Mr. Si

The assault ship "Night Owl" cut through the relatively calm airspace at the edge of Antarctica, like a black scar across the pale sky. Inside the bridge, the atmosphere was starkly different from the dead silence outside. A suppressed, newfound power quietly surged.

Shao Wei sat in the passenger seat, the portable monitor connected to the medical unit removed. He wore a simple black combat uniform, his posture erect, his icy blue eyes gazing out across the endless icy plains ahead, his gaze as calm as water, as if the near-death experience had never occurred. Only the occasional unconscious tap of his fingertips on the armrest betrayed a sense of inner, unparalleled strength.

Si Qi stood behind him, his gaze fixed mostly on Shao Wei. Shao Wei's awakening wasn't a simple recovery, but rather a rebirth. The "tears" of the "weave of life" had not only repaired his damage but also seemed to unleash some dormant potential deep within his genes. His pheromones were no longer the subdued, cold, woody tones of the past, but had become restrained and profound, like the deep polar ocean, calm on the surface but harboring immeasurable energy beneath.

"How do you feel?" Si Qi asked this question for the third time, his tone filled with caution that he himself was not aware of.

Shao Wei didn't turn around, his voice steady, "Very good. Better than ever." He paused, then added, "My brain is very clear. Those memories that were suppressed by the chip and blurred by pain are now like organized files."

Including those details about mother Shao Wen that have been deliberately kept secret.

"Where are we going next?" Kestrel asked vaguely, holding an energy bar in his mouth, his hands steadily controlling the spaceship. "Return to the 'Skua Bazaar' to replenish supplies? Or find a more secluded corner to hide?"

"No." Shao Wei finally turned his head and looked at Si Qi, and also glanced at the other people in the cab (Hong Shun, Ahmet, Gu Zhixing). "Let's go find someone. The only person my mother trusted before she died, besides reporter Gu."

Si Qi's eyes narrowed: "Who?"

"Lin Huang." Shao Wei uttered the name, a complex emotion flashing in his icy blue eyes. "My mother's best friend from college, and also... the younger sister of your mother, Ms. Si Nan, Si Qi."

Si Qi was stunned! His aunt?! The woman who had practically vanished from the Si family's sight after his mother, Si Nan, insisted on marrying for love and breaking with the family? Shao Wen was actually connected to her?

"She... is still alive?" Si Qi felt his throat dry. Shao Qing had intentionally or unintentionally erased everything about his mother's family, so he knew very little.

"Alive. Moreover, she might be the only one who still controls some of the Si family's hidden resources and is absolutely on our side." Shao Wei's tone was very certain. "The last hint my mother left me, besides Greenland, was about Lin Huang. She should know something... something that even reporter Gu doesn't know, the real secret about Shao Qing and the origin of the 'Twin Project'."

Gu Zhixing pushed his glasses up, thoughtfully saying, "Lin Huang... I noticed this name when I was investigating Miss Shao Wen's social connections, but records show that she 'died' in an accident over twenty years ago. It seems she's escaped."

"Where is she?" Si Qi pressed, his heartbeat quickening. His mother's sister... this blood relationship seemed so precious and fragile at this moment.

Shao Wei pulled up a star map and pointed his finger at a blue area near the equator: "South Pacific, high seas, 'Coral City'."

"Coral City?" Kestrel raised an eyebrow. "That independent city-state built on an underwater volcanic crater? Known as 'The Paradise of the Lost, the Casino of the Ambitious'? Interesting. It's certainly a great place to hide and trade secrets."

An underwater city built on an active volcano, a gray area between law and order, is indeed a suitable hiding place for an anonymous person.

"Coordinates?" Si Qi asked.

Shao Wei recited a complex string of longitude and latitude. "This is the private channel access code my mother left me. When you're nearby, use this frequency to call."

The "Night Owl" adjusted its course, its engine emitting a deeper roar as it sped towards the warm equatorial waters in the north.

---

Sneaking into "Coral City" went more smoothly than expected. This vast, transparent dome complex sits atop a deep-sea hydrothermal vent, powered by geothermal energy and a complex ecological system. The city's light was hazy, with bizarre buildings clinging to the dome's inner walls. Aircraft darted through planned routes like schools of fish. The air was filled with the salty smell of seawater, the rich fragrance of tropical flowers, and... a complex blend of desire and secrets.

Following the coordinates and frequency provided by Shao Wei, they piloted a rented, unassuming submersible to the city's lowest level, a remote dock near a hot spring outlet. Here, the light was dim, and pipes crisscrossed like the end of a city's blood vessels.

Shao Wei got off the submersible alone, stood on the dock, and entered the access code into a panel that looked like an old communication interface.

Seconds later, a door disguised as a metal wall slid silently open beside the panel. A middle-aged woman, dressed in a simple white uniform, with a stern face and eagle-like eyes, stood within. Her gaze immediately fell on Shao Wei's face, scrutinizing him for a moment. A subtle flicker of emotion and sorrow flashed in her eyes before she warily glanced at Si Qi and the others behind him.

"Master Shao Wei?" Her voice was low and full of the dignity of someone who had been in a high position for a long time, which was out of tune with the dim environment.

"It's me. Aunt Lin..." Shao Wei used this address.

Lin Huang nodded and stepped aside: "Come in. You don't have much time."

Behind the door was a clean, reflective corridor, a stark contrast to the clutter and grime outside. At the end of the corridor was a spacious living room with a partial view of the deep sea. The decor here was cool and high-tech, a stark contrast to the overall ostentatious fantasy of "Coral City."

