The system is four years ahead of schedule, but Weird is still a cub.

Quanlongshan Base, in the comprehensive observation room of the S-class containment zone "Silent Room".

Chen Su, Zhao Lan, and two other "special biology experts" brought from headquarters stood outside the thick, multi-layered reinforced glass observation window.

Instead of a direct view of the containment unit from the window, there is a huge multimedia screen that transmits images of the interior in real time.

Deng Yuqi, Li Xiang, and Jiang Peiwen accompanied her, their expressions serious.

However, the images displayed on the screen are actually "customized" images that have undergone multiple layers of spatial shielding and signal encryption.

Zhang Hong, or rather, an energy projection simulating Zhang Hong's state, was bound to the force field platform in the center of the containment chamber.

His body was contorted, and beneath his exposed skin, dark purple veins writhed like living things, sometimes bulging and sometimes disappearing, emitting an ominous glow.

His face struggled between pain and grotesqueness, his eyes sometimes tightly closed, sometimes suddenly opened, and deep within his pupils burned an inhuman, chaotic ghostly fire.

"Ugh... Ah—!" A suppressed roar of extreme pain emanated from the high-fidelity speakers, accompanied by a heart-stopping tremor.

With a roar, visible ripples, like waves on water, suddenly spread out in the space around his body.

Wherever the ripples passed, the solid alloy walls and floors hummed under the strain, leaving behind fine marks as if cut by invisible blades.

"Real-time vital signs: mental pollution index 87%, peak value of strange energy fluctuation exceeds threshold, spatial disturbance level: moderate, core temperature rises sharply!" Jiang Peiwen reported a series of data in a solemn tone.

"This is a typical manifestation of a deep-seated freakish agitation period. His consciousness is being frantically torn apart by the source of pollution, while his body is undergoing irreversible mutations."

"Spatial abilities are beginning to leak out unconsciously, which is extremely dangerous."

On the screen, Zhang Hong suddenly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes, filled with chaotic light, seemed to pierce through layers of shielding, staring intently at the crowd outside the observation window.

Those eyes were filled with rage, pain, and a hint of... chilling, predatory greed.

"Hiss..." An expert next to Zhao Lan subconsciously took a half step back, his face showing fear, but deep in his eyes flashed an uncontrollable excitement, as if he had seen a moving gold mine.

"This level of energy leakage and spatial disturbance... is extremely rare! The characteristics of this source of contamination... are definitely remnants of the core of multiple bizarre spaces, and the remaining signs of human consciousness struggling... a perfect unity of opposites, the research value of this... is immeasurable!"

This idea flashed through the minds of the Dajing Project Team members at the same time, but they naturally couldn't easily say things like "research value".

After all, they were there on behalf of Da Jing to "comfort" this anti-espionage agent who was injured on duty.

Chen Su's face was tense, his hands were behind his back, his knuckles were white from clenching them. He could clearly feel the greed and desire of the two experts beside him that were almost tangible.

The scene on the screen was more impactful than any written report: a "living treasure" on the verge of spiraling out of control, yet containing endless secrets, was right before their eyes, but was firmly isolated by a damned screen and the Rongshi Special Operations Department.

"Minister Jiang, how long is this situation expected to last? What is the chance of a reversal?" Chen Su's voice was a little hoarse as he tried to maintain a facade of concern.

Jiang Peiwen pushed up her glasses, the lenses reflecting the cold light of the screen: "It's impossible to predict precisely. Every period of agitation is a huge test of will and body. The possibility of reversal... is less than 10%. Our current goal is to prolong his stable period as much as possible, capture the activity patterns of the pollution source, and find the weak points of mental anchoring. Every period of agitation is valuable data, but also... a huge risk."

Her words were heavy with emotion, hinting at the difficulty and danger of the research.

On the screen, Zhang Hong let out an even more shrill roar, his body convulsing violently. Dark purple energy rose from his body like flames, the spatial ripples expanded instantly, and the entire screen shook violently. A piercing alarm sounded in the observation room.

"Warning! Spatial disturbances intensify! Approaching containment limit threshold!" At this moment, a red warning light lit up in the observation room, and the voice of the intelligent monitoring system suddenly rose.

Deng Yuqi immediately ordered: "Activate the highest level of containment stabilization field, inject a high concentration of anti-psychotic energy inhibitors, and put Captain Lin on standby, ready for forced intervention."

