Chapter 188

Chapter 188

The interior of the submarine submerged in the deep sea was cramped, with kinetic generators supplying electricity to light up every corner. The one-way mirrors on the hull broadened the view, eliminating any sense of claustrophobia.

As soon as Wei Pan appeared pushing the wheelchair, he drew the attention of all the residents. They stole curious yet restrained glances at Su Xu in the wheelchair, wanting to greet him but afraid their enthusiasm might overwhelm the visitor from far away.

A young man stood by the roadside, waiting. When Wei Pan approached, he strode forward to match his pace and said, "Director Wei, the room is almost ready. Let’s check if anything else is needed. Sister Li said dinner will be late today, and also… you're not getting meat tonight."

He pursed his lips and subtly pointed at the empty vegetable basket by the cafeteria entrance.

"Sister Li, I want chicken feet tonight!" Liang Zhan’s voice sounded strained, like his chest was being compressed.

Even Su Xu, still puzzled by the earlier strange noise, turned to look at Liang Zhan. There stood the tall Oliver, carrying two baskets—one of vegetables, the other containing a bound Liang Zhan, whose hands and feet were tied.

"Alright, whatever A-Zhan wants, Auntie will have Uncle make it for you," Sister Li said with a laugh as she stepped out of the kitchen. Spotting Liang Zhan being bullied again, she raised a rolling pin and charged at Oliver. "Look at you, a grown man picking on a kid!"

Oliver didn’t resist, even bending down to let Sister Li hit him, though his tone was aggrieved. "Look at the lumps Liang Zhan gave me!"

"Just humor the kid!"

It wasn’t just Sister Li; the others helping nearby chimed in with laughter.

"Exactly! If you make the kid cry, Old Director Finn will come after you."

"No need for Old Director Finn—Director Wei’s right here, isn’t he?"

Oliver, tall as he was, couldn't get a word in edgewise under the elders’ scolding. He wore a pained expression, clenching his teeth, but when he saw Liang Zhan giggling with delight, he couldn’t help smiling and shaking his head.

"Get me out of here! I still need to take Brother Su Xu to Zone 3!" Liang Zhan reached out from the basket and tugged at Oliver’s clothes.

Oliver’s anger was just for show. He grabbed Liang Zhan’s wrist and hauled him out of the basket.

Their horseplay was usually common, but never this frequent. It was all because Old Director Finn had said Su Xu seemed a bit withdrawn, probably shy, and as hosts, they needed to lighten the mood to make him feel the warmth of the Deep Sea Research Institute.

"Brother Su Xu!" The moment Liang Zhan was free, he appeared behind Su Xu in a flash, shouldering Wei Pan aside and grabbing the wheelchair handles to push forward.

Su Xu instantly stepped away from the wheelchair, avoiding Liang Zhan’s push, and retreated to stand steadily to the side.

Wei Pan, focused on protecting Su Xu, could only watch as Liang Zhan went flying past him.

The sudden loss of weight from the wheelchair didn’t match the force Liang Zhan had used. Unable to react in time, he crashed straight into the decorative indoor shrubs ahead.

Su Xu sucked in a breath, realizing what happened, and hurried forward to pull Liang Zhan out, apologizing repeatedly. "Sorry, it was a reflex."

He understood Liang Zhan’s intentions but wasn’t used to letting others control his movements.

Su Xu parted the foliage but couldn’t find Liang Zhan anywhere. Suddenly, he heard rustling nearby and immediately locked onto the source.

He didn’t act rashly, keeping his eyes fixed on the spot until, abruptly, someone popped up with arms outstretched.

"Brother Su Xu, welcome to the Deep Sea Research Institute!"

With Liang Zhan’s enthusiastic welcome, Su Xu finally noticed the street behind him. Stunned, he froze in place as he observed the people moving through the alleyway.

The long, narrow path was brightly lit by overhead fluorescent lights, its walls decorated with colorful children’s artwork—clearly the work of many hands.

A gentle breeze from the vents swayed wind chimes hanging above, their crisp tinkling mingling with innocent laughter, filling every corner of the submarine.

