Chapter 47

"Let's go. We're here."

Xu Xi led the way, bringing Yang Chu to a large area piled high with junk and metal frames. He reached down and lifted an inconspicuous metal hatch in the floor.

Through the railing outside and the buildings at different elevations nearby, Yang Chu realized the place beneath his feet was an abandoned factory. From the outside, it looked like a basement, while the other side was at ground level. It was well hidden.

Yang Chu followed Xu Xi and climbed down through the metal hatch he had opened.

The space below was enormous and filled with all kinds of junk, though much of it had been cleared out. The lighting was somewhat dim, but weak ceiling lamps and a large glass roof let in some light.

There were workbenches with glassware and others piled with assorted documents and books. In a room on the other side, there were several beds like those used for hospital electrocardiogram tests, along with computer equipment.

It was clear Xu Xi had been living at this small base for quite some time.

"You're the first person I've ever brought here."

Once Xu Xi entered the small base, his trademark shy smile disappeared completely. He walked calmly to an old refrigerator, took out two bottles of mineral water, and casually tossed one to Yang Chu.

"Nice place." Yang Chu caught the bottle Xu Xi tossed him and offered a casual remark.

"Chen Guibin came to see me today. He figured out that you're the mysterious man who killed the 'Butcher Driver' and caused such a stir." Xu Xi took a sip of water and looked at Yang Chu. "You killed a member of Unit 701. If you need help, you can come to me."

"What is Unit 701?"

Yang Chu wasn't concerned that Chen Guibin, a police officer, had his eye on him. Instead, he was curious about the Unit 701 Xu Xi had mentioned. "Are you a member of Unit 701 too? I remember that woman last night called you 'Instructor.'"

"That's right. I used to be a training instructor for Unit 701."

Xu Xi made no attempt to hide his identity. He continued, "Unit 701 was once a secret unit under the former Soviet Union. Its members came from all walks of life: some were loyal and courageous soldiers, while others were irredeemable criminals. We were all failed experimental subjects."

"The former Soviet Union? Failed experimental subjects?" Yang Chu grew even more interested. "You don't feel pain because you underwent some kind of human experiment?"

"There's nothing I can't talk about now."

Xu Xi nodded. "The Soviet Union—or rather, the former Soviet Union—had a neurobiology PhD who proposed an experiment to enhance the human body. The theory behind it supposedly came from a rare human condition called congenital insensitivity to pain. It's an inherited disorder of the sensory and autonomic nervous systems. The transmission of pain signals is blocked, so the person loses the ability to feel pain. But their intelligence and ability to sense heat, cold, and other things remain normal."

"So your experiment blocked the nerves that transmit pain, making you unafraid of pain and giving you greater combat strength."

Through reading books, his own experience, and personally killing five members of Unit 701, Yang Chu had already gained a deep understanding of the subject.

When someone loses the defensive and protective responses triggered by harmful stimuli, they no longer feel pain. Their bodies can unleash greater strength, and their fighting spirit isn't affected by physical pain.

"That's not all."

Xu Xi continued, "After their pain nerves were blocked, most people also saw improvements in their physical conditioning, strength, and even technique through training and special forms of stimulation."

Yang Chu nodded slightly. Based on his own training, he understood what Xu Xi meant.

Once people no longer felt pain, they could train much harder, allowing them to better tap into the abilities their bodies instinctively restrained.

"Then why was the experiment considered a failure? Was it because, without pain as a protective response, you couldn't detect illness or injuries?" Yang Chu asked.

In his view, the experiment clearly improved an individual's combat ability. The only problem should have been that they couldn't sense injuries or illnesses in their own bodies.

But for a secret unit, that shouldn't have been much of an obstacle.

"That's only part of it."

Xu Xi pointed to the equipment that looked like electrocardiogram monitors. "That can be made up for with regular checkups and various instruments. The real problem was psychological."

"After losing their sense of pain, many people began harming themselves without suicidal intent. At first, some simply stopped caring for their bodies and often did things that injured themselves. But gradually, many began to think in increasingly extreme and negative ways, losing their reverence for life. Apart from Xiong Ju, the commander who had undergone the same surgical modifications, they were no longer willing to take orders from anyone. And then..."

"And then what?" Yang Chu asked when he saw a trace of confusion in Xu Xi's eyes.

Xu Xi raised his chin slightly and took a deep breath. "And then the Soviet Union collapsed. They lost their last faith and became an uncontrollable force..."

At this, Xu Xi seemed to grow a little downcast. He shook his head and looked at Yang Chu. "The current commander of Unit 701, Xiong Ju, is an ambitious man who has lost his faith and let his ego run wild. When I broke out and escaped, I didn't want anything more to do with Unit 701 because I didn't want to become a tool for him to fulfill his selfish ambitions. Unit 701 is now a thoroughly terrorist organization."

Yang Chu wasn't very interested in Unit 701. Instead, he asked Xu Xi, "So you resigned because you're planning to leave Hong Kong Island?"

"No."

Xu Xi shook his head, his resolve clear. "I've been running away for too long. I used to be one of them, and they won't spare me either. Besides, Unit 701's arrival in Hong Kong Island must be part of some grand plan. Given the way their commander, Xiong Ju, operates, he'll probably hurt a lot of innocent people next."

"You've told me all this. I take it there's more to it than the fact that I let that woman go yesterday?"

Yang Chu wore a faint smile as he spoke to Xu Xi.

"Her name is Ruolan. She used to be one of my students, but now..." A trace of remembrance crossed Xu Xi's face, but he quickly recovered and looked at Yang Chu. "You killed members of Unit 701. They won't let you off. I hope you'll help me wipe them out for good."