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Li Haotian led Lin Mo through the south gate of Donghai University. The usually bustling school gate was unusually quiet today. The security booth was empty; their familiar colleague, Lao Wang, was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, Brother Dazhu, didn't you say you were going to treat me to braised pork trotters?" Lin Mo tugged at Li Haotian's sleeve. Her ears twitched, as if she had heard something.

Li Haotian didn't respond, but instead turned his gaze to the school gate not far away. Several men in black suits stood straight, motionless. They wore white gloves and held walkie-talkies.

"Have you changed security guards?" Li Haotian asked in a low voice.

Lin Mo leaned close to Li Haotian's ear. "They smelled terrible, like rotten lilies."

Li Haotian narrowed his eyes. He recognized this smell. It was the mark of those monsters used by the pioneers to make medicine.

A security guard in a black suit walked over. His eyes were vacant and unfocused. He approached step by step, his arms stiff.

"Please show your student ID." The security guard's voice was flat as he held out a hand. His gaze, however, was fixed on Lin Mo. His nose twitched slightly, as if he were sniffing out something.

Lin Mo hid behind Li Haotian. Li Haotian took out a red ballpoint pen from the security booth. He flicked his finger, and the pen tip lightly touched the guard's forehead.

The security guard froze. His skin cracked like porcelain, revealing a dense network of purple veins beneath. Those veins were still twitching slightly.

"Warning, Donghai University's underground area has been compromised." Su Wan's urgent voice rang in Li Haotian's earpiece. "The core laboratory has been activated, and a large number of petri dishes are in operation."

Li Haotian ignored Su Wan. He took Lin Mo's hand. "Let's go eat."

He headed straight for Cafeteria No. 3. Several security guards in black suits, as if programmed, "unintentionally" blocked his way.

Li Haotian deftly turned his left foot, and a figure slid to the side. He leaned slightly on his right shoulder, and another security guard crashed directly into the flower bed next to him.

"Are these people here to check up on things?" Lin Mo asked.

"Checking on staff? Probably checking if the cafeteria has braised pork trotters today," Li Haotian said casually.

A commotion erupted from the direction of the cafeteria. It wasn't the noise of people eating; it was the sound of fighting.

Li Haotian and Lin Mo walked to the cafeteria entrance. The door was wide open, and the inside was a mess. Tables and chairs were overturned, and food was spilled all over the floor. Several cafeteria workers huddled in a corner, trembling.

"Which department are you from? This is the school cafeteria!" shouted Uncle Chen, the cafeteria manager. He was holding a large ladle in his hand.

A dozen or so security guards in black suits surrounded the center of the cafeteria. They were subduing several school security guards who usually just coasted along. Now, they were being beaten senseless and left to grovel on the ground.

"Mind your own business," a leader in a black suit said coldly. He held a black stun gun in his hand, with blue arcs of electricity emanating from its tip.

"I was just being nosy," Li Haotian said as he stepped forward. He casually picked up a chopstick from the ground.

He flicked his wrist. The chopsticks shot out with a whooshing sound, striking the stun gun in the black-suited leader's hand. The stun gun buzzed and flew out of his grasp.

The man in the black suit was taken aback. He saw Lin Mo behind Li Haotian. Lin Mo's gaze happened to sweep over the purple tattoo on his wrist.

"Target spotted! Capture alive!" the leader in the black suit shouted. He ordered the other security guards to pounce on Li Haotian and Lin Mo.

Li Haotian didn't move. He simply stomped his foot on the ground. The entire cafeteria floor trembled slightly. A dozen or so security guards in black suits immediately lost their balance. They stumbled and fell over in a heap.

"Who's in charge here?" Li Haotian asked Grandpa Chen.

Grandpa Chen was stunned. He pointed at Li Haotian. "Of course... it's you."

Li Haotian smiled. He walked to the back of the cafeteria kitchen. Several security guards in black suits tried to get up. Li Haotian casually grabbed a large plate. The plate spun and flew out, hitting one of the guards precisely on the back of the head. The guard fell to the ground with a thud.

