Chapter 88

Chapter 88

Shi Jian feigned obedience, walking ahead of the four heavily armed A-rank Alphas. Fully equipped, their faces obscured by ballistic masks that only accentuated their chiseled features, they stood little chance in close-quarters combat.

Shi Jian remained calm, subtly observing them from the corner of his eye, patiently awaiting the opportune moment to strike.

After Lei Yu's verbal description, Shi Jian had committed the First Military Region's administrative district map to memory. Both A1 and A2 experimental buildings were surrounded by highly equipped, high-ranking Alphas. The entire route was lined with high-sensitivity, high-definition surveillance cameras, monitored in real-time. Additionally, the entire district was covered by mobile patrols, lacking dense, tall greenery for concealment and operating without shift change overlaps. There was no possibility of exploiting timing to evade the guards.

Thus, from the outset, Shi Jian had harbored no illusions of a smooth escape. Lei Yu understood this too. His utmost effort could only create a potential window for Shi Jian's escape; only by getting him out of the impregnable A1 experimental building could circumstances change.

His plan involved an alternative route.

This map was not without flaws, but its sole vulnerability was exceedingly difficult to exploit: a connecting corridor between the A1 and A2 experimental buildings contained a blind spot at a turning point. Not only was the view of mobile patrols obstructed by a Roman column, but this area also had the highest concentration of surveillance cameras. Their feeds, magnified on the same large screen as others, made immediate detection of anomalies nearly impossible.

That was enough.

Shi Jian knew this was his only chance. The moment the map materialized in his mind, he had already simulated an escape. Throughout the escort, he had been observing his surroundings.

Closer.

The towering Roman column was now directly ahead. Half of Shi Jian's left foot had already crossed the floor tile boundary.

His ears twitched slightly, hearing the guards behind him within half an arm's reach.

Just a little longer—

Shi Jian's entire body had crossed the boundary, disappearing into the turn. The first two guards followed, and the two behind them were just stepping over this fatal line.

*Rustle, rustle, rustle…*

A mobile patrol approached, brushing past them without a glance, continuing its patrol in the opposite direction—behind them, directly ahead of the mobile patrol.

The first guard directly behind Shi Jian saw only a flash of silver before feeling a sudden chill at his throat. His pupils dilated futilely one last time, fixed on that composed figure receding into the distance.

The moment the front row fell, the remaining two Alphas' eyes widened. They immediately reached for their comms, but as their fingers touched the earpieces, they watched in horror as their digits were severed at the root. Excruciating pain silenced their screams; only desperate, choked gurgles escaped their slit throats.

Shielded by the Roman column and the corner, the four A-rank Alphas lost all vital signs in mere seconds, collapsing limply.

Shi Jian’s expression remained unchanged, as if he were not the one who had just killed four high-ranking Alphas in a matter of breaths.

He crouched, wiping the blood from his blade on one of the corpses' uniforms, then swiftly changed into the best-fitting set of clothes—most importantly, donning the ballistic face shield that concealed his features. Once prepared, he hoisted the stripped corpse onto his back and dashed toward the A2 experimental building, locking the body inside a random room in the shortest possible time.

The entire sequence took less than two minutes. When the mobile patrol retraced its path, this time without the blind spot, it spotted the blood and bodies from a hundred meters away. Two seconds later, the entire administrative district blared with the highest-level alarm. All entrances and exits were immediately sealed, and all patrols swarmed out, frantically searching for the escaping Shi Jian under Yu Wei’s furious command.

"Find him!!! Or I'll have all your heads!!!"

In that moment, Yu Wei's face was utterly contorted, his exaggerated expression hinting at the grotesque, alien genes lurking beneath his human facade. His enraged screams were a stark contrast to the polite First Military Region Commander he had been just two minutes prior.

*

Wen Yuan received Shi Cangfeng’s secret orders late at night and swiftly assembled his team, departing immediately. By around ten in the morning, he arrived at the First Military Region’s capital with an elite vanguard.

Yu Wei’s forces seemed to have sensed that the Ninth Military Region would eventually come for retribution, but everyone assumed it would take more time. No one noticed that the very force they feared had already subtly infiltrated their periphery—some of their own comrades might be within mere hundreds of meters.

The operation proceeded smoothly, yet from the moment they departed, Wen Yuan felt an inexplicable, suffocating dread, as if he had a premonition of something terrible about to happen.

He looked up at the heavily overcast sky, his expression grim, and summoned the undercover agent embedded in the First Military Region. "Any anomalies?"

"Yu Wei has reportedly been discreetly deploying elite troops into his administrative district for months, claiming it was to protect critical research results. However, we haven't been able to ascertain the experiment's progress. We suspect this is merely a cover for his troop movements."

Wen Yuan nodded slightly and asked, "Do you have an estimated headcount?"

"Around twenty A-rank Alphas, fifty B-rank Alphas, plus a smaller number of highly aggressive A+ and B+ ranks. If we were to force our way in, it would be absolutely impossible with our current strength."

