Chapter 524 - 518: Approaching Danger

If these sand worms were to multiply and migrate here in large numbers, the entire Jingji Base would be in danger.

"Thank you so, so much."

Hearing what Xie Ning said, Song Youyi and the others also hurriedly thanked Xiao Huzi.

Xiao Huzi pulled up his mask and waved his hands repeatedly, but inside, he felt overjoyed.

’Even though I don’t do these things for praise or rewards, getting recognition from most people means my efforts weren’t in vain.’

Song You’ai and the others then turned to size up the group of mutated children on the metal flatbed cart. Before they could say anything, they heard Feng JiaMin and her friends cry out in alarm again.

"What kind of people are these?"

Just a moment ago, Feng JiaMin had been so preoccupied with arguing with Xie Ning and her group that she had only given the metal cart Xie Ning was pulling a cursory glance.

She hadn’t noticed at all that the cart was filled with bizarre, mutated children.

Now that she got a clear look, Feng JiaMin couldn’t help but reveal a terrified expression. She pointed a finger straight at the most conspicuous child—a snake-like girl whose head was bigger than a watermelon—and exclaimed, "That’s a monster."

"You’re the monster," Zhu Nanxing couldn’t help retorting. "My teacher says that only those with a monster’s heart see monsters everywhere."

Mo Wanrong’s eyes widened, and she pulled the terrified Feng JiaMin a small step back.

She couldn’t stop herself from looking Xie Ning up and down.

Seeing Xie Ning’s calm and composed expression as she pulled the metal cart forward, Mo Wanrong couldn’t help but swallow nervously. She asked timidly, "Captain Xie, these... these children... where did you find them? You... you’re not planning on bringing them back to Jingji Base, are you?"

"What else?"

Song You’ai originally hadn’t wanted to bother with Feng JiaMin’s group, but their endless, grating complaints were getting more and more out of line, and she couldn’t hold back her anger.

"Should we just leave these three- and five-year-old children here to fend for themselves? Maybe you could do something like that, but we can’t."

Being rebuked like that, Mo Wanrong’s face turned a little pale.

Feng JiaMin said defensively, "My friend, she didn’t mean to say that. It’s just that these children look so strange. What if they’re carrying some kind of virus that could infect other people?"

Xie Ning glanced behind her.

Feng JiaMin and her friends were lagging far behind at the very end of the line, a considerable distance away from her.

"If anyone’s going to be infected, it’ll be me first. What does it have to do with you?"

"You’re so far away from them, have had no skin contact, and haven’t even spoken to them. How could you get infected?"

"If it were airborne, I would have mutated long ago, and you’d be the first person I’d eat."

Song You’ai nodded emphatically. "You’re ignorant and you love to spout crap. Just shut your mouth already!"

"These are child victims my daughter rescued from a laboratory."

"They were locked in a lab by Chen Zhaowei, the leader of Gushang Base, and injected with mutant hormones. That’s why they look like this now."

"We have a doctor on our team who examined them and said this condition can be controlled with medication."

"So what, you think you know better than a doctor?"

Feng JiaMin’s expression changed slightly, and she said weakly, "Well, sorry. I didn’t know the details. I just thought the feng shui of this base was bad and everyone was mutating..."

’She didn’t know it was all the fault of the Gushang Base leader. Doesn’t that count as an extenuating circumstance?’

’Why are they being so aggressive?’

"Shut up!" Song You’ai glared at her impatiently.

Knowing she was in the wrong, Feng JiaMin glanced at the group of children and quietly shut her mouth, saying no more.

Mo Wanrong spoke up with a gentle smile, "So for these little children, if their condition is brought under control, will they become like normal children again?"

This time, even Fan Youchen, the doltish captain of the Golden World Court Team, couldn’t stand it anymore. He rolled his eyes and snapped, "What do you think, you white lotus? If someone chopped off your arms and legs and then treated you, could they be perfectly reattached?"

’Of course they can’t go back to how they were before!’

Captain Xie only said they could control the mutant hormones in their bodies; she never said they could be completely cured.

’For this woman to ask such a stupid question, isn’t she just twisting the knife?’

’Putting on a weak and gentle act, what a classic white lotus!’

He, Fan Youchen, the young master of the Golden World Court, had seen at least eight thousand, if not ten thousand, women in his time. He’d seen far too many of this "white lotus" type; his discerning eyes could spot one a mile away.

It was the first time in her life she had been called a "white lotus" to her face. Mo Wanrong bit her lip, aggrieved.

"I-I’m sorry," Mo Wanrong quickly stabilized her emotions and apologized, her eyes turning a little red. "I was just worried about the children. After all, they look so young."

"The base leader of Gushang Base is such an inhuman monster, experimenting on little kids like that."

"By the way, what about that base leader, Chen Zhaowei? Did you find him while you were searching the lab?"

Her question was met with a wall of silence.

Not feeling awkward at all, Mo Wanrong snuck a glance at Xie Ning and sighed theatrically, "Well, that’s quite dangerous, isn’t it?"

Everyone immediately fell silent.

Indeed, having such a deranged person lurking in the shadows was no good for their team. Who knew when that sick base leader might suddenly pop up and take a vicious bite out of them?

"That little girl from your team who was kidnapped, could it be that Chen Zhaowei had someone do it?" Qu Lanping asked, struck by a sudden thought.

"I don’t know, but I can’t rule out the possibility," Xie Ning replied objectively. She reached out and squeezed her aunt’s ice-cold hand, comforting her softly, "Yueyue will definitely be okay."

Ever after Yueyue awakened her mutant Wood Element Ability, Xie Ning had given Yueyue a Wood Energy Ball to use.

Although Yueyue had started late, as a Superpower User, she should have the ability to protect herself. What’s more, her Wood Element also came with a mutant Healing Ability, so it couldn’t be compared to a normal Wood Element.

As long as the situation wasn’t exceptionally dangerous, Yueyue should be able to handle it herself.

The children were growing up; they couldn’t be kept in a greenhouse forever.

This was why everyone had unanimously decided to bring the kids along on this expedition to brave the world.

The most urgent task now was to find Yueyue’s location, and only then could they figure out how to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.

「Meanwhile」

Su Xiyue woke up in a dilapidated old generator room.

Through layers and layers of wood vines, she could see that the walls and floor were stained with mottled patches of blood.

The sound of a cleaver suddenly reached her ears.

With each successive CLANG, every nerve in Su Xiyue’s body, from head to toe, tensed up uncontrollably.

"You think you’ll be safe just by hiding in there?"

"You coward! Get rid of these woven wood vines if you have any guts!"

"Do you dare?!"