This wasn’t the core area yet.

This thought suddenly flashed through Jing Xi’s mind.

In the Empire, research on mutant beasts was legal. As long as approval was obtained from relevant departments, those who met the conditions could even apply for special research funding.

A large number of beast specimens were stored here, and even live specimens were kept underground. People unaware of the inside story, even if they came here, would at first glance only think this was a legal beast research institution.

This realization filled Jing Xi with fear.

How many illegal institutions disguised like this existed in the Empire?

What exactly were they trying to do?

Chi Yao glanced around and walked out without a word.

The time spent bantering with Jing Xi had gradually immersed him in the fantasy that he too was a normal person.

But the look in this second-level hunting dog’s eyes tore apart all these illusions.

It was inside the cage, he was outside the cage.

But in essence, there was no difference between them.

Jing Xi immediately noticed Chi Yao’s emotions were off and followed after him in a few steps.

“Yaoyao—”

Chi Yao’s silence, combined with the image that had just flashed before his eyes, made him unable to control his urge to comfort him.

He wanted to hold the other’s hand, but this time the other avoided it.

“Get ready.” Chi Yao stood in front of the second room’s door, saying in a low voice.

Jing Xi saw his expression was normal. All the words he wanted to say got stuck at his lips.

This really wasn’t a good place for conversation either.

Jing Xi quickly collected his emotions and nodded at him.

The second room opened—still no attack devices.

Like the first room, this one held a second-level mutant prairie elephant, also with part of its body cut away, lying on the ground barely alive.

Seeing them enter, it only looked over calmly once, as if it had already accepted its fate.

Chi Yao walked around the cage once and stepped outside.

“Next room.”

Jing Xi glanced at him, said nothing, and followed.

They checked five rooms on each side.

The rooms on the left held larger beast species; the rooms on the right held smaller beast species, with at least seven or eight in each cage.

Seeing a group of first-level mutant macaques huddled together in a corner, looking over with teary eyes—at first glance, they looked like a group of human children.

Jing Xi’s vision blurred. His temples throbbed with pain.

The fur on these monkeys had been removed completely by some unknown means. Not a single patch of their skin was intact. All ten monkeys were missing arms and legs. Some had their entire lower jaws missing, the flesh and skin just hanging down.

Jing Xi considered that since joining the military, what he dealt with most were mutant beasts. He’d grown accustomed to war and death, but he’d never imagined torturing mutant beasts like this.

Chi Yao walked around the cage once. After confirming there were no problems and preparing to leave, he noticed Jing Xi’s pale face.

“What’s wrong?” After speaking, he felt his question was unnecessary.

Jing Xi shook his head and asked in a low voice: “What are you looking at?”

Chi Yao didn’t plan to answer, but after walking out and not hearing Jing Xi speak for a long time, he couldn’t help but glance over with his peripheral vision.

Seeing his dejected look, he couldn’t help but explain: “Looking to see if there are signs of humanization.”

“Humanization?” Jing Xi frowned slightly.

Chi Yao: “The specimens we found can basically be confirmed as human beastification, but I’m not sure if they’re also simultaneously researching beast humanization.”

Jing Xi thought for a moment: “But even if beasts had human forms, it would be very difficult for them to be the same as real people, right?”

On the contrary, humans turning into beasts would be easier.

“I don’t know.” Chi Yao looked at the deep, dim corridor ahead, expressionless. “Whether humans turn into beasts or beasts turn into humans, they’re existences that defy heaven. They shouldn’t survive.”

Walking to the eleventh room’s door, Chi Yao was about to have Xiao Hong crack the door lock when he suddenly heard Jing Xi, who’d been silent for a long time, speak.

Jing Xi: “If they don’t interfere with anyone or harm anyone, I think that regardless of what form, if they already exist, they should have the right to survive.”

Chi Yao’s hand paused. He turned to look into his eyes.

He was serious.

