Everyone's gaze fixed on him. Miao Miao, with a hint of mischief, asked, "Can't eat without a certain someone around?"

"You've only got half the story right," Zhou You said, glaring at her. He countered, "Do you know what he's up to?"

Miao Miao shook her head. "Of course not. I haven't seen him all morning. But he has been acting a bit strange lately. Wasn't he always by your side before?"

Part of Zhou You's unease stemmed from this. Even if he had something to do alone, he could at least have told him. If he disappeared again, everyone would be worried.

Cheng Yuran pursed her lips and consoled, "Mr. Shao is an adult. He has his own matters. If he's involved in something risky, he probably didn’t tell us to prevent us from worrying."

He couldn't fathom why Zhou You started worrying about him whenever he was absent. Didn't he come back safe and sound just yesterday?

However, he wasn't aware that Zhou You had gone out to search for Shao Qi the night before, and they returned together.

Zhou You glanced at them and dropped a bombshell. "Someone's secretly building a lab at the Jiangnan Base. Shao Qi found its location. We're in for a big fight."

Cheng Yuran's chopsticks fell in shock. He thought monsters like Hu Shi'en were bad enough, but to think there were even worse ones. Being experimented on might be even more terrifying than being tortured in a basement.

"Who initiated this?" Long Gan asked gravely. He remembered that in recent years, there have been mysterious disappearances from the base. Everyone presumed those who went outside met their end, but what if they were kidnapped?

When Long Gan mentioned this, Miao Miao scoffed, "This person must be more cunning than Hu Shi'en, targeting those who disappear outside. Everyone presumes they're dead."

"Should we get involved?" Li Yunxi had only heard of such events before. She never imagined there could be such twisted people within the Jiangnan Base.

Miao Miao patted her shoulder. "Not you. Let the soldiers handle this. They're likely still investigating, or our boss would have assigned us the task already."

Long Gan looked at her, then at Zhou You, and declared, "Count me in. I despise those who use humans for experiments. Such a threat cannot remain in the Jiangnan Base."

Zhou You probed, "Even if it's the top authority of the Jiangnan Base?"

Long Gan's expression darkened. "You mean Chen Jingzhou or Commander Ren? I suspect Chen Jingzhou. He might not be competent, but he's ambitious. Given the state of our base's infrastructure, he's clearly corrupt."

"Chen Jingzhou?" Zhou You was surprised at the suspicion. Since coming to the Jiangnan Base, he had rarely heard of this city master, who seemed to keep a low profile.

"It's not him?"

Zhou You shook his head. Long Gan's eyes narrowed, almost gritting his teeth, "Is it Commander Ren? Do you have evidence?"

Miao Miao slammed the table, glaring at him. "Whose side are you on? If our boss says it's someone, then it is. Why can't it be Ren Zhiyuan? These seemingly kind-hearted ones can be the biggest villains behind the scenes."

"Commander Ren is well-respected here. Outsiders might see him as passive, but he's always treated us well. I've never seen him lose his temper."

Miao Miao retorted, "It's these 'kind-hearted' ones that are the most dangerous. Building a secret lab in the base requires a hidden location and significant armed forces. While Chen Jingzhou might have the resources, only Ren Zhiyuan could pull this off without arousing suspicion."

After Miao Miao finished, Qin Lifei added, "Another possibility is they're in cahoots. If the two top leaders collaborated, it would be even worse. Their plans would proceed seamlessly."

Cheng Yuran's lips quivered but said nothing. Human experimentation was strictly forbidden, yet some continued their dark work. Located in a remote area, the Jiangnan Base seemed an unlikely place for such acts. How did Shao Qi find out?

Recalling a message from that day, had Shao Qi's uncle revealed it?

Long Gan's face turned steely. Clenching his alloy chopsticks so hard they broke, he said, "No matter who's behind this, I'm in. And so are my brothers."

"It's risky," Zhou You warned. "We might be up against half of the Jiangnan military. If we lose, you won't have a place here anymore."

Cheng Suyan countered, "Although Ren Zhiyuan directly controls over half of the military region's forces, if we expose the activities of the lab, those soldiers might not necessarily continue to follow his lead."

"After all these years, who's to say he hasn't experimented on soldiers? The military region is where most of the warriors are. If anyone gets suspicious, they may no longer remain loyal to Ren Zhiyuan. Who knows, they might end up as lab specimens in the future."

Zhou You thought it was a good idea. However, there could be another solution: to capture Ren Zhiyuan directly. By controlling him, they could ensure he couldn't support the lab.

Chapter 095: Action (Part 1)

Shao Qi and Cheng Zi'ang made an agreement. They were set to act that night. Shao Qi's three subordinates had only found out about it that day, and surprisingly, they initiated the action without even a proper investigation.

"You didn't say that before," Zhou You sighed, casting a suspicious glance at Shao Qi, wondering what he might have done during his absence.

Shao Qi was changing into his camouflage military uniform. He swiftly geared up from head to toe.

Handsome was an understatement!

Zhou You's heartbeat nearly raced, diverting his eyes, he asked, "You do have an operation plan, right?"