Chapter 84

The inferior gene potion pushed the banquet atmosphere to a fever pitch.

The guests had touched the beasts, conversed with Maynard, and inquired about the gene potion.

Maynard did not reveal too much, yet the guests remained fervent.

As the event neared its end, Maynard told them to freely enjoy the hospitality of Hack Island and promptly left the banquet hall.

With Maynard's departure, the guests knew the main event was over. There was no need to stay further. Except for those with purposes to discuss with others, the remaining guests gradually left, heading to other places to continue their enjoyment.

"Head back?" Tang Li propped her chin, lazily narrowing her eyes as she asked Tong Yang.

Tong Yang said, "Up to you."

Since Maynard and Wu Pingxue were cooperating, the situation on the island was likely well within their grasp. Tong Yang's group was merely a pretext to gather them on Hack Island. As long as they didn't expose their identities, that was enough; there was nothing they needed to do.

Tang Li lazily sat up straight, yawning. "Then let's go back. I'm a bit sleepy."

"Let's go."

He Jingjing pursed her lips and said, "...She hasn't returned yet."

Hearing this, Tong Yang lowered her gaze and asked, "Do you know where she is?"

He Jingjing shook her head. "Not specifically."

Where Chu Shiyu from World A was, even He Jingjing didn't know.

"Then let's go back."

"Alright."

Tong Yang had originally planned to find Maynard after the banquet to ask for details, but he left the banquet early, and his whereabouts were unknown. Actively inquiring about his location might attract attention, so she had no choice but to give up.

The four of them left the banquet hall and returned to the villa where they were staying.

The time was close to midnight, yet the island was still bustling with excitement, likely to remain so all night.

The villa where Tong Yang and the others stayed housed not only them but also many other guests.

Returning to the room, the man's jacket containing the listening device was still in the living room.

Tang Li said, "Give the clothes to a server. They should be able to find the owner."

"I know."

Tong Yang left the room, found a server, and explained the situation to her.

On the way back to the room, she passed by a half-open linen closet. The door moved without any wind, which seemed somewhat suspicious.

Tong Yang looked around; there was no one else. After a moment's hesitation, she reached out and pushed the door open but did not immediately enter. Seeing a golden mask placed on the soft fabric, she then stepped into the room.

Upon entering the room, before she could clearly see anything, the door behind her was closed.

Tong Yang turned her head to look left. A figure was leaning against the shelves behind the door, removing a mask.

"Long time no see." Ye Huai curved his eyes, a faint smile on his face.

Tong Yang turned around, looking at him motionlessly. "Not afraid of being discovered?"

"That's why I changed clothes."

Ye Huai had changed out of his dark red suit and was wearing a white tailcoat, holding a black mask adorned with feathers in his left hand.

Tong Yang raised an eyebrow. "Care to explain?"

Ye Huai said, "Ye Tianlin is the founder of 'Black Tempest'."

"The Ye Tianlin from the parallel world?"

"Correct."

Ye Huai lowered his gaze and said, "Back then, the reason I believed I came from a parallel world was because Ye Tianlin took me to a gathering once."

"Roughly when was that?"

"Two years ago? I was sixteen."

"He didn't explain much to me. Apart from the Maynard family, I knew nothing, thinking it was just an ordinary gathering. Perhaps you don't know, but such gatherings are too common for them."

Tong Yang nodded. "Go on."

Ye Huai sighed helplessly, pacing over to her side. "At that time, I knew he had a golden identity card, S-rank. However, before that, I hadn't taken any of it to heart."

"It wasn't until that day when the parallel world anchor mentioned that an S-rank identity card represents the highest status in the parallel world that I suddenly realized that gathering might have been related to the parallel world."

Tong Yang lowered her head thoughtfully. "Why did he take you to that gathering? If he really wanted to involve you, he should have taken you directly into the parallel world."

Ye Huai shook his head. "I don't know either."

After a pause, he said, "Perhaps it was precisely for this day?"

"What do you mean?"

"After you were out of contact for a while, I proactively found Dr. Wu. On the condition of joining your team, I told him about the Maynard family and that banquet. He didn't expect the Maynard family to be connected to me and found a way for Miss Tang to establish contact with Ye Tianlin."

"Does Tang Li know Maynard is Ye Tianlin?"

Ye Huai shook his head. "No one knows who the real Maynard is except me."

"I didn't establish contact with Ye Tianlin. Not long after, Dr. Wu gave me a golden identity card registered under Maynard. After deciding on the banquet location, I came to Hack Island in advance. Everything had already been arranged; I just needed to play the role of Maynard well."

Tong Yang frowned. "So, you're just playing Maynard, cooperating with the parallel world, and incidentally stirring up a little trouble?"

"Correct. The ones hosting the banquet aren't just Maynard, but the entire parallel world. I can only secretly help you avoid detection and keep the others steady. If my identity is exposed, they would immediately send someone else."

"And besides that?"

Ye Huai said, "Besides that, there are no other tasks. Dr. Wu said we just need to hold out until the defective products show signs of poisoning, then we can leave Hack Island early."

