Night Wanderer!

The middle-aged man had not expected this young man to be so formidable. Smashed to the ground, his vision went white, yet he still had not lost the ability to move and struggled to get back up.

Chen Wang pulled out his shotgun. It had been tucked at the small of his back, and the moment he drew it, he pulled the trigger.

Sparks flew as bullets burst forth.

Bang! The middle-aged man's head and half his shoulder were blasted to pieces, and the floor was shattered as well.

With Bai Yao beside him, Chen Wang had not used the Fireball Technique, instead using the shotgun he had bought from Gao Yanan.

"This thing packs quite a punch."

The corners of Chen Wang's lips curled slightly. After confirming that the man was dead, he casually searched him and took his belongings: a pitch-black dagger coated in deadly poison, and a brass tag attached to a thin iron chain. A line of words was written on it.

"Everything will eventually pass. The gods will return to this world."

The tag bore both Chinese and English text, exuding an air of fanatical obsession.

"The Church!"

Bai Yao cried out. Chen Wang raised his head slightly and looked at her. "You recognize this tag?"

Bai Yao explained, "Yes, I've seen it before. This man held some status in the Church, or he wouldn't have had this tag."

Chen Wang nodded.

He had killed a Church fanatic before, and that person indeed had not carried such a brass tag.

Chen Wang looked up at Bai Yao and said evenly,

"I'm curious. Why would a Church fanatic specifically target you in a Shelter run by Qiongqi Mining?"

Having been saved by Chen Wang at the critical moment, Bai Yao had been immersed in overwhelming joy just moments ago, and her impression of this young man had greatly changed. But his icy gaze now reminded her of their first meeting, when Chen Wang had butchered seven or eight thugs as easily as chopping melons and slicing vegetables. It felt as if she were being watched by some terrifying beast. She swallowed and said,

"If I said I didn't know either, would you believe me?"

Chen Wang held the devastating shotgun in his hand and coldly watched the somewhat panicked young woman. "You're not being honest."

Panic rose in Bai Yao's heart, and she hurriedly explained, "I really don't know! Several girls have disappeared from this apartment recently. Even when Qiongqi Mining's Enforcement Team came to investigate, they found nothing wrong. I'm a victim too!"

Chen Wang frowned. "Why would a Tier 2 Soldier from the Church risk killing young girls inside a Shelter controlled by Qiongqi Mining?"

In this chaotic age steeped in violence, disappearance meant death.

No one would waste the effort to capture people and lock them up inside a Shelter ruled by Qiongqi Mining.

Bai Yao shook her head. "I truly don't know!"

Looking into Chen Wang's frigid eyes, her voice took on a tearful quaver.

Chen Wang's brows were sharp as blades as he stared at Bai Yao's face. Her eyes stung under his gaze, and she hurriedly said, "Perhaps the Church is hunting down personnel who fled from the Morning Star Research Institute. Maybe they infiltrated Qiongqi Mining for that reason."

Chen Wang said in a low voice, "That explanation does make sense. But for them to pay such a high price to capture researchers from the Morning Star Research Institute, this has already gone beyond merely clearing the battlefield."

At this point, he paused, then said coldly, "Whether you're a researcher from the Morning Star Research Institute or not, what secret are you hiding?"

Bai Yao explained, "The only thing I had was that Second Order Genetic Potion, and I already gave it to you. I truly don't have any other secrets!"

Chen Wang said flatly, "If a fugitive researcher from Morning Star sought out Qiongqi Mining, they could receive Qiongqi Mining's protection. Yet you wouldn't let me take you to Qiongqi Mining."

"It isn't that I don't dare," Bai Yao said. "I simply trust your character more. Besides, when I faced those thugs earlier, I said that they could send me to Qiongqi Mining."

Chen Wang said evenly, "Qiongqi Mining wasn't your first choice. It was only that falling into the hands of those thugs was worse than having them send you to Qiongqi Mining."

Chen Wang raised the powerful shotgun, its icy muzzle aimed at Bai Yao. "Today, I fought a Tier 2 Gene Warrior for you and saved your life. If you can't give me an answer that satisfies me, then you have no value in existing."

Bai Yao sighed. "Apocalypse Armaments developed a special Gene Serum called Night Wanderer. It is the king of the night and can attack a person's soul. The Church must have set its sights on this Gene Serum."

"Night Wanderer?" Chen Wang frowned.

He was not unfamiliar with the name. In ancient myths and legends, there were Day Wanderers and Night Wanderers.

But this was the first time he had heard the name in the Winter Wasteland World.

"What order is this Gene Serum?"

Chen Wang asked.

Bai Yao shook her head. "It hasn't been fully developed yet, so it can't be classified by order. But Professor Wang from the research institute privately revealed that once this serum spread, it would overturn the rule of the Three Great Powers."

Chen Wang was somewhat surprised. "Overturn the rule of the Three Great Powers? Do you know what you're saying?"

The Three Great Powers referred to Qiongqi Mining, Apocalypse Armaments, and Grand Mining.

There was no longer any distinction between countries. The Three Great Powers covered everything, commanding the world's resources, territory, population, and advanced genetic technology. How could they possibly be overturned by a single Gene Serum?

Bai Yao shook her head. "I don't know why Professor Wang said that either. But when he said it, his eyes were incredibly fanatical and serious."

What she said had piqued Chen Wang's interest. He asked, "What happened afterward? What became of Professor Wang?"

Bai Yao said, "I don't know either. Professor Wang may be dead, or he may have been captured by people from the Church."

After thinking for a moment, Chen Wang said, "The Church is hunting down fugitives from the Morning Star Research Institute on such a large scale because of the Night Wanderer Gene Serum?"

"That should be the reason," Bai Yao said. "It's the only reason I can think of. But we don't know the composition of the Gene Serum. That was Professor Wang's research result. We weren't involved in it."

Chen Wang fixed his gaze on Bai Yao. "Is that so?"

Bai Yao said, "You have to believe me! This information may very well have already leaked. Right now, I'm not sure about Qiongqi Mining's stance, so..."

Chen Wang suddenly said, "I could hand you over."

Bai Yao said softly, "Why not wait until the lockdown is lifted, then hand me over to the research institute? That way, you'll gain the research institute's friendship, as well as a Third Order Genetic Potion."

"During this time, you only need to provide me with a place to stay. I won't ask you to take responsibility for my safety."

This young and beautiful woman saw things quite clearly.

In this era, only transactions of mutual benefit were more reliable. No one had any spare sympathy to offer, herself included.