CH 1

Chapter 1: The Rescue Mission with an Unclear Objective

The entire space was tense beyond comparison. The communications personnel had foreheads covered with sweat, and backs thoroughly drenched.

“Line 2! Line 2 please reply!”

“Is Line 3 still here? Line 3 please reply!”

“Is Line 5 still on the line?”

In this temporary command center, three communications staff members involved in operations were trying to get in touch with the Special Operations team in the Juli Corporation’s Biological Research Center. Not ten minutes after they had entered the Research Center, all of them had lost contact.

Behind the three staff members, Zhou Yu stood in a bulletproof vest with his arms crossed, acting as the operations commander.

The twenty eight year old Zhou Yu’s eyes were deep and calm, but also cold and sharp. The line of his lips was unwavering. He used the index finger on right hand to push down on his left arm.

He was silent, deep in thought. The lack of reply from the Research Center was not the only thing on his mind.

Just what was it, that could cause seven specially trained, fully equipped, skilled, healthy, and extensively experienced Special Operations team members to lose contact within ten minutes, while command center was still completely left in the dark?  

This was supposed to be a simple rescue mission.

Juli Corp originated from the investments of an alliance of large-scale conglomerates to create a biotechnology corporation. In recent years, the development of the domain of bio-pharmacy advanced by leaps and bounds. The corporation was extremely active. No matter which country Juli Corp branched into, their research organization would receive special protection from the government.

Just in the last hour, Zhou Yu’s Special Operations team received an assignment to enter Juli Corp’s Biological Research Center to save the trapped hostages there. The cause of the incident was rumored to be due to the mental collapse of a researcher under long-term work-related stress attempting to destroy the entire research organization. After he was discovered, his plans for destruction were unsuccessful, but he had taken advantage of the Research Center’s system equipment to trap the other researchers inside. Threatening their lives, he demanded that Juli Corp terminate all research involved in code name “Nibelungen.”

This kind of demand was impossible to agree to.

As a result, Zhou Yu’s small, elite team accepted the assignment, and headed for the sealed Research Center to save the trapped researchers.

Before the mission deployment, the communications staff member Mei Xi glanced over at the researchers’ profiles and had a fright.  

They were the best of the best in their respective fields. Whatever cytology specialist, neurology specialist, or virology specialist they were, their collective worth couldn’t be weighed in gold. This meant that even if they had to stake it all, they could spare no effort in completing the rescue mission.

This made Mei Xi feel curious, just what kind of research was Juli Corp engaged in?

At this time, Mei Xi faintly had a feeling that the statement of an aberrant researcher keeping the other researchers hostage was a cover up. Something even scarier had definitely happened in that place… Mei Xi also believed that the team that had entered the building had been…

Just at this time, Line 7 replied.

“Leader! Don’t come in! Don’t come in!”

It was vice captain Chen Chong’s voice.

Zhou Yu, who had not spoken a word so far, pulled over Mei Xi’s headset with one hand and commanded: “Chen Chong! Where are you? Retreat immediately!”

The signal didn’t cut off, but the sound of bones shattering came through in a burst. Zhou Yu’s fist clenched tightly at that moment, and at his side, Mei Xi’s fingertips slightly trembled.

“Chen Chong! Chen Chong!”

Zhou Yu’s voice remained low and cold, this caused the atmosphere in the entire command vehicle to be tense on the verge of suffocation.

“Leader…” Mei Xi had been through missions large and small, and although she hadn’t been charging through enemy lines, she did have experience with all sorts of situations. She thought that she had perfected an imperturbable heart, but she had overestimated herself.

Zhou Yu’s back only stiffened for less than a second, before he straightened out his own cut-resistant gloves. Confirming the position of the pistol in the holster on his thigh, he carried in his hand a Type 95 assault rifle and pulled open the car door.

When Zhou Yu was about the exit the vehicle, Mei Xi was finally aware of what Zhou Yu was about to do, “Leader, you can’t go! Did you forget vice captain Chen’s last words? Reinforcements are about to arrive!”

“If we wait for the reinforcements, who knows if we can even find the bodies of our members.

Zhou Yu’s tone was still cold and collected, as if he had faced the same situation before, that the worst situation would be a hail of bullets. But he knew in his heart, it definitely wouldn’t be as simple as just a hail of bullets.

“Leader…” Mei Xi knew that once Zhou Yu set his mind on something, then she wouldn’t be able to stop him.

“I’m only going to take a look at what took out all of our people.”

Zhou Yu left quickly, approaching the Research Center.

