"Did Mr. Zhou bring the boss back?" Miao Miao wondered internally: Could there be a telepathic bond between lovers?

Unaware of her thoughts, Zhou You chuckled, "I just happened to run into him."

Meeting at such late hours hardly qualifies as a mere coincidence, especially when none of them knew when Zhou You left.

Having been out for two days, Shao Qi was quite tired. Urging everyone to retire, he said, "We'll discuss further tomorrow. I'm heading to rest now. You all should head in too."

He led Zhou You into the courtyard, and the little white tiger shook off the snowflakes and followed. Preferring the warmth near the stove, it found human shelters far cozier than the freezing snowy outdoors.

The three individuals left outside were rendered stupefied by the wind, their insatiable curiosity ensuring they wouldn’t be getting any sleep that night.

Chapter 093: Midnight Conversations

Unable to sleep after his shower, Zhou You decided to knock on Shao Qi's door. From inside, he heard a voice, "Come in."

As he entered, he noticed Shao Qi was still in the bathroom, soaking in the tub, with the bathroom door left ajar.

For two men, it wasn't particularly awkward. Zhou You sat on the couch with a clear view of Shao Qi's profile and the shoulders emerging from the bathtub. A scar from a gunshot wound marked one shoulder.

With a hot towel over his forehead, Shao Qi, eyes closed, inquired, "Why are you still up? Dawn's approaching."

"Exactly. No point in sleeping now. I can go without sleep for days."

Removing the towel, Shao Qi turned to look at Zhou You, noting his attire was just a bathrobe, leaving his legs exposed. After a prolonged glance, he closed his eyes again, "You might not be sleepy, but I'm exhausted."

"You're not sleeping yet. I just wanted some company to chat."

Having not rested his eyes for two days while awaiting news, Shao Qi found the warm bath incredibly comforting. If not for Zhou You, he might've dozed off right there, especially with the water at a constant temperature.

But continuous conversation made sleep elusive. Reluctantly, he got out of the tub, casually wrapping a towel around his waist.

Zhou You blinked, discreetly averting his gaze. Even though they had shared a bed, seeing each other's unclothed form was a different experience.

"Alright, what's on your mind? Was today's event too unsettling? We haven't even been to the scene yet. If you had seen what was in that lab, you might've had even more sleepless nights." Shao Qi said, nonchalantly sitting by the bed, drying his hair with a towel, his long, powerful legs on display.

Zhou You had seen the bodies of other martial artists — muscular and robust. Even Li Yunxi and Miao Miao had formidable physiques.

But Shao Qi's build was notably more refined. Zhou You wondered if it had something to do with Shao Qi's internal energy training.

"When do you plan on taking action? Do you have a plan?" Zhou You pondered for a moment. With their limited numbers and the underground lab likely heavily guarded, how could they infiltrate it safely? He knew the entrance required an elevator ride down, but surely there would be some key or mechanism needed to operate it. And undoubtedly, doors would block their path once they descended.

"Let's have Qin Lifeng and his team stake it out to ensure no new personnel are sent down. As for rescuing the people below, that seems impossible. I'm thinking of having a frank discussion with Cheng Ziang. With his support, even blowing up the place wouldn't be a problem."

"Blowing it up might not be feasible. Ignoring our lack of intel on the number of people and experimental subjects inside, consider the experimental agents and research materials. What if there are gases or radiation that could leak? Such an explosion might harm the civilians in the base, especially the nearby orphanage." Yet, it was undeniable that such a direct approach was tempting.

"That's why I suggested talking to Cheng Ziang first. He's the one who leaked the info to me. After all these years at the Jiangnan base, he's surely gathered a wealth of knowledge. With his cooperation, things will be much smoother."

Zhou You watched as he walked to the wardrobe right in front of him, casually removing his towel and putting on pajamas with his back turned. Zhou You chuckled, "Are you showing off your physique on purpose?"

Shao Qi turned, buttoning up his shirt and raising an eyebrow, "Do you like what you see?"

"It's alright, I guess," Zhou You replied, his words not matching his feelings.

Shao Qi approached him, taking Zhou You's hand and pressing it to his own sculpted abs, "You think this is just 'decent'?" He was quite confident in his physique. Zhou You was a tad lean, but still very well-proportioned.

Zhou You felt a sudden warmth and swiftly took a step back, refocusing on the main topic, "Have you faced situations like this before?"

With a hint of regret in his heart, Shao Qi calmly replied, "Absolutely. After the apocalypse, many private powers rose rapidly. Those with wealth and power often hire experts for research. Novel scientific domains are emerging, and whoever obtains firsthand data can dominate markets and even garner full governmental support."

"Such powerful households often have their own militias. Many resort to illicit human experiments. The government and military have zero tolerance for such endeavors, cracking down hard. The consequences of not doing so would be severe."

"Ren Zhiyuan must be out of his mind to believe Dr. Jiang. Human experimentation is far from straightforward. Currently, the hottest research topics worldwide involve the fusion of human and animal genes and altering genetic sequences. They hope to integrate the superior genes of mutated creatures into humans, dreaming of creating enhanced humans."

Zhou You had heard of such experiments, recalling tales about the Flame Brigade, rumored to be modified humans.

He then asked Shao Qi, "Have there been successful instances of these experiments?"