The research institute that Qiong mentioned is on another island, a seven-day journey away. Although the Western Base, which is not far from Li Ke, is the closest place to the mining area, it is actually a day and a half's journey from the solar energy mine.

Ultimately, solar energy is a dangerous energy source. They need to protect it, mine it, but also stay away from it and be wary of it.

This base is just an important defensive transit point, and it's relatively close to the solar energy mine. In any case, they don't want to start any war here.

As the white captain left, he said to Li Ke with dissatisfaction, "Could you return what we lost?"

Li Ke: "I didn't take any of your things. If you want them back, you should find the person who is still lurking in your base."

Unable to discern whether Li Ke was telling the truth or not, the white captain had no choice but to leave with Joan.

Once back on his ship, he couldn't wait to ask Joan, "How was it? Did you sense the presence of the solar energy minerals?"

Joan took off the special sensing device she was wearing, replayed its sensing band, and then shook her head in disappointment: "There was no fluctuation. There shouldn't be any solar energy minerals on her ship."

"Could it be because of the distance? Or is there a problem with the sensors?" the white captain asked.

Joan refuted his conjecture: "We're already on her ship, very close. If there were any solar energy minerals on her ship, we would definitely be able to sense them. The sensors were tested multiple times before I came here, so there shouldn't be any problems."

The white captain frowned in deep thought, muttering to himself, "Could it really not be her? Is the thief still in the base? Would she be so kind as to tell us?"

Joan brought the other woman back on track: "She wasn't telling us this out of kindness; she was warning us not to harm the hostages, or she would blow up our base."

The white captain coughed awkwardly: "I know, I just forgot about it for a moment. I always felt that woman was dishonest, and it was hard to tell whether what she said was true or false."

Joan agreed, then added, "Were our people also discovered and eliminated by her? Otherwise, why haven't we received any news?"

The white captain said, "It's very likely that the person is already gone. She wouldn't let us into the cabin just now, so we couldn't even see what was going on inside."

Li Ke received a message from the captain that Niu Dazhuang had already set off and would arrive at Li Ke's location in about five days.

Li Ke urged them to hurry up. On the third night, they dived into the water and, after being more than 20 nautical miles away from the ship, launched a submarine and sped forward to rendezvous with Niu Dazhuang's team.

Niu Dazhuang's beard had grown back. Perhaps it was because he had been exposed to the wind at sea for a long time, but he looked much older than before. When he saw Li Ke, he immediately showed his signature simple smile, but he quickly suppressed the smile with a bitter expression.

The captain who came with Niu Dazhuang was already arranging for people to transfer the solar energy minerals from Li Ke's submarine to their ship.

Li Ke called Niu Dazhuang aside: "I will find a way to rescue Mo Bao'er, and then you can go back to the inland safe zone together."

Niu Dazhuang asked, head bowed, "What about you? Are you really planning to leave alone and never go back?"

Li Ke replied seriously, "I have other things to do, so I might not be able to come back, or I might. It's hard to say."

In the past, Niu Dazhuang might have grumbled a bit and asked Li Ke to take him along, but he didn't today because he knew Li Ke wouldn't agree.

When they parted, Li Ke handed a brown paper bag to Niu Dazhuang, instructing him to give it to the military and giving Niu Dazhuang three locations to memorize.

"I buried a batch of supplies and weapons in those three places. If the base encounters any difficulties, just go there and dig them out."

Niu Dazhuang was a little sad: "You've raised us for nothing all this time."

Li Ke smiled and said, "Who told me to be so rich? This is probably the last thing I'll leave to you."

Niu Dazhuang was even more upset upon hearing this: "With such wealth, I can run away with you."

Li Ke said dismissively, "I don't want to be a burden. You should leave; I have other things to do."

Niu Dazhuang was driven back to the ship Li Ke had come from. Watching her submarine sink into the water again, he felt that this time, they might never see each other again.

Inside the research institute's solitary confinement cell, Chen Jiaojiao sat with her mother, her voice filled with worry. "Mom," she said, "do you think Li Ke will really come to rescue us? If she doesn't, will we really be sent to do all sorts of experiments?"

Li Zhenzhen ignored her. If it weren't for Chen Jiaojiao and Chen Ziyue conspiring to trick her out of Qingyuan Base, they wouldn't be in this situation now.

Chen Jiaojiao, pale-faced and weak, said, "Mom, we've come to this point, are you still going to be angry with us? Who knows how much longer we have to live?"

Li Zhenzhen still didn't speak to her. Her body was also very weak. Several young women in the solitary confinement cell, including her, had all been given ovulation-inducing injections and had their eggs retrieved, so their current conditions were not good.

There were seven people in the solitary confinement cell. Mo Bao'er found a corner to sit alone, closing her eyes and remaining silent. Chen Zhizhi and He Ru sat together, while her child, Rui'er, stayed on the island with Liu Jingyan.

Although Chen Jiaojiao had conspired with her aunt and father to deceive her mother, Li Zhenzhen, she still chose to sit with her mother at this point. Chen Ziyue and Chen Niansheng had been in very poor condition lately, spending most of their day sleeping. Being older, they were truly unable to withstand exertion, yet they were both incredibly greedy, easily falling for any deception.

Chen Zhizhi leaned against He Ru's chest and saw Chen Jiaojiao standing there with red eyes and a wronged expression. She snorted coldly, clearly looking down on her.

Over the past few days, she has roughly figured out how the others were tricked out of their homes. It seems that Li Ke's biological father cut off financial support to anyone other than Li Zhenzhen.

These people, influenced by the instigation of outsiders, tricked Li Zhenzhen into coming out, intending to use her to exchange for a batch of supplies with Li Ke's biological father, and then go to sea to live a free and prosperous life.

Little did they know that these people's ultimate target was them. After luring them out of Qingyuan Base, they secretly led them away from the safe zone and eventually brought them here.

Hearing Chen Zhizhi's snort, Chen Jiaojiao retorted, "What are you snorting for? Want to fight?"

She was referring to Chen Zhizhi, but her gaze also swept fiercely over He Ru, clearly showing her strong dislike for both women.

Chen Zhizhi cursed her as an idiot and ignored her. Chen Jiaojiao was so angry that her stomach hurt again, and the uncomfortable feeling came over her again. Cold sweat broke out on her forehead. She stopped arguing with Chen Zhizhi and just leaned her head on her mother's shoulder: "Mom, I'm in so much pain. I feel like I don't have much time left. Li Ke won't come. She won't save us."

Li Zhenzhen still had her eyes half-closed. Her pain was no less than Chen Jiaojiao's. She truly regretted not being ruthless enough to throw those things away sooner, which led to her current predicament.

Out of the corner of her eye, Li Zhenzhen saw Mo Bao'er huddled in the corner. Her feelings were complicated. If Li Ke came over, it would probably only be because of this one person.