Chapter 121: Have We Met Somewhere Before?

Chapter 121: Chapter 121: Have We Met Somewhere Before?

Seeing Lan Zhuo stammering, the impatient Xu Yi quickly pressed him.

"Stop beating around the bush. If you have something to say, just spit it out."

Urged on like this, Lan Zhuo seemed to make up his mind and took a deep breath.

"I suspect this drug has nothing to do with the Rebel Army."

Lan Zhuo’s deduction brought a sudden silence over Xu Yi as he quietly pondered the possibility. If the Silver Moon Wolf’s enhancement truly had nothing to do with the Rebel Army, it was undoubtedly great news.

"Are you sure? I haven’t heard of any other organization researching similar drugs."

Following Lan Zhuo’s line of thought, Xu Yi recalled the scene from back then. The Silver Moon Wolf had indeed been in critical condition. Had it not been for that sudden burst of self-healing, there was no way Xu Yi’s skills alone could have saved him.

"Do you think it could be a mutation originating from the Silver Moon Wolf himself?" Xu Yi asked.

Perhaps they were overcomplicating things. The Silver Moon Wolf might just be a special case, devoid of any artificial intervention.

"I’ll need to conduct further research and screening on that," Lan Zhuo replied. Science was strictly rigorous. For now, he could only confirm that the Silver Moon Wolf’s enhancement was likely unrelated to the Rebel Army.

"We can’t be careless about this." Xu Yi wore a rare expression of solemnity. After a long moment of contemplation, he made a final decision. "We can’t completely rule out a connection between the enhancement and the Rebel Army yet. Better safe than sorry—we still need to be on high alert."

After following Huo An for so many years, Xu Yi had at least picked up a sense of crisis awareness. Fighting a prepared battle was always better than underestimating the enemy.

"Keep researching and try to uncover the truth behind the Silver Moon Wolf’s enhancement as soon as possible," Xu Yi added.

No matter what, they needed to figure out what caused it. That way, the War Beast Army that had died off years ago might be reinstated, becoming a major asset for the Federation against the Rebel Army.

"Understood."

Completely unaware that her single act of saving a beast had tugged at the heartstrings of so many, Liang He slept soundly until broad daylight.

It wasn’t until she woke up that she realized she had actually fallen asleep during the video call last night. Xu Yi must have been the one to hang up.

"ROAR~"

Seeing Liang He finally awake, the Platinum Giant Lion—who had been treated as a giant body pillow, staring blankly with wide eyes and not daring to move a muscle—was at last able to stretch his limbs.

"Good morning, Cyril."

Inhaling the fresh scent of the Platinum Giant Lion’s fur, Liang He gave him a big hug, buried her face into his soft belly, and took a deep, satisfying sniff.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

"Liang He, are you awake?"

Perhaps having heard the Platinum Giant Lion’s roar, Hoder tapped lightly on the door. After Liang He accidentally fell asleep last night, it was Hoder who had sneakily opened the door for the Platinum Giant Lion to slip in. Otherwise, the stubborn beast would have absolutely refused to sleep.

"I’m up!"

Lifting her face from the Platinum Giant Lion’s belly, Liang He shouted her reply to Hoder. She stood up, stretched lazily, and threw off the covers to go wash up.

By the time she finished her morning routine and walked out in fresh clothes, the brunch Hoder had ordered was just being delivered.

"Perfect timing. Come eat."

"Thank you." Liang He felt a bit embarrassed. It felt like Hoder had transitioned from her bodyguard to her nanny. "When did you wake up? Have you not had breakfast? You don’t have to wait for me next time."

"Don’t worry, I won’t shortchange myself. With my appetite, I could eat several more meals and still be fine."

Seeing that Hoder indeed hadn’t let his stomach suffer, Liang He finally felt relieved. Otherwise, she really would have felt guilty.

After the two humans and one beast finished eating, Liang He prepared to take the Platinum Giant Lion out to bask in the sun. Hoder had originally intended to tag along, but he received a last-minute message and had to step away for a bit.

