Chapter 58 Turning Point

The woman asked me what I did for a living, adding that if I wanted money, she had plenty.

Why on earth would I want money?

If I wanted money, would I have ended up in this godforsaken place?

Knowing that she was from Tianlin Medicine in Hong Kong, I fabricated my identity, claiming to be a police officer who had tracked them all the way here.

"Police? Sir?" Her expression turned one of surprise.

"What kind of nonsense is this?"

Hong Kong cop-and-robber films were all the rage back then, with Infernal Affairs and Police Story movie discs scattered everywhere. The woman wasn't very old, and since I just threw the lie out casually, judging by her look, she actually believed some of it.

She said, "Can you take me away? I don't want to stay here anymore."

I told her that if she cooperated with me, she could leave.

"Okay, then can you lower the knife? I am not a bad person, and I'm willing to cooperate."

I felt this whole thing was deeply unreliable.

Throughout history, there have been plenty of wealthy and powerful people, and none of them wanted to die. Did this so-called high-ranking member of the Everlasting Spring Society really think she could prolong her life with this blue water? How absurd.

"Please, I've told you everything. Take me with you; I don't want to stay in this cave for another second."

I casually stuffed the blue liquid into my pants pocket and asked, "Do you know where you are?"

She nodded, then shook her head.

"I only know we are in Shunde, but nothing else. Our eyes were blindfolded before we got into the car, and by the time we arrived here, the necessary instruments and equipment were already prepared, including 16 blood analyzers, and..."

"Skip the details."

I muttered speechlessly, "You don't need to tell me that, I'm not interested."

"I have no grudge against you, and I won't harm you for no reason, but... the current situation is special. If you and your two companions still want to get out, if you still want to leave Shunde alive, you must agree to my conditions."

She nodded repeatedly. "What conditions? Name them."

I told her I wanted to sneak into their team while she acted as my inside person.

These people usually kept themselves tightly covered in masks and protective suits. I had noticed earlier that one of the men had a height and build very similar to mine. As long as I put on the mask and protective suit, kept my mouth shut, and pretended to be him, I probably wouldn't be discovered.

This was a plan I came up with on the spot. After thinking about it further, I figured it might actually work.

As the saying goes, it is darkest right under the lamp, and to gain anything, one must take risks.

I repeatedly assured her that I kept my word; as long as she didn't double-cross me or expose me, I wouldn't hurt her.

I said, "Right now, call that male accomplice of yours out here."

Researcher An looked puzzled and asked what I was going to do.

"Don't worry about that. Do you want to go out to prison, or do you want to avoid it?"

"I... I don't want either..."

"Then do as I say, quickly."

Hesitating for a moment, she walked forward a short distance, then called out toward the direction of the tent, "Brother Xu! Brother Xu, I forgot my paper! Can you bring me some paper?"

I hid and reached down to pick up a relatively smooth stone from the ground.

"Haha, coming! Oh An, you really something, not even bringing paper when you go to answer nature's call."

The man walked over slowly.

Seizing the opportunity, I rushed quickly behind him and struck the back of his head hard with the stone.

I had already held back my strength, but the man still tried to turn around before his legs wobbled and he collapsed unconscious.

"Brother Xu!"

"What are you doing!" Researcher An demanded, glaring at me.

I quickly stripped off the protective suit and mask the man was wearing and pulled them directly onto myself.

Putting them on, I said, "Don't worry, he won't die. If you still want to get out of here, come and help me."

With the mask properly adjusted, I disguised myself and transformed into one of the researchers recruited from Hong Kong by Chen Jiansheng's gang.

Researcher An checked the wound, gritted her teeth, and said, "You better not be lying to me."

We walked back together.

When we reached the entrance, I straightened the mask on my face, lowered my voice, and said, "Remember what I said earlier. We each get what we need, and we remain undisturbed. Once this is over, you leave, and we'll go our separate ways never to meet again. Understand?"

She paused for two or three minutes, then took a deep breath and pulled back the leather curtain.

"Beauty, call that going to the restroom? Just now I saw you calling your colleague away and even asking for paper."

"You two... couldn't have gone to... haha."

Chen Jiansheng glanced in my direction with a smile, giving me a look that every man understood.

Researcher An said, "Stop talking nonsense, I just went to answer nature's call."

"Old Xu is back, help me get the U-tube."

Suddenly, another man in a white lab coat shouted at me.

"U-tube..."

Fumbling around in a panic, I searched the shelves blindly, causing the glassware to clatter loudly.