“Perhaps many things can never be made public, but who doesn’t have secrets?”

Jing Xi looked at him. “Some people appear righteous on the outside but are actually more terrifying inside than beasts. They’re the ones who should be thinking about survival issues.”

Chi Yao didn’t know how many times he’d been comforted by Jing Xi’s words.

Although the facts hadn’t changed at all, his heart felt much more comfortable.

He couldn’t help but chuckle softly: “More terrifying than beasts? I have evidence to prove you’re mocking me for not being human.”

The stiff, heavy atmosphere was broken by this laugh.

Looking at the smile in his eyes, Jing Xi suddenly felt very distressed for him.

“Does this still need me to specifically prove?” Jing Xi also smiled, lightly punching his shoulder. “You not being human isn’t just a day or two.”

Chi Yao: “I’m a good citizen of the Empire. Don’t talk nonsense.”

Jing Xi: “For your sake, how exhausted have my subordinate brothers become? Can you give them a way out?”

Chi Yao: “Then you’ll have to have them talk to my subordinate brothers.”

In a few exchanges, the atmosphere returned to normal.

On the other end, the research institution’s head, Fu Jiubing, received an emergency alert fed back by the research institute’s AI and immediately bounced out of bed.

He didn’t have time to grab clothes. While dialing the communication number, he walked outside.

But after a long time, he only heard busy signals.

“What the hell are you all doing?!” He irritably kicked the wall. When going downstairs and seeing the butler who’d rushed over upon hearing the noise, he said loudly, “Prepare the car, go to the research institute!”

The butler complied and hurriedly headed to the garage.

In the car, the butler nervously glanced at the rearview mirror.

The master was furiously on a call with someone. It looked like quite a serious problem had occurred.

“What the hell? Took this long to answer?!” Fu Jiubing looked at the middle-aged beta on the screen, his fist slamming on the leather armrest.

The middle-aged beta seemed to have just been woken up, fumbling for his glasses from the bedside and putting them on.

“Very sorry, I probably slept too deeply.”

Fu Jiubing: “Where is Liu Sichen?!”

The middle-aged beta sat up, unable to hide the sleepiness in his eyes and brows.

“Today we finished early for once, so I let him go home.”

“Damn!” Fu Jiubing cursed loudly. “Something happened at the research institute. Get over there immediately!”

The middle-aged beta was puzzled: “Something happened? We checked when we left. There weren’t any problems.”

Fu Jiubing: “But I received AI feedback that there’s an external enemy invasion! I provided you such good dormitories, yet you insist on going home—I don’t know what your problem is! If this matter gets exposed, none of us will survive!”

The middle-aged beta listened to his eardrum-shattering yelling, wearily rubbed his hair, and put back on the shirt he’d just taken off.

Walking out the room door, his terminal suddenly vibrated once—a text message came in.

[I’ve already made an appointment with your assistant. I want to chat with you about Xixi’s condition, and there’s another matter I’d like to discuss with you.]

He glanced at the sender: Jing Rong.

Hanging up the communication, Fu Jiubing rubbed his temples and leaned back in the chair, his mind full of various speculations.

There were too many research institutions in the base. To avoid showing any flaws, not many personnel were set up in the institutions. Daily guarding and patrols were all completed by AI.

If it were just a few individuals, they couldn’t possibly break through the AI defense line, not to mention there were other mechanisms on each level.

“Could it have been discovered by the military?” the butler asked carefully.

“Impossible!” Fu Jiubing said angrily. “Whether it’s the military or other suspicious organizations, as long as they enter the airspace, I’ll definitely receive intelligence.”

Butler: “Then—could it be thieves?”

Fu Jiubing sneered coldly: “Daring to steal from me—they really aren’t afraid of death.”

Underground level two.

Chi Yao and Jing Xi were almost at the end of the corridor, but the thing they were worried about hadn’t been discovered.

“Maybe they’re just using them to provide genes.” Jing Xi speculated in a low voice.