"Will you be alright by yourself?" Having taken care of Liang He for so long, Hoder himself felt that he was becoming more and more like a mother hen, always worrying instinctively.

"I’ll just be at the hotel. It’s very safe."

Joke’s on him—Liang He had a track record of single-handedly taking on half a Fierce Beast Army. There was absolutely no need to worry about her safety. Rather than worrying about her, he’d be better off worrying about those trying to scheme against her.

"Let’s go, Cyril."

Liang He took the Platinum Giant Lion to a shop inside the hotel and bought him a bottle of yogurt for a snack later.

"ROAR~"

The moment he saw the grassy field, the Platinum Giant Lion started frolicking wildly. His freshly washed fur was exceptionally flowy, and his ring of platinum mane was absolutely adorable!

Smiling, Liang He was just about to find a spot to sit down when she accidentally bumped into someone behind her. Turning around, she realized it was the same somewhat familiar-looking man she had bumped into last time.

"Sorry about that. Are you hurt?" The man lowered his head, his eyes full of apology. Meeting Liang He’s probing gaze, he gave a faint, entirely composed smile.

"I’m fine, my apologies."

Having carelessly bumped into him, Liang He also felt a bit apologetic. After they politely exchanged apologies, she still couldn’t resist voicing her doubt. "Have we... met somewhere before?"

Logically speaking, ever since Liang He left Blue Star—aside from her previous trip to Star D139 and this current one to Greenfield Star—she had mostly stayed within the reserve and hadn’t met many people. If he were someone from inside the reserve, Huo An definitely would have had him travel with her. Therefore, Liang He found it very strange. Just where had she seen this man before?

"You must have mistaken me for someone else." The man shook his head lightly, indicating that they had never met. Yet, an imperceptible glint of something unusual flashed through his eyes, and his hand, resting in his pants pocket, unconsciously clenched tight.

Liang He knitted her brows, her intuition telling her she wasn’t mistaken. This person really did give her a strong sense of familiarity. However, since the other party denied it, it wasn’t her place to press the matter further.

"Ahem. Are you the Breeder Liang He that everyone has been talking about lately?" Perhaps sensing the silence, the man took the initiative to strike up a conversation.

"Yes, I’m Liang He." After his denial, Liang He had already shifted her gaze away from him and back to the Platinum Giant Lion, giving a perfunctory nod.

Her perfunctory attitude was crystal clear to the man. As for the Platinum Giant Lion’s presence, he cast a cold glance at it, seemingly displeased, but he quickly returned to normal without Liang He noticing.

"What a coincidence. I didn’t expect to run into you here. My name is Eli."

"Eli... Hello."

Liang He searched her memory for the name but truly drew a blank. Maybe she really was overthinking things. Since the other party had actively greeted her and introduced himself, it wouldn’t be right for her to give him the cold shoulder.

"Are you also a Breeder?"

"No, I’m just here for a vacation," Eli answered with a light chuckle. He smoothly pulled over a nearby bench, wiped it clean with a tissue, and invited Liang He to sit down together.

Never one to be overly fussy, Liang He didn’t stand on ceremony with him. She had been planning to find a place to sit anyway. Having someone willing to help pull up a chair saved her the trouble.

"Are you traveling alone?"

Greenfield Star had its fair share of tourists. With Evelyn and her daughter setting a precedent, Eli’s appearance wasn’t all that surprising. At any rate, he looked much more credible than Soros, who had claimed to be a Breeder.

"Yeah, just out for a change of pace."

Feigning melancholy, Eli let out a deep sigh as if burdened by some sorrowful matter, so Liang He felt it inappropriate to pry into his private affairs.

Seeing her fall silent and just stare at the Platinum Giant Lion rolling around on the ground, Eli’s eyes darkened slightly. He leaned back against the bench with feigned nonchalance.

"Liang He, have you ever thought about what these animals would look like if they turned into humans?"