At that moment, apart from Researcher An, both Chen Jiansheng and the other man in white turned their heads to look at me.

"Ahem!"

Researcher An bailed me out, saying, "I have the item right here. Look at my memory, I used it this morning and forgot to put it back on the shelf."

I gave Researcher An a subtle glance.

She nodded, then turned her look to Chen Jiansheng and said, "Hey, at this final stage, we still need one more thing here. To ensure the accuracy of the results, we need a live subject, preferably a woman around thirty years old."

"What the hell?"

"You mean you need a living person for the experiment? And it has to be a woman in her thirties? Why didn't you mention this earlier?" Chen Jiansheng asked with a surprised expression.
Researcher An glanced at me and said sternly, "Anyway, I've told you. This is a crucial step, so figure it out yourself. If that group asks later why it didn't succeed, don't say I didn't warn you."

Chen Jiansheng's expression shifted slightly.

A few minutes later, he said in a deep voice, "Wait, I'll go ask around and see if we can meet your requirements."

Leaving those words behind, he hurriedly pulled back the leather curtain and went out.

"Little An... what is this about?" At this point, the other male researcher clearly had no idea what was happening.

"Senior brother, don't worry about it. These are the steps instructed by our teacher," Researcher An made up an excuse to brush him off.

Waiting time passes slowly.

Everything Researcher An had just said was what I had specifically instructed her to say beforehand.

I was gambling as well—gambling that Sister Hong was the only person here who met the criteria.

Gambling that those people wouldn't discover the flaws in the plan.

Gambling on how much importance that high-ranking Everlasting Spring Society figure attached to this matter.

As time passed, after about an hour, hearing footsteps told me that I had won my gamble.

"I said Logistics Manager Chen, can you behave yourself!"

"Get in! If you act up again, Logistics Manager Chen, don't blame me for being ruthless." The curtain was pushed open, and Sister Hong was shoved inside forcefully.

Seeing Sister Hong standing safe and sound right in front of me, my heart surged with excitement!

I never expected that my haphazard, blundering plan orchestrated by Xiang Yunfeng would actually succeed!

"Alright, you can go wait outside," Researcher An glanced sideways at Chen Jiansheng.

"That won't do. I have a mission; I have to watch the few of you," Chen Jiansheng shook his head.

"Can't you watch from outside the door? It's not like we can run away! What? Are you thick-skinned enough to insist on watching a woman take off her clothes?" Researcher An said loudly.

Chen Jiansheng replied, "I'll be right at the door! Don't try any tricks with me! Let me know the moment there are results!" With that, he turned around angrily and stalked off.

"Pui!"

Sister Hong's hands were tied behind her back. Hearing that we were going to strip her clothes off, she spat a mouthful of saliva toward me, a relaxed smile hanging on her face as she cursed, "Just a bunch of little chicks! If you want to take me, come at me all at once!

"If Sister Hong here so much as frowns, I am not Chen Hong!"

I broke out in a cold sweat listening to her. Sister Hong's sharp tongue was as fierce as ever.

"Hey, woman, what are you thinking? We haven't even opened our mouths yet, why are you acting like someone's trying to violate you?" the male researcher asked.

"Heh." Sister Hong's hair was disheveled, the corners of her mouth curling into a sneer as she mocked, "So you've got the heart for it but lack the guts? A bunch of little chicks."

"You woman have a filthy mouth! Who are you calling little chicks?"

"Stop it, Brother Li, don't argue with her," Researcher An interrupted.

"Little An, why do I always feel like you've turned into a different person today? Everything you say makes no sense, completely out of context."

"And you," Li Zheng looked at me and said, "And you, Old Xu, you're usually the talkative one. What's wrong with you today? Did you turn over a new leaf? Did you lose your soul or something after going out to take a piss!"

I looked at Researcher An, locking eyes with her.

She nodded at me.

"What on earth are the two of you doing? What kind of riddles are you playing?" Li Zheng took a step back and asked.

Taking a deep breath, I kept my eyes fixed on him and slowly, bit by bit, unmasked myself.

The mask slid off.

Seeing that I was not Old Xu, Li Zheng was just about to flare up.

Researcher An immediately made a hush gesture at Li Zheng.

At the same time, she pointed toward the door, indicating that Chen Jiansheng was still outside.

Sister Hong stared wide-eyed at me.

Her expression was one of sheer disbelief. Gritting her teeth, two words slipped from her lips:

"Yunfeng?"