The other security guards were intimidated. They dared not move again.

"Uncle Chen, does the No. 3 canteen have braised pork trotters rice today?" Li Haotian asked.

Grandpa Chen snapped out of his daze. He nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, yes, Li Baoan, there's plenty of braised pork knuckle rice today."

Lin Mo had already found a corner to sit down. She picked up a clean plate. "I'll have two servings of pork knuckle rice."

Li Haotian walked up to the leader in the black suit. The leader was still struggling on the ground. Li Haotian stepped on his chest.

"Are you Han Dehai's men?" Li Haotian asked.

The leader in the black suit had a fierce look in his eyes. "You won't get any information out of me!"

Li Haotian shook his head. "What you said sounds familiar; someone else said it a few days ago."

He pulled a few coins from his pocket. The coins danced between his fingers. He flicked his finger. The coins flew out.

"Ding ding ding—"

Several crisp sounds rang out. The cuff of the black-suited leader's suit suddenly snapped, revealing his arm underneath. Purple veins, too, were visible on that arm.

Li Haotian kicked aside the man in the black suit who was leading the group. He walked to the center of the cafeteria. The security guards who had fallen to the ground all had similar markings on their arms.

"They're all the same stuff," Li Haotian said.

Su Wan's voice rang out again. "According to the analysis, these 'security guards' have undergone genetic modification by the pioneers' pharmaceuticals. They are humanoid 'mirror image parasites'."

Li Haotian walked to a cafeteria window. He saw more security guards in black suits outside. They were moving towards the cafeteria.

"Su Wan, how many people did they bring?" Li Haotian asked.

"Preliminary estimate: over 150 people," Su Wan replied. "The entire Donghai University has been locked down."

Lin Mo had already started eating the braised pork trotter rice. She ate quickly, one bite after another, thoroughly enjoying her meal.

Li Haotian walked over to Grandpa Chen. Grandpa Chen was so frightened that he shrank back there.

"Grandpa, is there an exit at the back of the cafeteria?" Li Haotian asked.

Grandpa Chen pointed to the back door. "Yes, there's a delivery lane."

Li Haotian nodded. He looked at the security guards in black suits in the center of the cafeteria. "Are you going to get out yourselves, or should I throw you out?"

The security guards in black suits exchanged glances. They got up from the ground, their eyes filled with hesitation.

"Get out of here," Li Haotian said, his tone becoming more forceful.

The security guards rushed out as if their lives depended on it, knocking over several tables in the process.

"What are these people doing here?" Grandpa Chen asked.

Li Haotian didn't answer. He saw that Lin Mo had already finished a serving of braised pork knuckle rice. Lin Mo licked his lips. "More."

Li Haotian shook his head helplessly. He picked up the rice bowl and gave Lin Mo a large portion of braised pork trotters with rice.

"These guys are pretty bold, daring to cause trouble on campus," Li Haotian said.

A louder commotion came from outside the cafeteria. Footsteps were heavy. It seemed that even more people were rushing over.

"Su Wan, what is the purpose of these people?" Li Haotian asked.

"It's unclear at the moment. Their behavior lacks logic," Su Wan replied. "But the energy fluctuations inside Donghai University are continuously increasing. It seems some kind of device is being activated."

Li Haotian looked towards the back door of the cafeteria. He saw several security guards in black suits there as well. They seemed to be trying to flank the cafeteria from the back.

"Looks like even eating pork trotter rice isn't peaceful," Li Haotian said. He picked up a broken stool leg.

Lin Mo held the plate, not even looking up. "Fighting will affect your appetite."

Li Haotian smiled. He walked to the back kitchen. Several security guards in black suits had already rushed to the back door. They were carrying black daggers.

Li Haotian swung the chair leg, creating a gust of wind that sent a security guard flying, crashing into the wall.