To Zhou Yu, this had nothing to do with curiosity, only responsibility. He had to find out what had happened to his team members who had been through hell and high water with him. If they had all died in the line of duty, then as the mission commander, Zhou Yu couldn’t just let himself live on in such a dishonest way.

The exterior of the research facility was an all-metal construct. Under the moonlight, it reflected a cold light. There were no other buildings in its vicinity. Gravel was everywhere but there were no signs of human habitation, as if it was a deserted island.

According to the building map, it was a hexagonal courtyard-style building, the layout was a little similar to the pentagon.

To protect classified research, the system there was extremely precise. Every researcher’s height, pace, and voice was recorded into the system. Each researcher could only move about in their corresponding zones, if anyone overstepped their research zone, they would be locked down and issued a warning.

Zhou Yu carried his gun and came to the passageway entrance.

The space in front of him was brightly lit up, but not a single person was present.

This scenario was somewhat like Resident Evil, maybe if he went forward a few more step, a horde of zombies would rush forth. Or maybe an infrared laser would shoot out trying to cut intruders into meat chunks.

But at this moment, Zhou Yu only wanted to find his team members as quickly as possible.

He held up his gun, kept his back straight, and walked forward with steady but silent steps. He maintained this posture while quickly walking in.

The communication device in his ear sounded with Mei Xi’s voice, “Leader, new orders came from up top, we need to retreat immediately! The mission has been aborted!”

Zhou Yu snorted coldly, “We don’t have anyone left, what’s the point of retreating?”

He knew he should obey the order, it wasn’t too late to turn around and head back. But at the same time, he also clearly knew that if he turned around now, then everything that happened here would become an unspeakable secret. Not only will he never see his teammates again, he’ll never find out what happened.

Rather than spending the rest of his life guessing and in regret, he’d rather find out now.

Zhou Yu walked the entire passageway without hesitation, he was about to turn to the left.

Originally, there were double doors ahead, but now both the inside and outside doors were open.

Zhou Yu went forward while remaining calm and collected, he felt his senses sharpening. He carefully inspected the place by listening, but there was nothing there other than his own breathing.

Where were the researchers?

Where were his team members?

The silence felt abnormal to Zhou Yu.

Finally, ahead in the passageway, he saw a figure lying on the floor. He should’ve been a researcher, because he wore a long white coat and was lying in a large pool of blood, staining a portion of his white coat red. It was a ghastly sight.

The entire place was covered in traces of spilt blood, as if something had taken along the researchers’ blood while moving at a high speed. But right now, Zhou Yu couldn’t see anything nearby. Whatever person or monster killed those researchers, they or it wasn’t here at the moment.

Zhou Yu slowly crouched down while maintaining his alert state. With his right hand, he pressed down on the other person’s neck. His pulse had already stopped, and even his corpse had cooled.

Zhou Yu slightly turned over his face, wanting to confirm if he was the researcher who had lost his mind, or a hostage. But the moment he saw it, all the muscles on his body tensed up.

The corpse’s jaw was completely gone, as if some wild animal had torn it off. The area below his collarbone was also hollow, even his organs were gone.

Zhou Yu knitted his brows, swearing in his heart: Fuck!

Juli Corp was definitely lying, as for the research they were conducting, Zhou Yu didn’t believe that it was only pharmaceuticals!

Maybe the story that a researcher had lost his mind was also false!

Zhou Yu adjusted his breathing and continued forwards.

Past another set of double doors, what appeared in front of his eyes exceeded his understanding.

There were bloodstains everywhere. A security guard in the research center was sitting against the wall, his eyes open wide and missing both of his calves. Something had struck his head. Zhou Yu didn’t need to examine him any further, he knew that the back of his head had been entirely crushed.

In front, two researchers wearing white lab coats were lying face-down, one researcher’s posture was considerably twisted. It looked like he was snapped in half at the waist.

This entire scene under the lights looked like it was Asura’s hell, without any signs of life. If you closed your eyes, you could even hear the dripping sound of blood.

Zhou Yu was very convinced at this moment, whatever had done this, it definitely wasn’t human!

Mei Xi’s voice came from the earphones: “Leader! Return quickly! The people up top said this mission has already exceeded the extent of our abilities! I’m begging you! If something happens to you, what are we going to do?”

Mei Xi’s kept her voice low, she was holding back her tears.

“Xiao Mei, If I can’t come back anymore, you should just treat this whole thing as if it never happened.”

At that moment, the three communications personnel, including Mei Xi, all became silent. Their fists were clenched, even if other people were unable to understand Zhou Yu’s determination, they could.

“We’re not leaving, we’ll wait for you here.” Mei Xi replied.

“Thank you.”

Zhou Yu took out his earphones and shut down his communications equipment.