The informant had already assessed the team Wen Yuan had brought along. To avoid drawing attention, they had to reduce their numbers—only five A-ranks and eighteen B-ranks.

And it was common knowledge in the Federation that a single A-rank Alpha, trained in military combat, possessed individual combat capability sufficient to match an entire mid-tier company.

This is problematic.

Wen Yuan ordered, "First, disperse and blend into the crowd. B-ranks and below will focus on gathering intel about sentry numbers and hidden posts in busy areas. B+ and above will gradually move closer to Yu Wei’s administrative zone with me. Maintain distance from each other and avoid raising suspicion."

"Yes!"

Wen Yuan instructed the B-ranks and below to leave the hotel first. The operatives concealed their weapons and disguised themselves as workers from all walks of life, melting into the bustling crowds like rivers merging into the ocean.

Peering through a barely cracked window, Wen Yuan observed the streets where his undercover operatives had already infiltrated. The plan was progressing smoothly, yet the cloud of worry in his heart refused to dissipate.

What was he overlooking...?

The mechanical watch on his wrist ticked away relentlessly. A shadow of gloom hung over everyone—some were battle-scarred veterans, others were military academy graduates with outstanding records but little field experience, and even Shen Xingchuan was among them. All shared profound concerns about the success of this vanguard operation.

No one cracked jokes. The atmosphere was heavy.

Wen Yuan purposefully delayed another thirty minutes before deploying the remaining B+ and above Alphas into the crowd. Eventually, only he and Shen Xingchuan remained. After a long hesitation, he finally voiced the question that filled him with dread: "Was Shi Jian really just out on a date with an Omega friend? Has he returned yet?"

But he couldn’t easily verify this with Fu Yan, who had stayed behind at the base—doing so would significantly increase their risk of exposure. No matter how anxious he was, Wen Yuan had to suppress the urge and prioritize the mission.

Shen Xingchuan paused, then replied uncertainly, "If it were some Omega I didn’t know, I might’ve advised Xiao Jian against going out during such a critical time. But since it’s his childhood best friend, I didn’t have the grounds or reason to stop him."

At the mention of Lei Yu, Wen Yuan scoffed coldly, displeased. "Shi Jian always accuses me of chauvinism, yet he tolerates that kid from the Lei family’s fanatical Omega-worship ideology. Such glaring favoritism—he’s only ever shown it to that guy since they were kids."

Shen Xingchuan nearly laughed at the bitterness in Wen Yuan’s tone and almost retorted that Xiao Jian had every right to be biased if he wanted—until he suddenly froze, his mind reeling with an earth-shattering realization.

Wen Yuan frowned at his abrupt silence, about to snap at him, when Shen Xingchuan blurted out excitedly, "Lei Yu!!! Didn’t you say his views were extreme? Could he be connected to that Omega-worshipping extremist group?"

The more Shen Xingchuan thought about it, the more plausible the connection seemed. After a brief moment of stunned silence, Wen Yuan’s expression gradually hardened. "While you're usually obtuse, you’re terrifyingly sharp on this. It’s not impossible—especially since it involves Shi Jian. This should be our top priority."

Shen Xingchuan’s initial enthusiasm quickly waned. He stared at Wen Yuan’s composed face—one that seemed born wearing a mask, expertly feigning normalcy—and glimpsed the deeply buried, somewhat twisted jealousy beneath. He couldn’t help but deadpan, "Do you genuinely think he’s suspicious, or are you just using this as an excuse to settle personal grudges?"

Wen Yuan smirked coldly, unashamed. "I despise him. Got a problem with that?"

Shen Xingchuan: "..."

Of course! He should’ve known! You're unbelievably petty!

"You stay here. Try to contact the Ninth Military Region without raising suspicion and relay the order to investigate Lei Yu."

Seeing Wen Yuan sling the sniper rifle concealed in a cello case over his shoulder, Shen Xingchuan hurriedly stood. "You’re all heading to the frontlines, and you’re leaving me here? I’m at least an A+! My academic records are solid too. Let me come along—I swear I won’t hold you back."

Wen Yuan shot him a dismissive glance. "A greenhorn like you would be the first to die if a fight breaks out."

Shen Xingchuan blinked in surprise. "Even though you never have anything good to say, am I supposed to take that as you protecting me? Since when has Commander Wen been so kind?"

Wen Yuan clicked his tongue impatiently. "If I weren’t worried that your death would upset Xiao Jian, I wouldn’t give a damn about you."

Shen Xingchuan gaped at him, looking as if hell must have frozen over. "You actually have that much self-awareness?! If you’d shown this earlier, you wouldn’t have driven Xiao Jian to this point with you!"

Unable to maintain his civil demeanor in the face of Shen Xingchuan’s deliberate provocation, Wen Yuan gritted his teeth. "Shut your mouth. What’s between me and Shi Jian isn't any of your damn business!"