Chapter 234
March 25, 6:10 pm
When Shi Lei received Frostleaf's call, he was eating Columbia fast food with his friends.
High-calorie foods such as burgers, fries, and apple pies in various flavors are a favorite of Exusiai.
It's a pity this is Trimon, otherwise she would have thrown a chicken leg burger party right here.
After receiving news that the fish had taken the bait, Shi Lei was not in a hurry to set off. He knew it would take time for the three large trucks to travel from the base back to their destination.
Seeing that everyone had almost finished eating, he turned his head to look at Texas was burping contentedly, next to him:
"Let's go, drive me around and see what big fish we caught tonight."
Upon hearing this, Lappland suddenly lost interest in the fried chicken leg in her hand and asked:
"Want to fight? If so, I'll go too."
No matter how exhilarating it was to sweep through the underground base yesterday, she wouldn't refuse another chance.
"Probably not."
Shi Lei shook his head and explained tonight's operation:
"According to the intelligence provided by Frostleaf, they are heading into the city. Most likely, they'll return to the stronghold of the forces behind the scenes. If we force our way in, it could easily cause a huge commotion. Tonight, our main focus is still on confirming those guys' identities. If we really have to fight them later, I'll definitely call you all."
He strongly suspects that the Columbia government is behind these human experimentation sites.
Trimon is, after all, someone else's territory; we must think twice before taking action. It would be best to strike when the This Ship is about to leave, then make a quick getaway afterward.
"You said it yourself, I took it seriously."
"I, uh..."
Exusiai her cola and let out a satisfied burp. She had originally intended to go too, but after being glared at by Texas, she immediately changed her mind:
"I'm so full, I want to go back to the hotel to rest early, so I won't go and join the fun. Call me when it's really time to fight."
Texas wiped her mouth and stood up voluntarily:
"Let's go, it's time to set off."
Shi Lei left the fast food restaurant with her and took a car to downtown Trimon.
The Rock Element artifacts he created were made from special minerals not native to this land. Their exact location could be sensed by simply projecting Psychic Power outwards.
Of course, such behavior may arouse the vigilance of some powerful individuals at the Immortal Realm or above in the area.
Given Columbia's decades-long history as a nation, it shouldn't have Beast Lord like Syracuse, right?
Even if he found it, Shi Lei would leave as soon as he located it. He wouldn't linger in the city center for too long.
The Psychic Power of the Archon Realm expanded outwards rapidly, like a radar.
First, Mudrock was discovered in the north.
She held a Rock Hammer in her hand and was entrusted by Shi Lei to act as Amiya's bodyguard.
In a daze, Mudrock seemed to sense something. She gazed across the building towards the direction where her master was.
As his Psychic Power spread further, Shi Lei discovered the Reconnaissance Squad to the north.
This team, consisting of members such as Ace and Scout, is currently still within the Trimont City.
Suddenly, Shi Lei sensed a single ring. He closed his eyes and pointed in a certain direction:
"West, head west towards the city."
Texas grunted in agreement, then abruptly turned the steering wheel to swerve and change direction.
En route the journey, she would occasionally turn her head to look at Shi Lei, who was sensing with his eyes closed.
Since he has been surrounded by more and more women, the time the two of them spend alone has become less and less.
"With the clock in front of us as zero, our position is roughly at the eleven o'clock position."
Texas wasn't familiar with the roads in Trimon and took a slightly roundabout route. However, after about twenty minutes, she arrived outside a block.
"Stop here. Pull over, I'll go check it out and come right back."
Seeing Shi Lei open the car door, she suddenly suggested:
"How about I go with you? If it's inconvenient for you to take action, I can handle it."
He had already explained it before, so I smiled upon hearing this.
"No need. Tonight is just for observation, there will be no action. You don't need to worry about any unexpected events. If we really have to take action, I will call everyone."
After saying that, he closed the car door and walked forward.
Although located within the city limits, this area lacks the vibrancy of a central location. Streetlights and other infrastructure are in poor condition, with most areas damaged. Shops along the way have been fenced off, and the walls are covered in graffiti. On the right side of the road, rows of drug addicts and homeless people line the street.
Passersby hurried by, not daring to linger, and the air was filled with the distinctive features touted by Columbia.
Free.
Before Shi Lei even got close, he noticed four fully armed guards outside the base gate across the street. This starkly contrasted with the desolate scene on his side.
A military green jeep swaggered through the city, with an officer adorned with medals in the passenger seat.
Tsk, that's really true.
The discovery of a large number of retired soldiers at the base earlier had already made Shi Lei suspicious. Now, the investigation had led him here, confirming his suspicions.
Those were human laboratories led by, or funded by, the Columbia government.
On the one hand, they oppose Morality experiments in the media, while on the other hand, they secretly conduct them. This double standard is indeed typical of Columbia.
If I'm not mistaken, this is just a military base. The dirty work, like human experimentation, is mostly outsourced to other companies, or conducted secretly by hired people in the suburbs.
Shi Lei planned to go back and talk to Amiya to see if she had any intention of attacking this place.
Just as he was retracing his steps, his phone suddenly rang.
The homeless people on the street had filthy, dark skin from not bathing for a long time. They looked on with greed as they saw the Yan daring to make phone calls right in front of them.
"Zhongli, something terrible has happened!"
On the other end of the microphone was Exusiai's voice:
"Didn't you tell me to contact the four Reconnaissance Squad every eight hours? I just contacted them one by one, and one of the Reconnaissance Squad that was recently investigating the Beach Umbrella Company has lost contact!"