The images on the screen became blurred amidst violent shaking and energy bursts, eventually settling into a subdued, energy-surging calm under the intense light of the activated eerie energy field.

Zhang Hong's body went limp, but the violent and chaotic aura of strange energy still seemed to rush towards him through the screen.

The visit has ended.

The observation room was deathly silent, with only the lingering echo of the all-clear signal reverberating in the air.

Chen Su took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the shock and even stronger desire in his heart. He looked at Deng Yuqi, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "The situation... is more serious than we imagined. Professor Jiang's team has worked hard. Headquarters will fully support your research; you can raise any resource needs."

"Thank you for the support from headquarters," Deng Yuqi replied in a formulaic manner.

"Any resource needs can be requested," right?
well.

……

Leaving the Quanlongshan base, the atmosphere inside the car on the return trip was oppressive and suffocating.

"Director! We must find a way to get him out!" Zhao Lan could no longer hold back. She lowered her voice, her tone urgent, and the expression on her face revealed her thoughts.

"You saw it too! That state... that energy... that's a living 'key'! It's the key to unlocking multiple bizarre dimensions and the secrets of the monster organization's power. Putting it in Rong City is simply a waste! Jiang Peiwen and her group are basically... 'raising pigs'! Waiting to harvest the data!"

Chen Su closed his eyes, leaning back in his seat, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the armrest. The word "pig farming" was jarring, but in some ways, it struck a chord with his inner anxiety.

Rongshi City clearly regards Zhang Hong as an extremely important research asset and protects him with impenetrable security. A direct attack would be too costly and would lack a legitimate reason.

“Shen Ge…” Chen Su slowly opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them.

“Deng Yuqi used him as a shield and a protective charm. Since he’s been ‘tracking’ outside, let’s get our ‘hounds’ moving. Notify ‘Shadow Snake’ to join Shen Ge’s team under the guise of ‘supporting the tracking operation in Rong City,’ or… find clues on his own.”

"There is only one objective: to find out Shen Ge's true whereabouts at all costs, as well as... the internal structure and security weaknesses of the Quanlong Mountain Base containment area, especially the path leading to the 'Silent Chamber'!"

"Yes!" A ruthless glint flashed in Zhao Lan's eyes. ...

It was late at night, in a quiet alley near the headquarters of the Special Operations Department in Fuzhou.

A figure almost completely blended into the shadows, like a ghost without a physical form, moved rapidly along the wall.

He is one of Chen Su's trump cards, "Shadow Serpent"—a monster warrior who has undergone special freakish transformations and possesses extremely strong abilities in stealth, mimicry, and short-distance spatial traversal.

His mission was to infiltrate the headquarters of the Special Operations Department in Rong City and the Quanlongshan base to pave the way for a possible subsequent "takeover" operation.

The Shadow Serpent held its breath, its body blending into the environment like a chameleon.

He evaded all regular surveillance and patrols, preparing to launch a short-range space jump to directly over the outer high wall.

Just as his energy condensed, and the space rippled with extremely faint waves—

A cold hand landed on his shoulder without warning.

The feeling was like being gripped by the icy claws of an extreme hell. The blood in the Shadow Serpent's body seemed to freeze instantly, and the condensed spatial energy was forcibly extinguished by a more powerful and subtle force.

He was horrified. His body instinctively wanted to fight back, but he found that all his muscles, nerves, and even his supernatural abilities were completely suppressed by an invisible, terrifying force, and he couldn't even move a finger.

He struggled, twisting his stiff neck inch by inch, and caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye—

A figure dressed in an ordinary Special Operations Department uniform had silently appeared behind him at some point.

The dim light outlined the other person's cold profile, which was the target of his "support" mission—Shen Ge!
Shen Ge's gaze remained calm and unwavering. His voice was deep and completely flat as he asked, "Oh? Since this friend has come to visit, why didn't he come through the main entrance? It seems his sense of direction isn't very good?"

A gurgling sound came from Shadow Serpent's throat, and fear instantly coiled around his body like a poisonous vine. He wanted to explain, to struggle, but under the absolute suppression of that power, even his thoughts became sluggish.

"You wanted to see Zhang Hong, so I let you see him." Shen Ge tightened his fingers slightly, and Ying She felt as if her shoulder blades were about to shatter.

