Chapter 6

Knowing that although she had escaped the truck, she was still inside the enemy’s main compound, and understanding that danger lurked on all sides, Jiang Yun nevertheless appeared completely calm.

Her bright, gentle almond eyes were half-lidded, giving off an inexplicably eerie feeling.

Like a mastermind controlling everything from behind the scenes.

Confident, with everything firmly in her grasp.

—No help for it. To become a high-popularity character, she had to put on a show.

Jiang Yun crouched in the grass, watching the bald man walk to the rear compartment, bring out the sharp-faced man she had knocked unconscious, carry him into the driver’s cab, and drive the truck away.

The [Absolutely Sharp Syringe] she had stabbed into the bald man’s foot was, by her setting, capable of piercing through any human tissue.

And she had seen clearly that the syringe had gone through at an excellent angle. By any normal reasoning, the bald man should absolutely not be able to walk.

But now the man was completely fine, able to drive normally.

It seemed the drug he had taken was a big problem.

Connecting this to the plot background of a major case, it was very likely that Jinwu Pharmaceuticals behind this was developing some kind of illegal drug, and human experimentation was involved.

Jiang Yun thought for a moment, then decided to follow the direction the truck had taken, slowly trailing after it.

Because they had to avoid the [Tower]’s data surveillance as much as possible, this compound probably didn’t have many high-precision monitoring devices.

As for the low-level surveillance, she could even break through the defense lines of a prison—these were nothing to her.

Jiang Yun moved slowly forward, when she suddenly felt a gust of wind beside her.

Jiang Yun instantly leaned backward, dodging the incoming movement.

In the darkness, she saw clearly: Lico’s face held faint embarrassment and surprise.

Lico withdrew the hand that had just tried to land on Jiang Yun’s shoulder and missed. “Jiang Yun, it’s me.”

Jiang Yun kept a guarded expression: “I know it’s you. Why didn’t you run away?”

Lico still had that gentle big-sister look, but there was much more probing in her eyes.

“Then what about you, Jiang Yun? Why didn’t you run?” Lico answered softly. “You seem to have a lot of secrets on you.”

If she didn’t have to maintain her persona in front of Lico, Jiang Yun would have applauded her.

She said I have secrets!

She’s helping me build my [riddler] identity!

#Lico, such a good person#

Jiang Yun let out a soft sigh. “To tell you the truth, I’m actually with the Inspection Team. I came here today to investigate Jinwu Pharmaceuticals’ secrets.”

Lico’s expression softened a little. “The Inspection Team—how do I believe you?”

“Since I’m out on a mission like this, it’s impossible for me to be carrying identification. Anyway, at the very least I just helped you all escape. Don’t worry about me—I definitely won’t harm you.”

After saying this, Jiang Yun was about to continue walking forward.

But Lico showed no intention of stepping aside.

“Jiang Yun, I really want to believe you,” Lico said gently. “Actually, I didn’t run far just now. I saw you setting the trap and hiding in the grass, and like you, I overheard that man’s phone call.”

In her gentle eyes glimmered a trace of danger.

“There’s a logic here: the person who best knows whether you’re faking an identity is the very person whose identity you’re faking. What do you think?”

As she spoke, Lico stepped forward. “Jiang Yun, I’ll ask you again—who exactly are you?”

Jiang Yun heard the system speak in her mind: 【Told you not to casually claim an identity. Now look, you’ve been exposed!】

The current scene.

Indeed looked exactly like she’d faked being an Inspection Team member and then been exposed right in front of the real deal.

But Jiang Yun showed not a trace of guilt. Instead, she stepped forward.

The thick dark clouds parted, and pale moonlight spilled across the ground, bringing a faint illumination to the woman with aquamarine hair.

Her eyes were startlingly bright.

“I have a logic too: the person who best knows whether you’re telling the truth is the one you’re accusing of lying. What do you think?”

The two women locked eyes in the darkness for a moment, and finally Lico laughed softly.

All the danger in her eyes melted away.

“I believe you’re with the Inspection Team. Don’t blame me—I really do have to be careful,” Lico extended her hand. “Let’s get to know each other again. Lico, reporter for the Lookout News Agency.”

Guessed right.

The other really had been bluffing.

Jiang Yun reached out and shook her hand.

“Jiang Yun.”

Lico: “I’ve been staking out this Jinwu Pharmaceuticals story for a long time. It took some effort, but I learned they were doing one last job today, so I found a way to make myself one of the hostages, hoping to gather more intelligence.”

Jiang Yun: “So, back then, I actually shouldn’t have proposed the escape plan for everyone—I ended up ruining your plans.”

Lico laughed lightly. “Don’t joke around. I know that as someone from the Inspection Team, you must have some special tool for probing the outside world. You knew all along that we’d entered the compound.”

