"We need a strategy, or we'll all die. These things don’t tire, but my hands are nearly numb!" Miao Miu whipped off a piece of wall, crushing it to powder and blowing it at the three creatures.

"Let's throw a smoke bomb and retreat. There are no other exits on this floor." Qin Li Feng already had a smoke bomb in hand, signaling his teammates to get ready.

But before he could throw it, a squishy creature jumped in front of him. It didn't walk or slide but hopped, and if not for the ceiling, it could have leaped incredibly high.

Qin Li Feng's hand trembled, and he dropped the smoke bomb. Instantly, he and the creature were enveloped in smoke, their figures obscured from view.

The live stream audience held their breath, silently praying, "Colonel Qin will be alright!"

Inside the smoke, even with protective goggles, Qin Li Feng could see nothing. He tried to hold his breath and slowly retreated, suddenly sensing a movement by his side. He swung his sword, hitting nothing, but his instincts told him something was near.

Through his recorder, viewers could only see nearby areas. Someone in the chat pointed out, "It's on the ceiling!" Shifting their gaze, they indeed saw reflective scales on the ceiling.

"What now? Is it ambushing Colonel Qin? Run!"

"Colonel Qin, it's above you!" The viewers frantically warned, but those on-site couldn't hear them. Qin Li Feng remained vigilant, watching his surroundings and carefully moving out of the smoke's range.

"Old Qin..." Miao Miao's voice echoed from behind. Qin Li Feng responded, "I'm here. Don't come over yet, be cautious."

The smoke was dispersing, allowing Qin Li Feng to see a little clearer. To his shock, he found himself surrounded by three monstrous beings—one in front, one behind, and one directly above him. It felt like there was no escape.

The audience in the live-stream room were utterly stunned, inhaling sharply. "When did they surround him? Can they see through the smoke?"

"It's terrifying. Do they still retain their intelligence? Otherwise, how would they know to join forces?"

"Isn't the scarier part that they know to collaborate? They treat the other two as their own kind? Their features are distinctly different. How can they unite if they're not of the same kind?"

The situation was so puzzling and unexpected. At that moment, Chen Jingzhou and Ren Zhiyuan entered the live-stream room, witnessing the scene.

Both were overwhelmed with mixed feelings. Chen Jingzhou was drenched in cold sweat, hardly feeling elated. "Did Jiang Shun really achieve this? Are these his successful experiments?"

"Seems like it. I remember the group that was sent were inexperienced outsiders, all just entry-level warriors. Together, they would never have matched Qin Li Feng, but now they clearly have the upper hand. Regardless of the experimental subjects’ inhuman appearance, their combat capabilities have greatly improved. At least this experiment is somewhat successful."

But thinking of the death toll, Ren Zhiyuan couldn’t be pleased. "The success rate is too low. What's the use of uncontrollable experiments? Once placed in the military zone, they'll surely attack indiscriminately."

"Had I known it would come to this, I'd never have agreed to establish the lab. There have been no benefits, only trouble," lamented Chen Jingzhou. If this news reaches the central authorities, even his position might be in jeopardy.

"We can't let them get out alive," Chen Jingzhou declared with resolve.

Ren Zhiyuan wasn’t so confident. "But that's Marshal Shao! Can these experimental subjects really best him? And there's also the formidable Zhou You."

With a headache, he commented, "Even if we kill them, what's the use? How many are watching this live-stream? And how many will save it?"

"As long as the connection isn’t restored, they can't spread the footage. There must be a way," Chen Jingzhou reasoned.

"No, unless you cut off Jiangnan Base from external networks indefinitely. Still, we aren't isolated from the world. People will come and go, and the news won't remain hidden."

"What should we do then?" Chen Jingzhou asked desperately, "I was against it from the start. Jiang Shun asked for both funds and personnel. The investment hasn’t matched the returns!"

Ren Zhiyuan grew irritated. "Jiang Shun was brought in by you. What are you implying with this now? Hasn't our base contributed more? Didn’t we capture the mutants? Weren't the people brought by us? Weren't the guards sent by us? Even the funding was 60% from our side. What did we get in return?"

"Ren, I didn't mean it that way. Calm down. Let's think of a solution." Chen Jingzhou pondered an escape plan for his family, hoping they wouldn’t get caught.

As Ren Zhiyuan tapped the table contemplatively, he asked after a while, "Doesn't the government bureau have a capable Secretary-General? I've heard he's from a business family with industries across bases?"

"You mean Secretary Liu? He's very competent and indeed wealthy," Chen Jingzhou praised.

But then Ren Zhiyuan added, "If you want to save yourself and your family, you'll need to offer an explanation to both the central authority and the public. Secretary Liu is your trusted aide and quite ambitious."

"You want him to take the fall?" Chen Jingzhou exclaimed in anger. "Why don't you push someone from your side?"

"Of course, we'll need someone on our end too. It took both military and political cooperation to build such a large lab. It wouldn't exist without either party." Ren Zhiyuan knew they'd both bear some blame, but at least they wouldn't face death.