The metal gate of the Longyuan base slowly closed behind Han Feng, emitting a dull hydraulic creak. After passing through three security checks, Chen Feng was already waiting in the inner passage.
"The general is waiting for you in his office," Chen Feng said briefly, his gaze sweeping over Han Feng.
The electronic screens on the corridor walls scrolled through international news—the headline was about the infighting among the three major families in Country R, and the scene showed reporters crowding around the Miyamoto family's hospital.
"Look what you've done," Chen Feng said in a low voice, a smirk playing on his lips. "The council is in complete chaos."
Han Feng smiled without saying a word. After iris recognition, they arrived at Lin Zhengguo's office.
"Report! Han Feng has arrived." Chen Feng stood at attention and saluted.
\"Come in.\"
Pushing open the door, Lin Zhengguo sat at his desk, looking at the documents in his hand.
"Are you alone?" Lin Zhengguo frowned. "Where's Wanwan?"
Han Feng's Adam's apple bobbed: "She...is feeling a little unwell and is resting at home."
Lin Zhengguo stared at Han Feng for two seconds, then suddenly revealed a knowing expression. He waved to Chen Feng, "Go and call Liu Xiaoran over." After Chen Feng left, Lin Zhengguo said meaningfully, "Take good care of that little girl."
Han Feng's ears burned, and he quickly changed the subject: "Sir, have you got the results of the data analysis on Mu Xiaoxiao?"
Lin Zhengguo walked back to his desk and sat down, gesturing for Han Feng to sit as well: "Let's not talk about that now." He picked up a document. "I've read Liu Xiaoran's report. Your operation was executed flawlessly." Lin Zhengguo's gaze suddenly sharpened. "However, there's an interesting detail in the report: when did you reach the strength of the mid-stage of the Acquired Realm?"
Han Feng paused slightly in his teacup. The surface of the tea rippled slightly, reflecting his instantly tense expression.
"It seems I couldn't hide it from you any longer." Han Feng took a sip of tea, his smile returning to normal. "Indeed, there was some fortuitous encounter."
Lin Zhengguo snorted: "You have more secrets than Longyuan's confidential archives." He tapped the table. "But that's perfect, just what I expected."
"You expected this all along?" Han Feng raised an eyebrow.
"Otherwise, why would I entrust you with the most dangerous missions?" A cunning glint flashed in Lin Zhengguo's eyes.
The two looked at each other for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter at the same time. Amid the laughter, the office door was pushed open, and Liu Xiaoran stood in the doorway looking puzzled, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two.
"Did I miss something?" Liu Xiaoran frowned.
"It's nothing." Lin Zhengguo wiped away the tears of laughter, his expression turning serious again. "Sit down, let's get down to business."
The laughter in the office stopped abruptly, and the atmosphere quickly turned serious with Liu Xiaoran's arrival. Lin Zhengguo took out three folders labeled "Top Secret" from the drawer and laid them out on the desktop.
"The technical department's final report." He adjusted his reading glasses. "The data Mu Xiaoxiao sent has been analyzed by them, confirming that all the content is true."
Han Feng took the document and quickly skimmed through the technical analysis summary. Each page included copies of the original data and cross-verification results from the Longyuan intelligence database. Those seemingly ordinary files of reclusive families actually matched remarkably well with the gene-based drug research network controlled by Longyuan.
"These families..." Liu Xiaoran's fingers suddenly tightened as he turned to a certain page, "Are they all conducting genetic experiments?"
"Not only that," Lin Zhengguo said, "According to the intelligence you brought back from Country R, these families also exchange technology. The Howard family from Country M provides funding, while the Volkov family from Country E specializes in gene fusion technology."
Han Feng's gaze settled on a blank spot at the center of the network of relationships: "This should be the force represented by Mu Xiaoxiao."
"The problem is," Lin Zhengguo sighed, "why did she proactively provide this intelligence? It's tantamount to exposing her own ally."
A brief silence fell over the office. The sounds of chants from the training field drifted in from outside the window, sounding as distant as from another world.
"Before we left R country..." Han Feng suddenly began, "we received a call from Aya Ikegami."
Lin Zhengguo suddenly looked up: "When did this happen?"
"When we first arrived at the safe house," Han Feng recalled their conversation, "she said she had been taken away by Mu Xiaoxiao, and mentioned that Mu Xiaoxiao was her...classmate. It was around that time that Mu Xiaoxiao told me she had given me a gift."
"Classmate?" Lin Zhengguo frowned. "Ikegami Aya only returned to Japan from the United States a year ago."
Han Feng nodded: "What's even stranger is that Chi Shangling seems to have left with Mu Xiaoxiao willingly. She said, 'It's safer here than at home.'"
Liu Xiaoran said, "Mu Xiaoxiao was able to easily infiltrate the Chi Shang family and has a thorough understanding of the gene experiment network..." He looked up at Lin Zhengguo, "The power behind her is definitely no less than that of these hidden families."
"But which force is it?" Lin Zhengguo got up and walked to the window.
"Perhaps..." Han Feng slowly closed the file. "We should start from the beginning. Since returning to China, Mu Xiaoxiao first appeared in Jiang City, then went to Kyoto, and then appeared in R Country." His gaze sharpened. "She's always ahead of us, as if she foresaw our every move."
Lin Zhengguo turned around, his eyes flashing sharply behind his glasses: "You mean...?"
"She didn't choose these locations randomly." Han Feng stood up and walked to the world map on the wall. "My parents are in Jiang City, Liu Mengran is in Kyoto, and there's a gene lab in R Country..." He drew lines along the three locations with his finger. "This is a carefully designed route."
Liu Xiaoran said, "It seems she's deliberately guiding us."
The office temperature seemed to plummet. A chill ran down Han Feng's spine. If Mu Xiaoxiao was indeed deliberately guiding their actions, then Liu Mengran's attack wouldn't be accidental, and her parents' side was probably also...
"Calm down." Lin Zhengguo noticed Han Feng's worry. "I've increased the number of people monitoring your parents' side; they're keeping a 24-hour watch on the surrounding area."
Han Feng took a deep breath, forcing himself to regain his composure: "We need to reinvestigate all of Mu Xiaoxiao's movements after she left Jiang City. She couldn't have left no trace."
"It's all arranged." Lin Zhengguo pressed the communication button on the desktop. "Chen Feng, send over the 'Eagle Eye' team's investigation report."
Five minutes later, Chen Feng returned with a thick stack of documents. Lin Zhengguo divided them into three parts: "This is a record of Mu Xiaoxiao's whereabouts for the three months after she left Jiang City. She used at least twelve fake identities, but we still managed to pick up some patterns."
Han Feng quickly flipped through the documents, suddenly stopping at a certain page: "Here! On May 17th, she appeared near Kyoto University. On the same day, Liu Mengran attended an off-campus academic seminar."
"This can't be a coincidence," Han Feng said in a low voice.
Lin Zhengguo took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose: "But why are we now actively exposing these families? It's like cutting off our own arm."
"Unless..." Han Feng's pupils contracted slightly, "These families are no longer useful, or... she has found a better partner."
Silence fell over the office again. This hypothesis was too terrifying—a genetic experimentation force even more powerful than the existing reclusive families? What kind of terrifying existence would that be?
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