But the method was too crude.

Chi Yao said nothing and continued forward.

On both sides near the end were two doors facing each other. Unlike the other doors, these two were reinforced.

Jing Xi stopped Chi Yao’s motion to unlock and leaned in to examine carefully.

“What is it?” Chi Yao asked.

Jing Xi: “This is a military model, phased out five years ago.”

Chi Yao squinted slightly.

In other words, this place was built at least five years ago at the earliest.

Jing Xi tapped a very long sequence on the sensor—it looked like random tapping.

Click.

The heavy metal door slowly opened.

Receiving Chi Yao’s suspicious gaze, Jing Xi explained flatly: “When I’m bored, I’ve researched how to crack this kind of lock.”

Chi Yao: “Is there anything you haven’t researched?”

Jing Xi thought seriously: “I understand most things to some degree.”

Chi Yao raised an eyebrow, nodding deliberately: “No wonder.”

Jing Xi: “?”

Chi Yao pushed the door and entered: “No wonder you’re single.”

Jing Xi: “…”

Just stepping inside, slight footsteps echoed in their ears.

This space was much larger than those previous rooms.

After entering, there was a narrow passage. On the right side were three rooms lined up in a row.

Chi Yao subconsciously toyed with his ring, walking quietly to the first room door.

Gently pushing the door open, no sound came from inside.

Heavy smells of blood and chemical agents assaulted their noses.

When seeing everything in the room, Chi Yao’s eyes widened slightly.

This room no longer stored live beasts, but humans.

Human corpses, incomplete and mutilated, were hung up on mechanical arms—like a slaughterhouse.

More or less, they all showed signs of beastification.

Hearing footsteps behind him, Chi Yao turned around and blocked Jing Xi.

“You stand outside and keep watch.”

Jing Xi: “Why?”

Chi Yao: “The things inside aren’t suitable for you to see.”

Jing Xi glanced at him, pulled him aside, and walked inside.

Seeing the person frozen there, Chi Yao shook his head. For the sake of being comforted several times, he racked his brain to come up with one comforting sentence.

“Your little childhood friend probably isn’t among these people.”

Jing Xi: “…”

Seeing him say nothing, Chi Yao added: “Look, these people don’t look that great. It’s definitely not him.”

Jing Xi swept his gaze over those faces beyond recognition, saying flatly: “Thank you for your comfort.”

Being thanked so seriously made Chi Yao feel somewhat uncomfortable instead. Before he could figure out how to respond, he heard the other say coolly: “But you’d better not comfort people in the future.”

Chi Yao: “…”

Forget it. Won’t argue with this kid whose childhood friend died.

These corpses all had codes—exactly the same coding method as on the specimen jars.

Chi Yao had Xiao Hong and Xiao Lan record all the codes and images while he himself looked over each corpse.

Among these people were both men and women, but they had one thing in common—none had glands.

In other words, everyone placed in this room was beta.

Chi Yao couldn’t help but think of the other two rooms. He had a general guess in his mind.

With peripheral vision, he saw Jing Xi staring very intently at a particular corpse.

It was a female corpse. Her legs were covered with fish scales, and half of both feet had transformed into tail fins.

Chi Yao frowned, walked over in a few steps, and blocked his view.

Jing Xi withdrew his gaze and asked puzzledly: “What’s wrong?”

Chi Yao sneered: “So curious about female body structure? Staring at people like that is impolite.”

Jing Xi raised an eyebrow: “You’re jealous?”

Chi Yao: “Why would I be jealous?”

Jing Xi looked up again toward the “mermaid.”

“Oh, then move aside.”

Chi Yao: “…”

He turned Jing Xi’s head back, forcing the other to look at him.

“Stop looking.”

Jing Xi: “Not look at her, look at you?”

Chi Yao: “What’s so good about looking at dead people?”

Jing Xi raised his chin: “But her abdomen is rising and falling—”