"Hold on," replied Shao Qi. "I'll call Uncle Ren. They've gone too far by starting a live stream. Now the entire base can see it. There's no hiding the lab anymore."

After a few rings, the call connected. Ren Zhiyuan's voice was calm, evidently unaware of the situation. Chen Jingzhou inquired, "Where are you right now? Who's with you?"

With a hint of confusion, Ren Zhiyuan replied, "In my office, discussing next year's military budget with Deputy Chief of Staff Cheng."

Realization dawned on Chen Jingzhou. Cheng Zi'ang must have been stalling. Otherwise, something this significant wouldn't have slipped past Ren Zhiyuan, especially with his competent aides around.

Without hesitation, he said, "I need you here ASAP, and bring Deputy Cheng with you. Also, have your adjutant muster any available men. We might be gearing up for a big showdown."

Ren Zhiyuan, no fool, glanced at Cheng Zi'ang. Moving to a quieter corner, he calmly responded, "What's the matter? So urgent... Alright, alright, I'm on my way. Don't worry, I'll have Cheng Zi'ang reprimand him. Honestly, at his age..."

Hanging up, Ren Zhiyuan's eyes flickered. He turned to Cheng Zi'ang with a smile, "Zi'ang, Uncle Chen wants us over. Seems Zi'hao has caused another mess. He hopes you could mediate; young folks often find common ground."

"But we haven't finished our proposal..." Cheng Zi'ang began, looking uneasy.

"We can discuss that later. I'll give it a read today. Come on." Ren Zhiyuan grabbed his coat, holding the door open for Cheng Zi'ang.

Even though he knew what awaited outside that door, Cheng Zi'ang had no choice but to proceed. As they descended, Ren Zhiyuan signaled to his aide approaching from a corner and got into a car headed for the inner city.

The drive was silent. Cheng Zi'ang rested his forehead, feigning relaxation. Ren Zhiyuan scrolled through his phone. Whatever he saw made his expression darken instantly.

The live broadcast continued to focus on Miao Miao and the two others. Their advance wasn't as smooth as Zhou You's group. They encountered numerous guards, each of them sustaining varying injuries. It seemed as if the lab had concentrated its defenses on the basement level.

"Sir, they should be nearing the cold storage by now. Should we initiate Plan B? If so, our lab will be destroyed too."

Jiang Shun had already ordered all researchers to evacuate the moment they entered the elevator. Some were too engrossed in their experiments to notice, while others hesitated to leave their data behind. However, he believed in the adage: while there's life, there's hope. After all, they had backup data from every day except the most recent.

It was regrettable to lose so many test subjects. Finding replacements would be near impossible.

"It's time to test our research results and let these high-ranking officials from the central authority truly experience the power of technology."

"Could this jeopardize the Jiangnan base? We can't control it and we don't know the repercussions."

Jiang Shun smiled coldly, and said with indifference, “With so many soldiers around, what's a few test subjects to us? Commander Ren wants to see our experimental results. Let's give him a full view. Who knows, we might collaborate more in the future." For Jiang Shun, this was a perfect opportunity to make a name for himself. If his experimental subjects could successfully break through the encirclement, it would make headlines worldwide, showcasing their groundbreaking achievements.

He set the alarm clock and told his disciples, "In five minutes, we move. Anyone who hasn't exited by then, leave them. If they miss their chance, they can't blame us for being ruthless."

"But Dr. Lin Shuqing is still inside." Lin Shuqing, a vital researcher at the lab, was someone Jiang Shun had recruited at a high price. Sadly, after arriving, Lin became engrossed in bacterial experiments and showed no interest in Jiang's genetic fusion experiments, leading to their professional estrangement.

"It doesn't matter, we don't have the luxury of time to wait for him," thought Jiang Shun. Once, Lin Shuqing was celebrated in the world of biology. Now, reduced to hiding in this underground lab, would anyone care if he died?

Miao Miao and her companions heard the piercing alarm. Surprisingly, the guards began to retreat, leaving the trio looking at each other in confusion.

"What's happening? Why are they running?" Miao Miao asked in bewilderment.

"Did they realize they couldn't defeat us and decided to flee?"

Zhuo Hao walked a few steps forward, pushing open a lab door. Inside was a storage area for medicines. Some had been taken, but plenty remained. "No way," he remarked, "They wouldn't let us wander freely in their stronghold. They must be planning something else."

Qin Lífēng scanned the surroundings and tapped the ground, suggesting, "We should regroup with the boss first. This floor seems to mainly contain storage and resting rooms. Nothing too special."

Having traveled deep inside, backtracking seemed unwise. Zhuo Hao proposed, "Let's chase them out and find their other exit. Most of them have fled. Maybe we can capture a few on our way."

They didn't go far before encountering a door with a sign reading “Cold Storage”.

"Did we take a wrong turn? Why are we in a storage room?"

"Isn't there only one passage? We've been following it straight."

The trio decided to split up: one retraced their steps looking for a fork in the path, one entered the cold storage, and the last searched nearby labs for overlooked personnel.

Zhuo Hao managed to open the cold storage door within minutes. Elated, he gave it a kick. This act amused Jiang Shun, who said to his apprentice, "It's time. Let this tech genius witness our capabilities."