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Chapter 62
You little brat who’s never been in love wouldn’t understand~
“The evolution sources stored at the St. Carter Fort Base all come from the same meteorite, which was also the largest piece when it landed on Earth, with a total weight of 11.6 tons. It split into nearly 900 fragments, ranging in size from nearly a ton to several dozen grams.”
In the local Supervision office, Shen Zhuo flipped to the next slide of the presentation, revealing the complex layered structure of the underground building:
“The fortress has an inverted cone structure, with a total of 17 levels from top to bottom. Aside from the top three floors, which are research institutions, the thirteen underground levels are filled with high-firepower guards and various abilities-shielding devices. The deepest part is a tank-shaped storage chamber cast with a 15-meter lead plate, where all the meteorites are sealed inside.”
“The surveillance has been cut off, but from the last footage, it appears that Rong Qi and his team have broken through the last safety gate on the ground and successfully infiltrated the underground levels.”
At the long conference table, Bai Sheng leaned comfortably in a leather swivel chair, holding a thick stack of confidential documents in his hand. With two knuckles pinching his chin, he looked with interest at Shen Zhuo on the podium.
“…” Shen Zhuo frowned and said, “Is there a problem, Mr. Bai?”
The black suit outlined Shen Zhuo’s slender and upright profile, making his waist look very thin in this standing posture. Possibly due to work, he wore a pair of plain glasses, adding a touch of scholarly elegance to his cold and aloof demeanor.
“Nothing.” Bai Sheng paused, then smiled slightly and said in Chinese, “I noticed you look very good with glasses.”
Shen Zhuo: “…”
Everyone from Shenhai: “…”
Local supervisors led by Antonio: “???”
“Do you have any questions related to this mission?” Shen Zhuo asked in a deep voice in English, “Mr. Bai?”
“Oh, yes.” Bai Sheng snapped the confidential documents shut, crossed his incredibly long legs, and suddenly turned stern:
“What is your local Supervision office doing? How could you let Rong Qi in so easily? Can you take responsibility if something goes wrong?!”
In the conference room, the two groups were distinctly separate. On one side were Bai Sheng, who seemed relaxed as if he were at home no matter where he was; Yang Xiaodao, who finally got to put down his large and small bags of luggage; and Chu Yan, Director Gao, Witch Italdo, etc. On the other side were the local supervision office personnel led by Antonio, who were being scolded to the point they couldn’t lift their heads, and everyone had an expression that looked like they wanted to resign.
“… This base was personally supervised by Nielsen.” Antonio held his forehead with one hand, looking very dejected. “Nielsen has the most detailed design plans and the highest access permissions for every gate and area. The past two days have been too tight, and we haven’t had time to completely void his permissions… and now he’s run off with Rong Qi…”
This situation is pretty much like the saying “when it rains, it pours.” Bai Sheng raised an eyebrow and looked at Antonio, who was shrouded in a cloud of gloom. “You bearer of bad news, can’t you bring some good news for everyone?”
“There is, there is, there really is!” Antonio immediately perked up, sitting up straight and serious. “The base has the world’s top ability-shielding devices, which neutralize almost all destructive and medical abilities except for a few rare ones. So, aside from having many people, Rong Qi’s subordinates have no real advantage and can only rely on brute force.”
“…” Bai Sheng looked at him with an expression as if he were an idiot, pointing at himself and Yang Xiaodao. “So the only way for us to get in is to force our way in?”
Antonio immediately made a gesture of camaraderie and brotherhood, then lifted two huge equipment boxes from the ground and slammed them onto the conference table with a bang! Bang!
“These are the advanced military equipment we have specially prepared for you. Please take a look.”
With two swift movements, Antonio opened the metal boxes, revealing the shiny silver guns and bullets inside, all specially designed for dealing with evolutionists. There were even two rare, specially designed man-portable mortars, capable of blowing off half the body of an A-class individual with a single shot.
“Words cannot express my gratitude. On behalf of the entire International Supervision General Administration, I thank you for your selfless dedication.” Antonio stood up, vigorously patted Bai Sheng on the shoulder, and sincerely said, “We entrust the St. Carter Fort Base to you two.”
But before he could sit back down, Bai Sheng grabbed his wrist:
“—Just the two of us?”
Though it seemed effortless, Antonio, an S-class, felt as if his wrist bone was being gripped by a steel clamp. Bai Sheng looked at him mockingly and asked:
“For such a major issue involving the International Supervision General Administration, not even a single supervisor is stepping forward, and you expect a civilian volunteer and a minor to charge into battle?”
“…”
Under the watchful eyes of everyone in the room, Antonio stood stiffly for a long time, realizing that there truly is no such thing as a free lunch.
“Fine.” He gritted his teeth and steeled himself, thinking that he was, after all, an S-class and at worst, he’d fight: “I’ll go down with you, as long as the law of causality can completely eliminate that Rong Qi; just don’t let me die in vain!”
Unexpectedly, Bai Sheng’s gaze passed over Antonio, lightly glancing at Shen Zhuo behind the podium, and then he beckoned Antonio with his finger.
“?”
