well hidden and silenced anyone who might talk by offering them enough benefits.”

“Are you talking about the underground lab that was destroyed in the fifth winter after the Catastrophe?”

Yang Jin looked a little surprised, so Xia Qing explained, “I overheard two staffers gossiping about it when I was at the Safe Zone’s admin hall once. They said, near the end of the fifth year and the start of the sixth, the heads of Hui One Base and the research institute were both replaced—all tied to that event. I remember your squad left Hui One and came here to Hui Three Base around the same time.”

Seeing Xia Qing’s interest and having nothing pressing to do that night, Yang Jin decided to lay out the grim story buried deep underground.

“At first, the Huiyi Research Institute’s underground experiments just used evolved animals. Then they recruited regular people, had them sign all sorts of agreements, and helped them trigger evolution abilities. Later, they got bolder and started experimenting on evolved humans themselves…”

It took the Yang family over half an hour to lay out the brutal event in full. Xia Qing listened, feeling a chill spread through her whole body.

If she hadn’t been careful enough, she might have ended up on an operating table deep underground, never to return…

Xia Qing poured the boiled spring water into cups, handing one to Yang Jin and wrapping her own hands around the other. “I’ve met Tang Feng from the Sufeng Squad. She’s incredible—a role model for so many here at Hui Three. I never imagined she’d die so tragically.”

“Tang Feng was the backbone of Sufeng Squad, and she had Tang Zhengbo supporting her. If he hadn’t invested and offered his advice in the early days, Sufeng would never have grown so quickly. That’s why, when Tang Zhengsu wanted complete control, he had to get rid of Tang Feng.”

Yang Jin took a sip of chrysanthemum tea and pressed the grim memories back down.

“Even though they replaced the base leader and research institute chief and most of those involved in the underground experiments were removed or killed, management never really got a full shake-up. So we left Hui One. Several bases tried to recruit us, but Hui Three offered the best terms, so we came here. Fire Phoenix also left their base and claimed Fire Mountain, growing quickly from there.”

He remembered the day he came to Hui Three Base to negotiate terms with the base leader. At the Safe Zone gate, he spotted her at a glance.

Listening to the wind howling outside and watching steam curl up from her cup, Xia Qing felt heavy-hearted. “Fire Phoenix was once a victim of the underground experiments, but now she’s become a perpetrator. Were Dan Ying and Li Si involved in those projects?”

“Li Si wasn’t; she didn’t have enough seniority. Dan Ying was involved but never ran the show, so she only got locked up for a year. By the way,” Yang Jin confided, “the reason Li Si came to the territory is because Blazing Fire Squad’s always wanted to recruit Zhang San. When they heard he’d arrived, they sent her since she’d worked with him on previous research projects.”

So, Idol actually worked at the Huiyi Research Institute? Could Yang Jin’s whistleblower—Hui One’s senior researcher—be Idol himself?

No doubt about it. That’s exactly what Idol would do. He never said much about it, but he’s principled, a researcher with a real bottom line.

That’s why he looks down on people like Li Si, who left their old team to join Blazing Fire, and can’t stand Dan Ying, who keeps pushing illegal experiments.

Thinking of Li Si, Xia Qing suspected her intentions differed from Blazing Fire’s. “Li Si draws the line higher than Dan Ying and her lot. The dangerous chemicals hidden in Territory Nine—they weren’t her doing, but a guy named Zhang Qikun’s. I think she let Zhang San lead a search team so those chemicals would get confiscated. She didn’t want Zhang Qikun’s reckless experiments to mess up her own research.”

Yang Jin nodded. “Li Si is hoping to use Zhang San as a way out of Blazing Fire Squad. Still…”

Xia Qing grinned and picked up the thread. “She must’ve crossed Third Brother in the past.”

“Exactly.” Yang Jin chuckled too. “The stronger Zhang San is, the pettier he gets. If he doesn’t like someone, they’re instantly blacklisted. Even if they cross paths, he treats them like air.”

Mentioning Idol, Xia Qing couldn’t help but feel a bit proud. Third Brother wasn’t just capable; his personality really stood out too.

Noticing the time, Yang Jin pulled three walnut-sized Yi Stones out of his pocket and handed them to Xia Qing. “I charged five Yi Stones for the antidote to the Evolved Bear. These three are yours.”

They’d agreed to split the profit fifty-fifty, so Xia Qing didn’t take advantage. “Are these mid-grade Yi Stones? I’ll break one open and check.”

“They are, no need to break them. All three are for you. If you hadn’t gotten Xin Yu to help, I wouldn’t have dealt with Xu Pin so easily. You earned these.” Yang Jin cut off her attempt to refuse, then asked, “Is that Devastationweed still alive?”

With the trade done and tea finished, it was time for farewells. Xia Qing slipped the three Yi Stones into her pocket and stood up. “It’s alive. Want me to show you?”

“Sure.” Yang Jin followed Xia Qing into the Lower Slope greenhouse. They moved away the stone blocking the Spring Cave and flicked on a flashlight.

Xia Qing’s focus was all on the two tiny, colorless Devastationweed plants in the cave. Yang Jin, on the other hand, had his eyes on Xia Qing.

“They’re still alive, not liquefied, but no new leaves either. The one with the intact look managed to sprout two new leaves,” Xia Qing explained.

Even though she knew these two rare weeds grew in the chilly Baicheng Base, Xia Qing still pulled down the rain cover over the greenhouse every night to keep them warm, hoping they’d grow fast and produce more.

“Sprouted new leaves?” Yang Jin’s gaze finally landed on the Devastationweed.

“Yeah, but they’re tiny. You have to get close to see them properly.” Xia Qing pulled out her phone, found a macro photo of the Devastationweed, and showed it to Yang Jin. “When we first transplanted them, the core was just a little tuft. Now these two leaves have grown bigger.”

After saying that, Xia Qing scrolled through several more photos until she found one from the day of the transplant, letting Yang Jin compare the difference.