“Letting us go here both keeps us relatively safe and gives you a chance to search the pharmaceutical factory. Once you find the key evidence, you can take the whole place down in one sweep.”

“You’re impressive. You thought it through very thoroughly.”

Jiang Yun, who had thought none of that and only wanted to ride the highlight scene of leading all the hostages to escape: “.”

“Mm, you’re right.”

LMAO. When someone else builds a mastermind persona for you, how could you not claim it!

Lico: “I think our goals overlap to some extent. How about we work together?”

Jiang Yun looked Lico up and down, then smiled faintly. “Alright.”

The two slowly advanced deeper into the compound.

Along the way, Jiang Yun unobtrusively fished for information from Lico.

Jinwu Pharmaceuticals was a new company founded in the past two years. Aside from its headquarters in White Tower Zone Two, all its branches and factories were located in the Gray Tower Zone.

The company’s owner was a famous great philanthropist, frequently appearing on the front page of the society section with her charitable deeds.

“Of course, all of that is just this pharmaceutical company’s surface. In reality… there have long been informants who’ve given clues to me and my colleagues. This pharmaceutical factory is, behind the scenes, not clean at all.”

Lico spoke with a touch of sarcasm.

“It’s very possible that those so-called miracle drugs that give patients out there a second lease on life had, at the research and development stage, already taken the lives of who knows how many people.”

“Exchanging life for life.”

“Ridiculous.”

Jiang Yun: “We’ve also gathered some clues about their human experimentation for drug development. This time, I hope—as you said earlier—that we find the key evidence to bring them to justice.”

The two finally reached their destination.

A steel fortress that looked extremely sturdy and tall.

In the dark night, it was like a silent behemoth, opening its mouth to reveal its fangs, waiting for the stray lambs to wander in.

“…I’m guessing this factory contains Jinwu Pharmaceuticals’ criminal evidence—or rather, witness evidence,” Lico bit her lower lip. After calming down a little, she continued, “I received some information before. This factory probably hides the laboratory where they conduct human experiments.”

Jiang Yun: “Are you still coming with me?”

Lico was surprised. “You have a way in?”

Jiang Yun looked at the password lock on the door. Cracking it with [Modify Settings] was simplicity itself.

A faint smile playing on her lips, she slightly lowered her eyes. “In this world, there’s nothing I can’t do.”

Lico’s heart skipped a beat.

She had a feeling that Jiang Yun seemed to mean more than just opening this factory door.

Lico nodded. “I’ll go in with you. Don’t worry—I have my own means of self-protection. I won’t be a burden.”

Jiang Yun nodded.

She used a little trick to avoid the surveillance outside the door, opened the password lock, and walked right in.

It was worth mentioning that Lico’s skills were also very good—she kept up with Jiang Yun perfectly, not falling behind at all.

Jiang Yun commented: “Very impressive. You don’t seem like a reporter at all.”

Lico: “You flatter me. Let’s hurry inside.”

The pharmaceutical factory was a massive ring-shaped structure, with rooms distributed along the circular corridor.

Inside, there was also a very large cylindrical space.

Jiang Yun thought that if she wasn’t mistaken, the cylindrical space inside was probably where the human experiments were conducted.

“Jiang Yun,” Lico suddenly said softly. “Come quick, look at this.”

The two had slipped into an office, searching for clues.

Lico was searching the desk. She found a file cabinet in the lower left corner of the desk.

Inside were paper documents—all experimental records.

Experimental Subject No. 14 selected.
Preparing to inoculate SGZL.
*

No. 14 inoculation complete. Currently all reactions favorable.
……
*

No. 14 showed rejection reaction, already appearing on the external torso, and threatening vital signs.
……
*

No. 14 deceased.
Beginning selection of Experimental Subject No. 15.
……
*

Experimental Subject No. 15 selected.
Preparing to inoculate SGZL.
The time left to us is running short.
*

“…This should be their human experimentation record log, right?” Lico said indignantly. “Absolute scum. They talk about death so lightly. Probably in their eyes, the people they capture don’t even count as human—they’re really just lab mice.”

Jiang Yun’s gaze fell on Lico’s hands, which were gripping the documents tightly.

The other really did seem furious—her hands were unconsciously exerting force, even crinkling the papers.

“Don’t be angry. Put all of this away. The fact that you found these means at least our trip in here today wasn’t fruitless.”

Jiang Yun also thought to herself that as long as she could get out, this plot would absolutely be drawn into the manga, and it could attract a large amount of popularity.

Of course, the prerequisite was that she could get out alive.

Lico nodded. But as she was putting the documents away, she must have pressed something, because a sound came from the back of the office.

Then the bookshelf slowly slid aside, revealing a dark tunnel.