Today's hanging picture. jpg
298 harbored a slight skepticism towards 3K
Rhodes Island dispatched four teams to Trimon to investigate illegal human experimentation.
The leaders of each investigation team are Amiya, Ace, Frostleaf, and Scavenger.
The Scavenger is a female Zhalak was expelled from her family after contracting Originium-related illness. She then wandered alone, becoming an underground mercenary. Known as the Scavenger for her skill in handling shady dealings, she is skilled in various clandestine activities.
Later, through an intermediary, he gave up his unstable mercenary job and became an Operator at Rhodes Island.
Like Frostleaf, she had several years of mercenary experience. However, her investigative skills were considerably inferior.
The main reason Scavenger applied to be the team leader this time is because Provence is in the team. This Female Lupo is very popular on Rhodes Island, and many Operator want to touch her fluffy big tail.
After checking into a hotel near the west side of the city, the Scavenger and her team began their investigation. Leveraging her years of experience and hunter-like intuition, she actually discovered a hidden laboratory disguised as a meat canning factory.
Unfortunately, even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. Despite their caution, they still managed to reveal the hotel's location.
March 25th, 4 PM.
The sudden throwing of tear gas canisters into the room officially kicked off this encounter.
"Cover your nose and get out of here!"
The hotels in the suburbs are not spacious enough, making it difficult for sniper Operator Provence to perform effectively.
Although everyone was in a panic, they still managed to evacuate the room in an orderly manner and quickly went downstairs to the main entrance.
The Scavenger, wielding an exaggeratedly large knife, Rearguard for the group. She keenly sensed something was amiss and immediately reprimanded the Operator, halting their actions:
"Don't go through the main gate, there might be an ambush!"
"The back door! We'll go through the back door!"
The Scavenger kept a close eye on Provence to make sure she didn't get out of his sight.
The heavily armed Operator led the way, and after breaking through the back door without finding any ambushes, he led the way out.
Other Medical Operator followed closely behind.
Unexpectedly, a rope net was suddenly lowered from above, covering most of the Operator. Only the Scavenger at the Rearguard escaped unharmed, as he had not yet left through the back door.
"Disarm and you will not be killed! Disarm and you will not be killed!"
Suddenly, a large number of armed men emerged from both sides of the back alley. The people who had cast their nets upstairs also began to pull them in.
The Scavenger's face darkened. She reached into the net with her broadsword and pulled back and forth, but only managed to cut a small section. Seeing the enemy closing in, she prepared to fight her way through.
Once you get rid of the people who are in your way, you'll have time to slowly cut through this damned net.
"Be careful, it won't be fun if you hurt them by using too much force, hahaha."
A man named Liberi, with silver hair, orange eyes, a square face, a thick beard, and a horizontal scar across the middle of his nose, walked gracefully from the front door to the back door with a beaming smile.
This man is none other than Jestton Williams, the top enforcer for the Beach Umbrella Company.
As a henchman, he naturally possesses considerable individual skill. However, unlike other henchmen, Jestton is very intelligent.
He will maximize the use of controllable resources to leverage his own strengths. He prefers to exploit human weaknesses to calculate his next goals.
Rumors circulated that Jestton had previously worked in the Defense Department of Rhine Lab. However, he was deemed unambitious by Director Saria and dismissed on the spot.
The moment he saw the Scavenger wielding the large knife, he knew she was someone skilled in battle. This kind of boorish woman is utterly lacking in elegance.
The Scavenger ignored Jestton's teasing. She noticed the man was dressed formally, quite different from the others, and sensed he was the commander-in-chief of the operation.
Adhering to the principle of "capture the leader first, "the Scavenger charged straight at them. The blade of his broadsword struck the hotel wall, emitting a sharp, hissing sound.
The beach umbrella thugs surrounded the area, practically certain of victory. If the hotel weren't so low-class, Jestton would have loved to swirl a glass of red wine to show off his taste.
Seeing Zhalak charging towards him, he issued a warning:
"Stop, stop, stop! Don't be impulsive. Aren't you afraid that if you fight me, all those people outside will die?"
Upon hearing this, the Scavenger finally stopped what she was doing. She glanced back at Provence with a cold expression.
This small gesture led Jestton to realize that his opponent was not a ruthless person. A sinister idea suddenly popped into his head:
"Listen up, brothers. If this guy attacks me, kill everyone outside."
"You!"
The Scavenger's eyes blazed with fury; she wanted nothing more than to chop the man to pieces with her cleaver! But the harsh reality forced her to give up the fight.
Jestton enjoys toying with his targets, especially those who want to kill him but can't.
"What, you still want to play the hero? Do you think you can't do anything about it?"
That mocking face is absolutely deserving of a beating.
But the next second, Jestton threw the dagger he had just licked onto the ground, grinning wickedly:
"Don't say I didn't give you a chance. If you can defeat me with your bare hands, maybe our companions outside can still be saved."
The Scavenger's expression was unusually grave; she knew she had no other choice. After a moment's hesitation, she dropped her broadsword and walked towards the man on foot.
Hehehe~
Seeing Zhalak abandon his weapon, Jestton let out a clown-like, smug laugh.
"Heh, you really are bare-handed?"
The Scavenger didn't care about anything else; all he wanted now was to win and save his comrades.
Previously expelled from her family due to Originium-related illness, she has now found a new sense of belonging on Rhodes Island.
Unless she falls, the Scavenger will not allow any other Operator to be harmed before her.
Once the distance between them closed, they fought like primitive men, exchanging blows without any fancy moves.
It's so hard.