Antonio bent down and leaned closer, only to hear Bai Sheng close to his ear, smiling and saying softly:
“What if you meet Rong Qi and betrayed me like Nielsen when you can’t beat him, then shoot me in the back, and steal my person to dance on my grave, wouldn’t that be terribly unfair to me?”
Antonio: “…”
Why are you so familiar with this process? Are you always thinking about dancing on other people’s graves?
“Buddy, it was just a single rose I sent, do you have to remember it forever?” Antonio was almost exasperated, whispering, “How about this, I’ll go down with you. When we meet Rong Qi, you shoot me first, ensuring I can never show up in front of Supervisor Shen again. Now can you relax?”
Bai Sheng sneered: “Wishful thinking. With your ability, even if you send a bunch of roses, Supervisor Shen won’t even pay attention to you.”
“…” Antonio asked, “So what do you want?”
Bai Sheng raised his chin in the direction of Shen Zhuo not far away, his movements were very covert: “You can think of a way in the name of the International Supervision General Administration. Whatever the reason, just get Supervisor Shen to accompany me on the plane.”
Antonio was puzzled: “Can’t you two discuss this yourselves?”
“…We’ve had a bit of a disagreement,” Bai Sheng finally admitted, “Look at his attitude, he doesn’t even want to talk to me now.”
The two looked at each other, Bai Sheng’s expression complex.
Antonio had no choice but to turn around and said shamelessly: “Supervisor Shen…”
“The helicopter is already on the roof; we must depart within ten minutes. I will be responsible for accompanying Mr. Bai to fly to St. Carter Fort.”
Shen Zhuo’s face was pale and calm, and he lowered his head to pack up the confidential document bag without looking at anyone:
“Because four days ago, when I was ordered to inspect the base, I obtained biometric access permissions. Only my iris and fingerprints can get them into the underground levels.”
“…”
“Ahem.” Bai Sheng, looking nonchalant, picked up the equipment box with one hand and cleared his throat: “Serving for world peace is the duty of every citizen. Let’s go.”
***
Although it didn’t have much effect, Antonio still prepared two sets of bulletproof combat suits for Bai Sheng and Yang Xiaodao. The two spent a few minutes equipping themselves. Bai Sheng slung the equipment bag over his shoulder and inspected himself in the glass of the stairwell for a moment, satisfied that he still had the highest attractiveness and competitiveness among all males in the venue—except for Shen Zhuo.
Then he suddenly remembered something, leaned towards the glass, lifted his hair, and scratched the small scrape on his forehead with his fingers.
“?” Yang Xiaodao, assembling an HKG28 sniper rifle, raised his head inadvertently and was immediately shocked: “Why are you hurting yourself?”
“You little brat who’s never been in love wouldn’t understand,” Bai Sheng chuckled and messed up Yang Xiaodao’s hair, then turned and went up to the rooftop.
The helicopter’s rotor stirred up a strong wind on the rooftop. Shen Zhuo stood in front of the open cabin door, one hand holding his black suit jacket, the other holding a tablet computer. He reopened the surveillance video feed from the base and furrowed his brow slightly for some reason.
Suddenly he turned around and looked at Antonio, with a hint of doubt in his eyes:
“Has Nielsen appeared in any of the surveillance videos?”
“No, Nielsen probably didn’t act with Rong Qi,” Antonio inexplicably asked back, “Don’t you know? Nielsen suddenly fell critically ill early this morning and had to be urgently transferred to another hospital. He was taken by Rong Qi during the escort, and he probably can’t even stand up!”
Although it was a reasonable explanation, Shen Zhuo’s gaze fell on the video, and he furrowed his brow slightly.
A sense of unease gradually emerged in his heart. He felt that something was off.
“…Get a few people to keep an eye on the International Supervision General Administration,” Shen Zhuo pondered for a moment, then closed the video feed. “Rong Qi is extremely cruel and patient. He plans things well in advance before doing anything, so if he has other plans, we might be caught off guard.”
Antonio didn’t understand, but Shen Zhuo was the only one among the top ten supervisors who had faced Rong Qi head-on, so he took the tablet and nodded: “Alright, I’ll call Chief Supervisor Margot.”
Shen Zhuo nodded silently, his eyes still carrying a hint of gravity.
It was hard to tell he had lost some weight during this time because his entire body was completely covered, even his hands wrapped in black leather gloves. Only his side profile was clearly pale, with his ink-black eyes and brows subtly revealing a hint of weariness.
Antonio assessed him for a moment but couldn’t resist his curiosity, pretending nonchalantly, “Um…”
Shen Zhuo glanced at him.
“I heard you had an argument with Mr. Bai?” Antonio coughed modestly, “It wasn’t because of me, was it?”
“…” Shen Zhuo’s eyes were like inorganic black glass, staring motionlessly at Antonio.
Just as he opened his mouth and was about to answer, Bai Sheng’s voice came from behind:
“Hey, are you waiting for me?”
Bai Sheng led Yang Xiaodao, striding onto the rooftop, one hand carrying firearms equipment, the other casually waving to them.