"Sit down." Lin Huang motioned for them to sit down, while she stood in front of the huge viewing window, looking at the glowing deep-sea creatures swimming outside. "After Awen left, I thought I would never see anyone related to her again in this life." Her back looked a little lonely.

"Ms. Lin," Si Qi said, his tone full of respect and a hint of imperceptible urgency, "We need your help. Regarding Shao Qing, regarding the 'Twin Project'..."

Lin Huang turned, her gaze like a scalpel falling on Si Qi's face. "Si Nan's son... you look more like your father." Her words made Si Qi's heart ache. "Help? You think you can bring down Shao Qing with just a few permissions stolen from IGEC and some ethereal legendary power?"

She walked over to the wine cabinet and poured herself a glass of amber liquor, but didn't drink it. She just swirled the glass and said, "Shao Qing's foundation is much deeper than you think. He controls not only military power and wealth, but also...'Original Blood'."

"Original Blood?" Shao Wei frowned. "What is that?"

"A... catalyst, or perhaps a key." Lin Huang's eyes grew dark. "The awakening of the first batch of top-tier Alphas wasn't entirely natural. They were exposed to a special kind of meteorite radiation from outer space. The ancestors of the Shao family happened to be the discoverers and custodians of those meteorites. 'Original Blood' is an extremely rare active substance extracted from the cores of those meteorites."

Si Qi and Shao Wei exchanged a glance, each seeing the shock in the other's eyes. Could the power of a top-tier Alpha actually involve alien matter?

"Shao Qing used the 'Original Blood' not only to enhance his own strength, but also to control and 'optimize' offspring he deemed promising. The 'Original Blood' was the key to your embryos being successfully transformed into 'twins.'" Lin Huang looked at Shao Wei with a complex expression. "This is also why your pheromone disorder is so unique, even IGEC has difficulty defining it. It's because your genes are mixed with 'codes' that don't belong on Earth."

She tilted her head back and emptied the wine in her glass, as if trying to suppress some emotion. "It was precisely because Ah Wen discovered this secret, and discovered Shao Qing's ambition to use the 'Original Blood' to create the 'perfect weapon,' that she decided to rebel. She secretly recorded everything and... secretly replaced some of the 'Original Blood' used to cultivate your embryos."

"Replace?" Si Qi held his breath.

"She used a...neutralizer. An ancient plant extract passed down from the Si family. It can purify the violent properties of the 'Original Blood' to a certain extent, but it may also cause...unpredictable mutations." Lin Huang's gaze fell on Shao Wei again. "Now it seems that this mutation may be a good thing. It prevented you from being completely controlled by the 'Original Blood', and it also allowed you to find your own way of connection in desperate situations."

Shao Wei subconsciously touched the back of his neck. So, their permanent Alpha connection wasn't entirely the product of Shao Qing's plan, but also included the "blessing" and "variable" left behind by their mother, Shao Wen, at the cost of her life?

"Does Shao Qing know?" Si Qi asked.

"He'll find out sooner or later." Lin Huang put down his wine glass, his tone solemn. "He's running low on 'Original Blood'. He needs a new source, or...reclaim you. The 'purified' blood flowing through your bodies could be his final research sample, or...an antidote."

Antidote? Si Qi keenly grasped the word.

Lin Huang saw his confusion and explained, "Long-term exposure to and dependence on 'Original Blood' comes at a price. It will inflate the user's power, but it will also gradually erode their sanity, triggering a pheromone rampage and organ failure. Shao Qing...his time may not be long. His eagerness to control you and eliminate the threat may be related to this."

A top-tier Alpha giant whose power is about to spiral out of control and fall into madness? This is more dangerous than a calm and calculating opponent!

"What do we need to do?" Shao Wei's voice sounded, as calm as a rock.

Lin Huang walked over to the desk, opened a secret compartment, and took out a simple-style brooch inlaid with blue crystals. She handed it to Shao Wei, "This is a token that Awen left me. It also serves as the key to a secret laboratory in the Si family. The laboratory is located in the basement of the Si family's old house. There may still be original research data on the 'Original Blood' and that neutralizer."

The Si family's old house! The place full of cold memories that Si Qi hadn't been back to many times since he was born!

"Shao Qing must have set up a tight net there." Gu Zhixing said worriedly.

"The most dangerous places are often also the places where blind spots are most easily overlooked." Lin Huang looked at Shao Wei and Si Qi. "Also, some permissions can only be activated by direct descendants of the Si family present at the same time. This was the last insurance policy that Si Nan and I set up when he left to prevent the family resources from being completely swallowed up by Shao Qing."

She took a deep breath, her eyes sharp as ever. "Get the data, find out the truth about 'Original Blood', and find a way to counter Shao Qing. This is your only way to survive, and also... the only way to get justice for Awen and Sinan."

The living room fell silent. The deep sea outside the window was dark and silent, as if countless giant beasts were lurking.

Si Qi looked at Shao Wei. Shao Wei was also looking at him, his icy blue eyes no longer barren or resolute, but a clear, determined look that had found its goal.

The road ahead is a pool of dragons and tigers, and it is the final showdown at the source of blood.

Si Qi stretched out his hand, not to shake hands, but to spread out his palm and hold it in the air.

Shao Wei looked at his hand hanging in the air, was slightly stunned, and then slowly put his hand on it.

Palms touching, warmth is transmitted. No words, but it is worth a thousand words.

The alliance remains, but some things are different.

Lin Huang looked at their clasped hands, a hint of relief flashed in his eyes, but more than that, there was deep worry.

The storm is about to make landfall. And at the center of the vortex is the home they have long since left, but must return to.