Another security guard rushed over, his short knife aimed straight for Li Haotian's throat. Li Haotian dodged to the side. He then swung the chair leg backhand, striking the guard in the waist. The guard let out a muffled groan and flew backward.

Li Haotian quickly dealt with all the security guards at the back door. He walked to the door and peeked outside.

The delivery lane leads to a narrow alley. High walls line both sides of the alley.

"Is there anyone else in the cafeteria?" Li Haotian asked.

Grandpa Chen and several women were trembling with fear. They hid behind the window.

"That's all, just a few of us," said Grandpa Chen.

Li Haotian nodded. He looked at Lin Mo. "Are you full?"

Lin Mo put down the plate. "Almost there."

Li Haotian picked up the rice bowl and poured the remaining pork trotter rice into Lin Mo's plate.

"Eat quickly, then we'll leave," Li Haotian said.

Lin Mo grabbed a piece of braised pork trotter rice and began to eat it heartily.

Outside the cafeteria, more and more security guards in black suits appeared. They surrounded the cafeteria.

"Li Dazhu, come out!" A sharp voice came from outside.

Li Haotian ignored him. He just watched Lin Mo eat.

Lin Mo finished the last bite of her braised pork knuckle rice. She rubbed her stomach. "So full."

"Let's go then," Li Haotian said.

He walked to the center of the cafeteria. The security guards who had been knocked down were now struggling to get up.

Li Haotian kicked a table away. The table crashed into the wall with a loud bang.

"I'm giving you one last chance," Li Haotian said. A golden-red flame ignited in his hand. The flame flickered.

The security guards saw the flames. Fear flashed in their eyes.

"Run!" someone shouted.

All the security guards started rushing out. They were jostling each other.

Li Haotian pulled Lin Mo along. He headed towards the back door of the cafeteria.

"Su Wan, where is the school's underground laboratory located?" Li Haotian asked.

"It's located fifteen meters underground in the teaching area," Su Wan replied. "There are six independent experimental areas."

Li Haotian nodded. He led Lin Mo out of the back door of the cafeteria.

In the alley, several security guards in black suits blocked the way. They were carrying long sticks.

Li Haotian didn't speak. He just walked forward. The security guards were pushed aside by an invisible force. They crashed into the wall.

At the end of the alley, a narrow path with little traffic leads to the alley.

"Su Wan, are there teachers and students in the school?" Li Haotian asked.

"Most people have been evacuated," Su Wan replied. "A small number of faculty and students are trapped in the teaching building."

Li Haotian frowned. He looked in the direction of the teaching building, where a faint purple mist was drifting.

"It seems things won't end well today," Li Haotian said.

Lin Mo suddenly stopped. She looked at the teaching building, her eyes somewhat lost. "There, someone is crying."

Li Haotian patted Lin Mo's head. "Let's go take a look."

He led Lin Mo towards the teaching building. Security guards in black suits kept rushing out from both sides of the path. Li Haotian easily dealt with them. His movements were fluid and efficient.

He could sense it. Over at the teaching building, a strange energy was gathering.

"These people are relentless," Li Haotian said. He looked towards the horizon, where dark clouds gathered and faint purple lightning flashed.

"Today, it's probably not just the braised pork knuckle rice that's delicious," Li Haotian said. He held a bronze dagger in his hand, the blade gleaming with gold.

A man wearing a monocle stood at the entrance of the teaching building. His face was expressionless. He held a black controller in his hand. A red button on the controller was flashing.

"Target is approaching," the man with the monocle said softly into the controller. He looked at Li Haotian, his eyes filled with amusement.

The doors to the teaching building slowly opened. Inside, it was pitch black, filled with the pungent smell of rotting lilies. Lin Mo's eyes flickered. She seemed to sense something.

"Big Pillar, there are lots of little bugs crawling around," Lin Mo said.

Li Haotian nodded. He gripped the bronze dagger tightly. Golden flames flickered.