Chapter 81: 81, Broken civilization

In the corporate combat sequence, thirty individuals form a complete squad, capable of unleashing full-spectrum firepower at the first moment of danger—this is why the beasts can only flee in panic when facing them.

Yet even such a formidable unit, when confronted with the so-called "experimental subject," unhesitatingly requests reinforcements, revealing their utter lack of confidence in defeating the enemy alone!

Liu Bu and Luo Xinyu kneel on the ground, hearing only the eruption of gunfire around them. A soldier crosses his rifle to his side, swiftly binding their wrists and thumbs with a plastic tie, causing them pain.

The search of Liu Bu is completed in a mere two seconds, ensuring the man and woman pose no further threat.

The soldier does not inquire further, abandoning them to rejoin the fight.

The others pay no mind to Liu Bu, as if he does not exist. Each has their duty, moving like gears in a precision machine, every step steady and exact.

Yet someone mutters quietly, "What is that plastic doll he's carrying..."

Over the comms, a voice shouts, "The experimental subject is fleeing toward nine o'clock! All units in that direction, the experimental subject is fleeing toward nine o'clock!"

The subject seems unwilling to face the heavily armed squad directly, opting instead to evade their fury.

At this moment, Liu Bu realizes the corporate force's combat prowess compared to private militias is like heaven and earth.

In this light, the private forces are nothing but a pig farm for the corporation!

Earlier, Liu Bu feared the corporation would execute him on the spot, for figures like Ren Xiaosu and Yang Xiaojin had painted them as demons.

But now, it seems they merely bound him and Luo Xinyu without further harm.

Relieved, Liu Bu thinks, at least he won't die, right?

Yet in the next instant, he hears a scream from the frontline squad—apparently, casualties have occurred.

...

Ren Xiaosu hides in the shadows of the woods, thickets concealing him tightly. A centipede scuttles toward him rapidly, only to be pinned into the mud with a dagger. Now clad in the combat uniform of Sun Junzheng's private force, he isn't destitute enough to wear a corpse's clothes—the camouflage proves useful in the forest.

Soon, footsteps approach. He hasn't gone far, overhearing the corporate squad calling for backup.

To Ren Xiaosu, this is likely the best chance to breach the corporate encirclement. If reinforcements are needed here, the corporation's forward push will gradually coalesce into a firepower point, creating gaps in the blockade.

He and Xu Xuanchu parted ways without agreeing on a rendezvous point, each choosing to act alone, believing their individual prowess surpasses teamwork.

Yet acting alone isn't enough—the real issue is mutual distrust.

While Yang Xiaojin was present, the trio maintained a fragile balance through mutual restraint. Now, Yang's disappearance has shattered that equilibrium.

Ren Xiaosu holds his breath, waiting for the arriving squad to pass. The Qing Corporation's intelligence is far more solid than Xu Xuanchu's—they even know what the iron-chained monster truly is.

An experimental subject? Experiments conducted in these mountains?

Though puzzled, Ren Xiaosu doesn't dwell on it. Once the reinforcement squad moves on, he darts toward the mountain's interior at astonishing speed.

Along the way, he nearly encounters two other squads but evades them in time.

Now, doubt gnaws at him: Can so many fail to kill a single monster? Or is that creature simply too powerful!?

No matter—first breach the inner encirclement. Whether escaping the mountain or uncovering its secrets, this is his best opportunity.

Ren Xiaosu weaves through the forest, gnarled roots and uneven terrain failing to slow his pace.

Gradually, the rumble of heavy machinery reaches him—a massive construction site ahead.

Before him lies a slope. As he climbs silently and peers beyond, he freezes. Honestly, he never imagined the mountain's interior would be so lively.

Beyond the slope, within five hundred meters, over a dozen excavators tear into the earth. What draws his gaze isn't the machines, but the magnificent... city behind them.

The city lies in ruins, its structures buried beneath peaks and soil.

The jagged remnants of the pre-catastrophe metropolis resemble a colossal maze, a broken labyrinth.

Yet seeing just this fragment, Ren Xiaosu envisions its former glory.

On a building, a relatively intact iron sign still bears the characters "Xiaolongkan."

He ponders the name—does it mean a carp leaping over a ravine to become a dragon? What a mysterious place.

Before he can decipher it, the sign shatters under an excavator's touch, eroded by time.

For reasons unknown, Ren Xiaosu feels drawn here. Ancient tectonic shifts buried countless pre-catastrophe civilizations deep underground—this is also why volcanoes formed in these mountains.

Yet a vast city remains, its buildings shattered but its core intact.

From the hilltop, he spots excavations miles away, halted midway.

The pattern suggests purpose—as if they seek something specific. Once they realize the underground holds nothing of value, they cease and reposition.

Ren Xiaosu realizes the Qing Corporation's target must be of great importance, and they know exactly what they're searching for.

At this moment, he notices a heavily guarded position in the distance, where containers are stacked. Soldiers inject drugs into unconscious beasts, lifting them into the containers one by one.

Are these the beasts captured by the Qing Corporation? Likely, these evolved creatures face no escape from research.

"Should we leave?" Ren Xiaosu muses, doubting he'll ever approach the corporation's sought-after "target."

After witnessing their combat strength, seizing that "secret" from them is impossible.

Just then, he spots a young man in a pristine white suit standing on a rooftop, gazing down at the city.

On the wilderness, that immaculate white suit is striking.

It evokes the clash between violence and civilization, unforgettable.