Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Wen Jueqian had been ready for this.

The moment he shouted, Wen Jueqian gave a hard yank, and the last strap connecting him snapped, freeing his hands.

He sprinted toward the temperature-controlled cabinet.

He'd already been inching that way, and now he was only seven or eight meters out.

A furious roar sounded behind him.

Jin Wang drew his gun and fired in his direction.

The masked man was just as fast, shoving Jin Wang's arm aside.

The bullet went wide, pinging off a nearby shelf with a sharp *ding*.

The gunshot shook dust and debris loose from the walls, sending it raining down.

The dust briefly hid Wen Jueqian from view. Choking, his fear-paralyzed body found strength again, and he dove behind the temperature-controlled cabinet.

"Are you insane?" the masked man hissed. "This passage is over twenty years old. What if your reckless shot brings the whole thing down?"

Jin Wang's rage-clouded mind cleared a little. He lowered the gun and walked toward where Wen Jueqian was hiding.

The masked man sensed trouble and warned, "Don't forget the mission."

"The priority is getting the key and the data back."

Jin Wang drew the knife strapped to his thigh and shot back, "Our mission? I thought our mission was to make Aegis pay."

He gripped the handle, his voice thick with long-buried hatred: "Right now, I'm just collecting a little interest ahead of time."

The masked man tried to stop him: "Keep him alive. He might be useful later."

"What time do we still need?" Jin Wang's voice echoed through the narrow space. "The entrance is a twenty-year-old mechanism with outdated tech. It's only a matter of time before Wen Yanxu gets in."

He took a step closer to the cabinet where Wen Jueqian was hiding. "He's useless to us now."

Wen Jueqian gripped the metal rod he'd grabbed off the ground, his knuckles white.

Ever since he was taken, these two had treated him as a hostage.

And now, he'd outlived that purpose.

He held his breath, listening to their footsteps getting closer.

His heart pounded violently, his head throbbing with every beat from the sheer tension.

Wen Jueqian felt cold sweat drip down his forehead and land on the back of the hand gripping the rod.

Maybe he'd die here before that so-called fate ever arrived.

No.

Crippling terror nearly swallowed him whole.

But he forced himself to focus.

How could he get himself out of this?

The masked man grabbed Jin Wang's arm. "Calm down. He has nothing to do with what happened twenty years ago."

Jin Wang shook him off, his voice carrying hatred compressed to the breaking point. "Twenty years ago, Aegis destroyed my home."

"Now I want Wen Yanxu to know what it feels like to lose someone important."

"A life for a life!"

The masked man stepped in front of him. "If we take revenge on innocent people, how are we any different from those animals?"

Wen Jueqian's body was tense, both hands clenched around the metal rod.

Jin Wang's murderous intent sent a chill through him, and cold sweat seeped from his palms.

At least they weren't both out to kill him—that might be his opening.

But if he went for Jin Wang first, the masked man wouldn't just stand by.

What should he do? What should he do?

Wen Yanxu, what would you do?

Just thinking that name seemed to give Wen Jueqian strength. The diamond on the engagement ring dug into his palm, leaving a deep imprint—a reminder.

He forced down his fear and spoke up. "Wen Yanxu will be here soon."

His voice made the arguing pair turn toward his hiding spot.

Wen Jueqian's thoughts raced, and his words sped up without him meaning to. "You're planning to dive to the rendezvous point, right? Even with underwater thrusters, you can't outrun the ships on Jueying Island."

He tried to make his voice sound more confident. "Let me go, and I can convince Wen Yanxu not to come after you."

Jin Wang let out a cold laugh, like he was about to say something.

The masked man stopped him and asked, "Mr. Wen, are you sure you can stop Wen Yanxu?"

He showed no more weakness, speaking with conviction. "Of course! My safety is the most important thing to him."

To add credibility, he added, "You mentioned the experiments twenty years ago—I believe you're victims too."

"I don't know what really happened back then, but I promise I'll investigate the truth, just as you want."

At that moment, a harsh grinding noise echoed down the long passage—the sound of cutting.

Wen Jueqian quickly urged them. "Wen Yanxu found the entrance. If you don't leave now, you won't make it."