"Now, it's my turn to look at something."

Before he could finish speaking, Shadow Serpent felt a chilling, eerie power pierce his brain like a steel needle. He couldn't even scream as his consciousness was instantly dragged into an endless abyss of darkness...

……

The next morning, at the Special Operations Department's underground command center.

Chen Su sat in the guest seat with a livid face, while Deng Yuqi sat in the main seat with a calm expression.

"Director Chen, it seems there was a little unpleasant incident last night?"

Deng Yuqi spoke calmly, as if discussing the weather: "One of our perimeter patrol members discovered a suspicious individual in an alley near the hotel where the headquarters task force is staying. He was acting suspiciously and attempting to illegally jump into the controlled area. He was carrying headquarters' identification chip, but it seems... he's had some minor modifications made?"

With a gentle push, a tablet slid in front of Chen Su.

On the screen was a photo of "Shadow Snake" unconscious, accompanied by a preliminary body scan report that clearly marked several illegal and highly dangerous freakish modification nodes, as well as the special equipment he carried, used to disrupt spatial shielding and record the structure of the containment area.

Chen Su stared at the screen, at the image of Shadow Snake's face contorted in pain and horror, and at the shockingly detailed scan report. He felt a chill run from his feet to the top of his head.

The document clearly marks several key monster-modification nodes that were precisely destroyed by external forces or even completely "contaminated" by weird energy and rendered ineffective. Each node represents the result of the headquarters' huge investment and cutting-edge technology, but now it is exposed like a toy dismantled by a naughty child.

A chilling humiliation mixed with an indescribable sense of dread gnawed at Chen Su's heart like a venomous snake. Shadow Serpent was no ordinary warrior; he was a "shadow" secretly cultivated by headquarters at great expense, one of the sharpest and most secretive daggers in Chen Su's hands.

He planned this trip to Rongshi six months in advance, secretly planting the Shadow Serpent on the outskirts of Rongshi so that it could play a crucial role at the critical moment.

This piece should have been a brilliant move in his game in Rong City, or even capital for him to advance further at headquarters in the future.

The results of it?
Vanished overnight!

They didn't even have a chance to struggle before they were dragged out, stripped naked, and displayed to the public!

"Who is it?...Shen Ge? It must be him!"

The thought exploded in Chen Su's mind like a thunderclap.

Lin Yin? Impossible!

A year ago in Dajing, Shadow Serpent's subordinates were able to give Lin Yin's team a hard time in simulated combat. Although it was a one-to-many training exercise, and Lin Yin demonstrated her strength, it was impossible for her to grow to the point of being able to capture Shadow Serpent's true form silently in just one year.

Only Shen Ge, who shrouded the Rong City Special Operations Department like a fog, was the man who created miracles in one strange disaster after another, yet whose true nature remained elusive!
The joking rumors about the "two headquarters" and the jokes that the Rongshi Special Operations Department was already as powerful as the Dajing headquarters... felt like cold needles piercing Chen Su's nerves.

He once scoffed at it, thinking it was nothing more than local people's arrogant boasting, a bubble under the halo of Shen Ge's personal heroism.

But the report before him, the horrific state of the Shadow Snake, and Deng Yuqi's calm yet piercing gaze... all ruthlessly shattered his understanding.

Is this still the same Rongshi branch that was at the bottom of the national comprehensive evaluation three years ago, with scarce resources and a lack of talent?
Do not!
This place has quietly transformed into a behemoth with top-tier combat power, an iron-fisted minister, a genius research team, and... seemingly possessing some technology or power beyond the headquarters' comprehension. An "independent kingdom" that dares to confront the Great Jing headquarters head-on, and even subtly gains the upper hand.

Deng Yuqi picked up her teacup, gently blew on the steam, and spoke in a calm tone, yet with an undeniable sharpness: "Rongcheng welcomes any comrades who genuinely want to assist us. But for those with ulterior motives who attempt to sabotage our core research facilities and jeopardize the safety of important samples... we will also take all necessary measures to ensure the stability and security of Rongcheng. Director Chen, wouldn't you agree?"

Chen Su's face turned from pale to white, then from white to red. He knew that in this confrontation, he had suffered a crushing defeat. Not only was Zhang Hong far beyond his reach, but even his secretly planted pawns had been uprooted, leaving him utterly humiliated. (End of Chapter)