Such a charming scene was rare in these times, but what truly shocked Su Xu was that the creators of this scene were a group of physically altered "variants."

Some children had missing or distorted facial features, others had missing, extra, or misshapen limbs. Perhaps some were born with deformities due to accidents or genetic conditions, but others had gills for breathing, monstrous tentacles, or insect-like limbs—some even bore barely any human resemblance at all. How could that be explained?

The children here didn’t seem to think they were any different. Even if they couldn’t use their hands and feet like those in other living zones, they found joy in bouncing balls, skipping ropes, and hopscotch grids drawn on the ground—each adapting in their own way.

Su Xu, having reverted to his human form, looked out of place here. Dazed, he took a few steps forward before turning to Wei Pan, his confusion and astonishment clearly visible.

"Who are they?"

Wei Pan walked slowly to Su Xu’s side, his voice noticeably softer. "They were all found by Old Director Finn and Zu Hui near the Forbidden Zone’s outskirts. These children show clear signs of artificial modification. Though their bodies have mutated, they’re innocent."

"The Forbidden Zone is ravaged by violent storms and guarded by giant mutated creatures, making it nearly impossible to penetrate deeply. When the weather clears slightly, nearby camps send search parties to scour the outskirts. Any child found alive is brought back to be cared for. Over time, Zone 3’s population grew."

External mutations were visible and manageable, but countless lives were lost due to irreparable internal organ damage—an ongoing sorrow for the Institute.

Su Xu suddenly remembered encountering Zu Hui near the Forbidden Zone when he’d distanced himself from the chaos during Meg’s scheme against the Elite Squad.

Later, Wei Pan had guided him to an oxygen-filled room—one also covered in children’s drawings. Wei Pan had mentioned it was Finn’s residence. So, he’d encountered these special children long ago.

Seeing Su Xu had adjusted and could walk on his own, Wei Pan no longer pushed the wheelchair, instead strolling slowly beside him.

His sigh drifted away with the wind. "There are no monsters here—only unfortunate people."

If not for Matthia’s cruel experiments, these children could have grown up happily like any others. Though the adults at the Institute tried their best not to treat them differently, seeing the pain and inconvenience their mutations caused only deepened their hatred for Matthia.

"But surviving is already a miracle!"

Liang Zhan plucked leaves from his hair and stepped out of the bushes. After spinning in place, he lifted his pants legs in front of Su Xu, revealing two prosthetic legs.

"You—" Su Xu froze, breath caught, never expecting Liang Zhan to be one of them.

Of course—Wei Pan had mentioned earlier that Liang Zhan was found and brought back by a senior.

"See? If I don’t mention it, you’d hardly notice anything different about me," Liang Zhan said with a grin. "Due to genetic issues, I’m missing most of my lower spine. Even though I’m an adult, I’m still as small as a kid."

He shrugged casually. "But it’s not a big deal because just being alive is meaningful! Here, everyone likes me, and I like everyone too. I’ve not only gotten a second life but also a happy one!"

Liang Zhan’s smile was as bright as the summer sun, utterly unconstrained. He took a small step forward, tugging Su Xu’s sleeve to openly express his fondness. "Honestly, I’ve always felt this strange familiarity with you. So when I found out we’re the same, I was really, really happy!"

He shook Su Xu’s sleeve playfully. "Brother Su Xu, please stay! If anyone upsets you later, I’ll teach them a lesson for you!"

But then Liang Zhan hesitated, his face scrunching up. "Well, except Oliver—I can’t beat him. But you definitely could."

"And my brother’s off-limits too, but he probably wouldn’t upset you, right?"

He pouted, conflicted. "But Director Finn is out of the question. He’s always been so good to me—he basically raised me."

"Guess that means none of them count." Liang Zhan growing more embarrassed, sneaking glances at Su Xu’s expression. Seeing no anger, he grew bolder, grabbing Su Xu’s wrist. "Stay here for a while. If you really don’t like it, we’ll help you find a camp out at sea to settle in. Okay? Please?"