The temperature difference on the back of the rock caused a fine layer of cold sweat to seep down Ye Mo's back. The oppressive feeling of being targeted by the hunter had not dissipated; instead, it became even more viscous with the movement of the night wind. He did not move, even adjusting his breathing to the lowest possible rate, as if he were merely a moss-covered stone in this wasteland.
Emma Frost's fingers rested lightly on his wrist, her fingertips slightly cool. She didn't speak, but through the faint Mind Stone link established between them, Ye Mo sensed the tension in her mental energy. It was the stillness of a fully drawn bowstring, poised to snap at any moment, ready to unleash a fatal arrow at any instant.
"The interference source is moving." Emma Frost's voice resounded deep within Ye Mo's mind, trembling slightly. "The frequency is erratic, like... someone is using instruments to scan the Mutants ' bioelectric fields."
Ye Mo's heart skipped a beat. Klaue was a businessman, but the people he hired were clearly not ordinary security companies. This detection method targeting Mutants traits indicated that the opponent not only had money but also technological reserves. Directly forcing their way in was definitely not an option; the warning earlier had made it very clear: this was a trap. Since they couldn't fight, they had to steal.
He tilted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping across the dark green campsite ahead. The beams of searchlights sliced through the night sky like swords, and the red dots of infrared surveillance cameras flickered in and out of the grass. Conventional electronic eavesdropping was largely ineffective here; the high-powered jammers could obliterate any wireless signal. The only breakthrough lay in people's hearts and those overlooked physical gaps.
Ye Mo pulled a thumb-sized black device from his pocket. This was a miniature high-frequency resonance eavesdropping device, a product of the resistance organization's top hackers working overnight. It didn't emit electromagnetic waves, but instead reproduced sound by capturing the mechanical vibrations inside objects. As long as it was placed near the sound source, it could convert sound waves in the air into a data stream.
He handed the device to Emma Frost, gesturing for her to create chaos.
Emma Frost understood. She closed her eyes, her mental energy spreading outwards like invisible tentacles. She didn't touch the consciousness of the guards; that would be too dangerous and easily alert them. Instead, she focused her attention on an old generator at the edge of the camp. It was one of the power sources for the entire outer defense line and also the weakest point for mental interference.
Emma Frost concentrated, simulating a low-frequency hum similar to metallic fatigue. This wasn't a real physical vibration, but a psychological suggestion. For guards who were under constant pressure, this subtle, illogical sound would instinctively cause them irritation and suspicion.
Sure enough, several guards near the generator began whispering among themselves, and some even stood up, grabbed flashlights, and headed towards the generator. The patrol rhythm became slightly disrupted, and a brief gap appeared in the previously tight defense.
Right now.
Ye Mo clung to the ground like a gecko, using the passive perception of the Gene Spiral Tower to find the blind spot where energy flow was weakest. His body was almost one with the soil, and even his heartbeat was deliberately suppressed. He silently slid along the dry riverbed toward an abandoned ventilation duct on the north side of the camp. It was a blind spot for the observation post and also the passage for exhaust fumes from the command room.
The distance is only ten meters, five meters, or three meters.
Ye Mo stopped and held his breath. Heavy footsteps sounded above him as a mercenary carrying a heavy rifle climbed an iron ladder. The metal ladder creaked and groaned, each sound like a hammer blow to Ye Mo's heart. He dared not look up, his eyes fixed on the ground beneath his feet, feeling the vibrations from the mercenary's boots.
The footsteps faded into the distance.
Ye Mo quickly stood up, pulled out an extremely thin carbon fiber probe from his waist, and carefully attached the miniature listening device to the inside of the ventilation duct's heat dissipation grille. Behind the grille was complete darkness, but Ye Mo could feel a surge of heat surging within, accompanied by a low mechanical roar and faint human voices.
At the same time, Emma Frost's mental energy penetrated the thick lead walls and entered the command room.
The soundproofing was excellent; ordinary sounds couldn't get through at all. But on a mental level, there are no walls around thoughts. Emma Frost's consciousness drifted into the minds of the high-level ability users who were talking, like a wisp of smoke.
"... Wakanda's border..."
A hoarse voice echoed in Ye Mo's mind.
"... massive explosives..."
Another chilling voice followed closely behind.
"... Code name ' Black Serpent '... Once activated, the three surrounding countries will be plunged into chaos..."
Ye Mo's face instantly darkened. Black Serpent? He had seen this codename in S.H.I.E.L.D..'s top-secret files. It was a notorious extremist organization that specialized in destabilizing regions and inciting racial conflict. They didn't want money; they wanted chaos, war, and control to rebuild order from ruins.
Klaue wasn't the mastermind at all; he was just a porter. All that Vibranium and all those weapons were ammunition for " Black Serpent."
If left unchecked, the consequences would be unimaginable. It wouldn't just be a matter of the Mutant Registration Act; it could trigger a humanitarian catastrophe across southern Africa. Then, S.H.I.E.L.D.., Hydra, and even Asgard would all be focused on this region. His plan to live a peaceful life would become a complete joke.
"Did you hear that?" Ye Mo asked in his mind.
"I heard you." Emma Frost's voice was weary; the intense Mental Scan had left her pale. "Their conversation was cautious, mentioning a specific timeframe. Three days from now, on the night of the full moon, they will conduct a test explosion. The location is in the underground cavern in this valley right below us."
Three days.
Ye Mo glanced eastward. A faint light was beginning to appear on the horizon; the night was receding, and several camp lights were being turned off, switching to daytime mode. A new shift change was about to begin, and vigilance would be even higher than at night.
They couldn't stay any longer.
Ye Mo retrieved the probe, leaving the miniature eavesdropping device in place. This data was enough to analyze the other party's communication protocol and security vulnerabilities. As for Emma Frost, she had just completed a high-intensity mental infiltration and needed time to recover.
The two exchanged a glance, needing no further words. Ye Mo nodded, signaling a retreat.
They retraced their steps, moving with even greater caution than before. Each step was meticulously calculated, avoiding loose rocks and dry branches. Only after returning to the rear of the abandoned observation post and confirming that there were no new watchers around did the two collapse behind the rocks, panting heavily.
Emma Frost leaned against the rock, resting with her eyes closed, her forehead covered in fine beads of sweat. Ye Mo took out his spare phone and began to organize the intelligence he had just gathered. He recorded all the keywords, time points, and code names he had heard, and marked the locations of key figures.
This is a clear map of the enemy situation.
Klaue's greed, Black Serpent's ambition, and the enormous network of interests behind them were gradually taking shape in Ye Mo's mind. He was no longer just an observer who wanted to watch the show from behind the scenes, but a game-changer who held the key.
"What do we do next?" Emma Frost opened her eyes and looked at Ye Mo with a determined gaze.
Ye Mo closed his phone, stood up, and brushed the dust off his work pants. He looked at the majestic mountain in the distance, his eyes no longer filled with hesitation, but with a calm and resolute determination.
"Let's go back first," Ye Mo said. "We need to develop a detailed plan. We can't fight head-on; we have to outsmart them."
The morning light illuminated the red earth, and also the weariness and determination on the two men's faces. The night's infiltration was over, but the real battle had just begun.