Chapter 47

"Let's go, we've arrived."

Xu Xi led the way, bringing Yang Chu to a vast area cluttered with debris and iron racks, where he reached down to lift an inconspicuous metal trapdoor in the floor.

Looking through the outer railings and at the buildings with varying elevations nearby, Yang Chu noticed that they were standing in an abandoned factory. From the outside, it appeared to be on the basement level, while the other side sat at ground level—a very secluded spot.

Yang Chu followed Xu Xi, climbing down through the metal trapdoor he had opened.

The space below was extremely spacious and filled with all sorts of junk, though much of it had been cleared out. While the lighting was somewhat dim, there was a faint glow from hanging lamps and light filtering through a large glass ceiling.

There were laboratory tables covered in various glassware and workstations piled high with disorganized documents and books. Furthermore, in a room on the other side, there were several beds and computer equipment similar to those used for electrocardiograms in hospitals.

It was evident that Xu Xi had been living in this small base for quite some time.

"You are the first person to come here."

After entering the small base, the signature shy smile on Xu Xi's face vanished completely. He walked calmly to an old refrigerator, took out two bottles of mineral water, and tossed one to Yang Chu.

"This place is not bad." Yang Chu caught the water Xu Xi threw and replied casually.

"Chen Guibin came to find me today. He discovered that you are the mysterious person who killed the 'Butcher Driver' who caused such a stir." Xu Xi took a sip of water and looked at Yang Chu. "You killed members of Unit 701; if you ever need anything, you can come to me."

"What is Unit 701?"

Yang Chu didn't care that he was being targeted by a policeman like Chen Guibin; instead, he was curious about the Unit 701 that Xu Xi mentioned. "Are you also a member of Unit 701? I remember that woman last night called you 'Instructor'."

"That's right. I was once a training instructor for Unit 701."

Xu Xi did not hide his identity and continued, "Unit 701 was once a secret unit belonging to the former Soviet Union. The composition of its members was extremely complex, consisting of both loyal, courageous soldiers and heinous criminals. We were all just a group of failed experiments."

"The former Soviet Union? Failed experiments?" Yang Chu became even more interested. "You have no sense of pain because you underwent some kind of human experimentation?"

"There's nothing that can't be said now."

Xu Xi nodded. "The Soviet Union—or rather, the former Soviet Union—had a neurobiology doctor who proposed a human enhancement experiment. The theory behind the experiment was said to have come from a rare human disease: Congenital Insensitivity to Pain. It is a hereditary sensory autonomic neuropathy. It is mainly caused by the obstruction of pain signal transmission in the human body, meaning the loss of pain sensation, while the patient's intelligence, perception of temperature, and other sensory abilities remain normal."

"So, your experiment was to obstruct your pain transmission nerves so that you would no longer fear pain, thereby gaining greater combat power."

Through reading books, his own situation, and having personally killed five members of Unit 701, Yang Chu already had a fairly deep understanding of this aspect.

If a person loses their defensive and protective reactions to harmful stimuli, they will not experience pain, allowing them to unleash greater physical strength without their fighting spirit being affected by physiological limitations.

"It's more than that."

Xu Xi continued, "After obstructing the pain nerves, the vast majority of people's physique, strength, and even technique were further improved through training and special stimulation methods."

Yang Chu nodded slightly; combining this with the results of his own training, he already understood what Xu Xi meant.

Without the sensation of pain, the intensity of a person's training can be significantly increased to better utilize the capabilities that are usually restricted by subconscious instinct.

"Then why is your experiment called a failure? Is it because, without the protective reaction of pain, you cannot detect physical lesions or injuries?" Yang Chu asked again.

In his view, the improvement in individual combat power from this experiment was self-evident; the only problem should be the inability to perceive one's own injuries and illnesses.

But for a secret unit, this shouldn't be much of an obstacle.

"That is only one aspect."

Xu Xi pointed to the instruments that looked like electrocardiogram monitors. "This can actually be compensated for by various equipment and regular medical check-ups. The real problem is actually psychological."

"After losing the sense of pain, many people developed non-suicidal self-injury. At first, it was just some people no longer cherishing their bodies, often engaging in self-harming behaviors. But gradually, many people's psychology became extreme and negative, losing their reverence for life. Except for the captain, Xiong Ju, who also underwent the surgical modification, they were no longer willing to take orders from anyone. Plus..."

"Plus what?" Yang Chu saw a trace of confusion in Xu Xi's eyes and asked.

Xu Xi lifted his chin slightly and took a deep breath. "Plus the collapse of the Soviet Union. They lost their final faith and became uncontrollable factors..."

Speaking of this, Xu Xi's expression seemed to dim a little. He shook his head and looked at Yang Chu. "Now, the captain of Unit 701, Xiong Ju, is an ambitious man who has lost his faith and whose ego has inflated. When I broke through the lines and left, I didn't want to have any more ties to Unit 701, nor did I want to be a tool for his personal desires. The current Unit 701 is a completely terrorist force."

Yang Chu didn't have much interest in Unit 701, so he asked Xu Xi instead: "Then you resigned, are you planning to leave Hong Kong Island?"

"No."

Xu Xi shook his head, his expression firm. "I have been running for too long. I was once one of them, and they won't let me go either. Besides, the appearance of Unit 701 on Hong Kong Island must be part of a grand plan. Given the modus operandi of their captain, Xiong Ju, I fear he will cause harm to many innocent people next."

"You've told me so much; I don't think it's just because I let that woman go yesterday, right?"

Yang Chu wore a faint smile as he looked at Xu Xi and spoke slowly.

"Her name is Ruolan. She was once one of my students, but now..."

A flash of reminiscence crossed Xu Xi's face, but he quickly recovered and looked at Yang Chu. "You killed members of Unit 701, and they won't let you go. I hope you can help me completely eliminate Unit 701."