The masked man and Jin Wang exchanged looks.

Jin Wang gritted his teeth and sheathed the knife at his thigh. "Fine. I'll spare your life."

The two quickly geared up in their diving equipment.

Wen Jueqian hid behind the cabinet, heard them say "spare your life," and knew his gamble had paid off.

The earlier bullet had missed its mark but still grazed his thigh. He clenched his jaw against the pain shooting through his body, tracking their movements by sound alone.

The sound of their footsteps faded in another direction, and then one of them disappeared.

"Mr. Wen."

The masked man stopped in front of the hydraulic sealed door, his voice returning to its initial courteous tone.

"One last piece of information for you, as a parting gift. Your Alpha fiancé has a compatibility rate of over 90% with a certain Omega at his side."

A hint of amusement laced his voice: "If you ever want to find a more suitable Beta lover, feel free to reach out to me."

Wen Jueqian's heart gave a heavy thump.

How did *Natural Law* know about this?

They could even get their hands on the list directly presented to He Yishui—had their infiltration of Aegis already reached this level?

"Mr. Wen," Jin Wang's voice came through as well.

"As payment for this information, pass along a message to President Wen for me. Shadow Island is just the beginning—our *revenge* will continue."

"Verification passed." A mechanical voice announced.

The hydraulic sealed door opened.

The two of them finally left.

—

A few minutes earlier.

The exploration robot had already located the hidden entrance.

An emergency fighter jet used lasers to violently cut through, emitting a sizzling sound.

Soon, an opening large enough for one person to pass through appeared.

Wen Yanxu jumped down from the fighter jet into the opening.

Qiao Yuexun followed closely behind, reaching for the rope ladder.

Continuously releasing pheromones had taken a toll on him—his face was already somewhat pale.

But he remained steadfast in his determination to follow.

Wen Yanxu glanced back at him.

This rut wasn't as intense as the last one; the 7th-Gen Inhibitor had indeed done its part.

Even in this critical moment, he still remembered Wen Jueqian's concerns.

Wen Yanxu spoke: "Qiao Yuexun."

His voice was polite yet brooked no refusal. "Thank you for your help. I'll handle what comes next on my own."

Qiao Yuexun froze mid-motion as he reached for the rope ladder.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, he just nodded.

Wen Yanxu turned and disappeared into the opening.

Wang Xin and the others followed Wen Yanxu.

Qiao Yuexun remained on the fighter jet, watching as the group vanished into the opening.

Once inside, the S-class Alpha's perception was pushed to its absolute limit.

Wen Yanxu moved swiftly through the darkness, the dense, oppressive scent of Datura exploding from his body and instantly sweeping through the entire corridor.

Wen Jueqian was still hiding behind the temperature-controlled cabinet. The life-or-death crisis seemed to have passed, but his body was still trembling slightly.

After a while—it felt like both an eternity and an instant—a familiar sweet fragrance began to fill the air.

Datura pheromone.

Then, the scent grew stronger and stronger.

Just catching a whiff of the pheromone was enough to stop Wen Jueqian's trembling.

He knew—Wen Yanxu was here.

"Qianqian."

Hearing that voice, Wen Jueqian stepped out from behind the temperature-controlled cabinet.

That familiar face appeared before his eyes.

In the darkness, Wen Yanxu's figure stood tall and straight as a pine.

Wen Jueqian was like a drowning man finally grasping at a piece of driftwood.

All the tension, fear, and lingering dread surged up at once, clogging his throat and leaving him unable to utter a single word.

The next second, he was pulled into an embrace.

Wen Yanxu's arms wrapped around him with crushing force, as if trying to press him into his very body. He could feel the other man's fingers trembling—Wen Yanxu was scared too.

Everything else gradually faded from Wen Jueqian's world.

At this moment, the only thing he could clearly hear was Wen Yanxu's heartbeat; the only thing he could feel was Wen Yanxu's warmth.

"It's okay."

He leaned against Wen Yanxu's shoulder, tears silently streaming down his face.

==========Author's Note:==========

When you're feeling helpless, just thinking about your husband gives you strength.