Wrapped in the black combat suit, his imposing one meter ninety height was too obvious, with broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs in leather boots, exuding a hidden fierceness amidst laziness, and a slight curve at the corner of his mouth.
His pitch-black eyebrows naturally seemed to have been carefully groomed, long and sleek like a crescent moon, shining with a glint of laughter when he raised them.
Shen Zhuo stared steadily at Bai Sheng’s outstandingly handsome face among the crowd for a few seconds before shifting his gaze away, then turned to Antonio and calmly answered his earlier question:
“Don’t you look in the mirror every day?”
Antonio: “…………”
“Let’s go.” Bai Sheng arrived at the helicopter door, tilted his head towards the cabin, and smiled, “Supervisor Shen.”
Shen Zhuo left Antonio, who was left doubting his life in place, and turned to enter the cabin. However, as he glanced around, his eyes suddenly froze for a moment.
The strong wind lifted Bai Sheng’s pitch-black hair, and the scrape on his forehead from four days ago had not yet healed. It even looked a bit inflamed, with a hint of redness.
“What’s wrong?” Bai Sheng asked curiously.
“…” Shen Zhuo withdrew his gaze, saying lightly, “Nothing.” Then he bent down and entered the cabin.
Bai Sheng smiled faintly behind him, pretending not to notice, and sat satisfactorily next to Shen Zhuo, fastening his seatbelt. The armed helicopter rose from the ground amidst the hurricane.
***
St. Carter Fort base was less than 300 kilometers away from here, and the unarmed armed helicopter arrived in the vicinity airspace in half an hour. After confirming with the ground that survivors had evacuated the base, the pilot turned his head and asked, “Mr. Bai, can I drop you near the security door no. 8?”
“Sure.” Bai Sheng casually replied, “After Supervisor Shen sends us in, he’ll come back up. You stay here to assist him and remember to keep a distance of three kilometers from the base afterward.”
The pilot didn’t understand, but instinctively obeyed the orders of an S-class: “Yes!”
Shen Zhuo glanced lightly at Bai Sheng.
The pilot didn’t know what three kilometers meant, but he knew that it was the radius of indiscriminate annihilation when causality went out of control.
Bai Sheng appeared carefree and easygoing on the surface, but he was actually very meticulous and deep in his thoughts. Even with Yang Xiaodao’s 99% luck boost, he still considered and arranged for the 1% possibility of losing control, he just never said it out loud.
With a swish, the cabin door opened, and Yang Xiaodao, carrying the equipment bag, leaped down from mid-air first. Bai Sheng turned back to Shen Zhuo and reached out his hand, smiling:
“May I have the honor of giving you a ride, Supervisor Shen?”
“…”
The high-altitude wind blew their hair as Shen Zhuo remained calm as a deep pool, answering simply, “Yes, thank you.”
Bai Sheng then wrapped one arm around his waist, his movements polite and very gentlemanly, and held him in his arms as they flew down from the cabin door.
Whooo—
The wind whistled past their ears as the airflow controlled by S-class abilities lifted them from the ground, gently cushioning their landing without a stumble.
Behind them was the high wall of the base with its electric fence, and ahead was the huge metal door leading to the interior. Bai Sheng stood up, took a step back, and timely released the hand that was wrapped around Shen Zhuo’s waist, courteously saying:
“No need to thank me.”
Then he slung the gun bag he was holding over his shoulder and walked forward without looking back.
The warm sensation around his waist dissipated with the wind, disappearing in an instant.
It felt as if waking up from a half-asleep dream, the sense of security from that solid embrace seemed so real, but upon waking, all he saw was the empty white room with dust quietly floating in the faint daylight.
Shen Zhuo remained silent, staring at Bai Sheng’s receding figure, squinting his eyes thoughtfully.
Everything about this person’s demeanor and actions gave him a very subtle feeling, as if everything had returned to when they first met.
One was an S-class whose purpose in returning from overseas was unknown, and the other was a high-ranking supervisor who remained calm and composed. On the surface, the two were forced to work together, but beneath the surface, there was a constant exchange of probing and testing between them.
Even though there was ambiguity lingering under the table, they still maintained the professional relationship of Supervisor Shen and Mr. Bai, ready to advance or retreat as needed.
In fact, everything was as he wished. This was clearly the most efficient, stable, and beneficial mode of interaction under the current situation.
Shen Zhuo’s throat subtly tightened, as if swallowing something unpleasant.
“Is this door a biometric lock?”
Bai Sheng’s voice came from not far ahead. He examined the metal door for a moment before turning back with a smile and asking, “Can you help us open it, Supervisor Shen?”
“…”
Shen Zui withdrew his gaze and said in an extremely cold voice: “Sure, Mr. Bai.”
Shen Zhuo withdrew a gun from his waist and approached the door, inputting an 18-digit code at the side. The recognizer automatically scanned his fingerprint, iris, and facial features, then displayed a row of “ACCESS GRANTED.”
The twenty-ton tungsten alloy door opened with a bang.
The base’s lighting system had been destroyed, and the gloomy daylight illuminated the corridor beyond the door. The body of a guard lay sprawled against the wall, pierced through the heart by an ability, already lifeless.
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