Chapter Seventy-Four: The Trade of the Little Bug

However, the men before him were clearly not ones to be dealt with easily. The scars etched across their faces were like badges of honor, marked by the ordeals they had survived.

“Gentlemen, this is really just a misunderstanding. I swear, I’ll never come back here again. Please, just let me go,” Fang Yuan pleaded, not wishing to linger a moment longer.

Yet these men gave him no chance. Seeing he refused to answer their questions directly, they wasted no words and struck him a heavy blow to the back of his head.

The force behind that blow was tremendous; Fang Yuan collapsed on the spot, unconscious.

Chong Chong, on the other hand, remained perfectly alert. But to prevent further harm from coming to Fang Yuan, it chose only to watch the proceedings in silence.

The men hoisted Fang Yuan up and carried him into a two-story building. From the outside, it appeared to be a modest structure, but once inside, it revealed itself to be a vast laboratory—there was no actual second floor.

It was a spacious facility, far larger than its exterior suggested. The ceiling soared dozens of meters high, with a cable running across its length. Suspended from the center of this cable, a massive iron chain held a floating crystal pool.

The pool was about five square meters in size, filled with seawater, yet entirely empty of life.

Upon entering, Chong Chong caught a whiff of something fishy in the air. Yet, despite the scent, there wasn’t a single living sea creature to be seen—or even a dead one.

Where, then, was this smell coming from?

As curiosity gnawed at Chong Chong, the men carrying Fang Yuan arrived at a round platform. Here, faint traces of dried blood could be seen, so old they were already ingrained in the surface. The moment Fang Yuan was laid upon it, a deep, bone-chilling scent of blood wafted up to Chong Chong.

Apart from the men who had brought Fang Yuan in, the place seemed deserted.

Suddenly, a heavy mechanical noise echoed through the hall. Seizing the moment while the men were distracted, Chong Chong cracked open an eye to see what was happening—and was greeted by a terrifying sight.

The round platform where Fang Yuan now lay was positioned directly beneath the enormous crystal coffin. Earlier, Chong Chong hadn’t noticed, but now, lying below, it became clear: beneath the crystal coffin was a dark red stain, perfectly matching the size of the circular platform.

The sound of chains shifting drew Chong Chong’s attention back to the coffin, which had begun to descend rapidly.

This is bad, Chong Chong thought, panic rising. With no time to hesitate, Chong Chong rolled Fang Yuan off the platform in one swift motion.

Scarcely had they hit the ground when a deafening crash exploded behind them, as if a bomb had detonated nearby. The shockwave jolted Fang Yuan’s body violently.

“Speak. Who are you, really?” A voice suddenly rang out, sending a chill through Chong Chong’s entire being.

“Who… who are you?” Fang Yuan had yet to awaken, and given the circumstances, Chong Chong hoped he wouldn’t. For Chong Chong now realized the question wasn’t directed at Fang Yuan, but at itself.

“I knew it. That boy alone couldn’t have moved under our noses,” the voice continued, as if it had always been aware of Chong Chong’s presence. The previous actions had merely been to force it into the open.

“I… I’m just a humble, insignificant parasite…” Chong Chong replied weakly, its voice filled with helplessness.

The truth was, ever since awakening from that frozen world, Chong Chong had no idea what it truly was.

“Is that so? If you wish to keep your current host, you’ll have to make a deal with us. What do you say?” At these words, Chong Chong finally looked up and saw that the speaker’s face bore no markings—none of the fearsome scars that adorned the others.

“Alright,” Chong Chong answered, knowing it had no power to protect Fang Yuan against these people. Reluctantly, it yielded.

Meanwhile, Pei Xi and Ke Bei waited in the car. From the start, they’d realized the bug on Fang Yuan had been lost, though they didn’t know he’d removed it on purpose. Fang Yuan had been gone for three hours; if everything had gone smoothly, he should have returned by now.

Yet dawn was approaching, and there was still no sign of him. Pei Xi grew restless, her gaze fixed anxiously ahead.

Three hours had passed, and not a single soul had crossed their path.

“Ke Bei, do you think Fang Yuan might be in danger?” Pei Xi’s question was rhetorical—she’d already decided on the answer herself.

“I… can’t say for sure. Maybe you should stay here while I go check things out.” Though Ke Bei didn’t say it outright, he too believed something must have happened to Fang Yuan. He was going to see if there was anything left to salvage.

Ke Bei was no novice—his years as a detective weren’t just for show. Earlier, when he and Pei Xi had hidden in the sea, it had been out of concern for her safety. If he were alone, he’d have risked even the most perilous situation without a second thought.

“Let me go with you. One more person means one more helping hand.” Pei Xi was not one to shy away from trouble. Both Fang Yuan and Ke Bei had become embroiled in this mess because of her; she wouldn’t be a coward now.

“No, there’s something else I need you to do. Here—this is my master’s card. Go to the address on it and find a man named Li Mingbo. When you meet him, just show him this card. He’ll know what to do,” Ke Bei instructed. He wanted Pei Xi to stay behind, certain he’d be distracted if she came along. At the same time, he was leaving himself a backup plan: if he and Fang Yuan didn’t make it out, with his master’s help, there might still be a chance.

He didn’t know Li Mingbo well, but his master and Li Mingbo were old friends. His master had told him before: if he ever faced a problem he couldn’t solve, he should take his card to Li Mingbo, who would handle everything.

Ke Bei was stubborn and proud, always determined to solve problems on his own. Over the years, he’d never once asked for Li Mingbo’s help.

But this time was different. He hadn’t even been able to meet their adversaries face-to-face before being so thoroughly outmatched. With Fang Yuan missing and possibly lost for good, Ke Bei realized that this time, they might have encountered an opponent far beyond their abilities.