Lico was shocked. “There’s actually a hidden passage here?”

Jiang Yun put her hand into her coat’s large pocket and set a [Absolutely Sharp Scalpel] in case she encountered danger and still needed a means of self-defense.

She walked forward.

Lico: “You’re going in?”

Jiang Yun turned back. “Mm. If you’re not afraid of dying, you can come with me.”

Lico frowned, as if a little angry.

“Never underestimate a news reporter’s dedication to the truth,” Lico stepped forward. “For what I want, I can give everything—even my life.”

Jiang Yun let out a soft sigh. “Keep up.”

The passage wasn’t long, and the two quickly reached the end.

When everything appeared before their eyes, Jiang Yun heard Lico beside her let out an uncontrollable gasp, and she too deeply furrowed her brow.

She had guessed wrong.

The cylindrical space in the middle of this fortress factory was not a laboratory for human drug experiments, but—

“A—a colosseum?”

She heard Lico’s voice.

Indeed.

The bizarre structure stood silently before the two of them, carrying a cold, eerie wind.

On the ground there was still much rotting flesh and skeletal remains, faintly recognizable as human shapes.

There were many more human-like remains like this here.

The air was filled with the stench of rot.

There were many arched black holes in the ground, separated by iron railings, as if restless beasts were penned behind the black holes, just waiting for all the iron gates to open so the beasts would charge to the center of the colosseum and begin slaughtering each other.

Until finally, the most ferocious beast was decided.

—Perhaps this was the process of selecting experimental subjects recorded in that logbook.

The people Jinwu Pharmaceuticals kidnapped might be the beasts in this colosseum. The one who survived in the end would become the experimental subject for the drug inoculation.

Jiang Yun slowly approached the nearest arched black hole, thinking this.

Just then, she heard a faint sound, and suddenly spun around.

And then she saw that Lico, who had just been standing with her, now had her neck locked in a stranglehold by a hand, a gun pressed to her temple.

Her gaze slowly traveled upward.

The moment their eyes met, the other smiled slightly.

No trace of the cynical expression from earlier in the truck.

Instead, it was a kind of effortless malice.

“Lian Qing.”

Jiang Yun slowly spoke the other’s name.

Lian Qing grinned, the corners of her mouth nearly reaching her ears, her expression almost horrifying.

“Good evening, Jiang Yun,” she said, pressing the gun harder against Lico’s temple. “Don’t move.”

Lico broke down crying: “Okay, I won’t move.”

Jiang Yun, on the other hand, was completely calm: “What do you want to do?”

“What do you think?” Lian Qing laughed softly. “Or, you could ask about my identity?”

Jiang Yun: “As long as I know what you want to do, then what your identity is goes without saying. So—you want to silence us?”

Lian Qing didn’t deny it.

“Then I have a proposal. How about exchanging me for her?” Jiang Yun gave a slight lift of her chin, indicating Lico in Lian Qing’s grasp. “She’s just a reporter. She’s not as threatening as me, someone from the Inspection Team, right?”

Lian Qing’s face instantly went blank, as if thinking it over.

Very quickly, she revealed that nearly split-lip smile again. “Sure. Then come over here.”

“Once you obediently put your head in my hands, I’ll let her go.”

The gun rubbed against Lico’s temple.

Lico screamed: “No! Don’t worry about me!”

Jiang Yun furrowed her brow and slowly walked closer.

As she walked, she extended both hands. “Actually, you don’t need to worry about me. After all, you have a gun, and I don’t.”

Lian Qing still smiled horribly. “Even if you had a gun, you wouldn’t be worthy of making me afraid.”

Jiang Yun smiled faintly. “What a coincidence. A mission like this isn’t worthy of me using a gun either.”

Lian Qing: “Tsk, so confident? But your confidence might get you killed today.”

Jiang Yun didn’t answer, only continued walking forward.

When she reached Lian Qing, Lian Qing loosened her grip on Lico’s arm slightly, about to reach toward her.

Jiang Yun seized this fleeting moment and struck decisively.

She drove the [Absolutely Sharp Scalpel] into the thigh.

Blood gushed. The person stabbed instantly lost the ability to move.

Jiang Yun looked coldly at the person kneeling on the ground, clutching her leg and crying out in pain.

Then she turned to face Lian Qing, who was standing beside her, completely unharmed but utterly bewildered.

Lian Qing: “???”

“Wh-what are you doing?” Lian Qing looked in disbelief first at the gun in her own hand, then at the knife in Jiang Yun’s.

Finally, she looked at Lico, lying on the ground with blood pouring from the wound on her thigh.

“Have you gone mad?”

But Jiang Yun gave “Lian Qing” a faint smile. “You jest. This is all what I should do.”

“—Don’t you think so, Yan Xieyue, Deputy Captain Yan?”