"There's no transportation."

"There's a submarine on the left bank of Hack Island, not easy to detect."

Tong Yang pondered. "Your identity won't be exposed; you are indeed Maynard. But we're different. It's best not to make contact for these next few days."

Ye Huai said, "You're right. The parallel world has people lurking in the shadows. What they might do, I don't know either."

"What about Chu Shiyu from World A?"

"Chu Shiyu?" Ye Huai shook his head. "I'm not clear on her task."

Tong Yang nodded. "You should look out for yourself. Whatever happens next shouldn't involve you."

"Mm, okay. I just came to explain things to you."

Tong Yang thought for a moment and asked, "Didn't Wu Pingxue already shield my coordinates? Why did Ali say someone was still pursuing me recently?"

Ye Huai tilted his head to look at her. "Virtual coordinates."

"Virtual coordinates?"

"Your coordinates are related to magnetic field energy. The influence is smaller in the real world. After Dr. Wu returned to the parallel world, he used the brain-development chip to overlay your coordinates and established virtual coordinates."

Since the chip contains magnetic field energy, it might be possible.

"Who is the virtual coordinate?"

Ye Huai pressed his lips together slightly. "Chu Shiyu."

Tong Yang's brow furrowed tighter. "Chu Shiyu? Isn't she in school?"

Ye Huai said, "Winter break."

"Dr. Wu thought it would be better for someone who has had contact with you to become the virtual coordinate. He sought her opinion and only proceeded after she agreed."

"It's too dangerous. Chu Shiyu isn't like us."

Although Tong Yang and Chu Shiyu had been through many things together and gained considerable experience, the people they had faced before all came from the lower strata of parallel worlds, posing little threat. The pursuit in the real world was completely different. Tong Yang couldn't even guarantee her own safe escape now, let alone Chu Shiyu's.

After cooperating with Wu Pingxue and cutting off contact with Chu Shiyu, Tong Yang didn't want to reach out to her. It wasn't just because of Wu Pingxue's conditions, but because she felt that Chu Shiyu should no longer be dragged into future matters.

Xu Junyue at least had the ability to protect herself. However, before meeting Tong Yang, Chu Shiyu was a young lady who never had to do a day's work, completely unsuited for this kind of affair.

Ye Huai noticed her concern and said, "The 749 Bureau has members of 'Spider' by her side. She shouldn't be in danger."

Things had come to this point; there was no need to say anything more.

Since Chu Shiyu was willing herself, Tong Yang had nothing further to add.

Tong Yang intended to leave but suddenly remembered something and asked, "Does the 749 Bureau already know how to kill people who have been injected with the gene serum?"

To quell the defective serum incident, the 749 Bureau had Xu Junyue feed Xu Zeming false information: they had already mastered the method to kill those injected with the gene serum and had killed the Yan Qing from the parallel world.

In reality, they had not, and they didn't know how to kill them.

Hearing this, Ye Huai nodded. "Yes, they know now."

"What method?"

"Water."

"Water?"

Ye Huai explained, "The vine-like growths that develop in the blood vessels after the defective virus activates are somewhat similar in composition to the gene serum. What fuels their growth isn't blood, but the moisture within the body."

"The body of someone injected with the gene serum is like a tree; it needs sufficient water sources to achieve regeneration."

"So, death by dehydration prevents regeneration?"

"Correct. However, the process is extremely slow and difficult, and cannot be artificially intervened."

Tong Yang asked, "With three days, is there enough time?"

After all, the defective serum activates nine hours after the body's cells die. Adding the nine hours after the host's death, the activation time requires at least eighteen hours.

Ye Huai said, "During the dehydration death process, the body must not sustain any injury whatsoever. Otherwise, the body's moisture will restore along with the healing wounds."

"Not even a minor wound?"

"That's right."

Tong Yang was speechless. "Do you think that's possible?"

After a wound heals, the body's moisture also restores. If one bites themselves or gets a minor scrape during the dehydration process, the body can fully recover. Getting them to die naturally from dehydration is almost impossible.

Ye Huai said helplessly, "Yes, it's extremely difficult. They don't even need to replenish water; a single mosquito bite could restore them. The 749 Bureau is still looking for other solutions."

"Wu Pingxue doesn't plan to let them leave Hake Island before the serum activates, does she? They come from all over the world; it would probably be hard to control them then," Tong Yang said seriously.

"The tiger has already been killed," Ye Huai revealed shockingly.

"What?" Tong Yang was stunned. "So fast?"

Ye Huai smiled. "I swapped the gene serum. The agent injected into it was a pseudo gene serum developed by the 749 Bureau from decomposing the defective serum. It can repair the creature's wounds after death and briefly restore vitality, but the effect lasts less than two hours."

Tong Yang couldn't help showing a surprised expression. "Pseudo gene serum? Dr. Luo and the team are impressive."

Ye Huai leaned his body towards her, his shoulder against hers. "So, in over ten hours, everyone who touched the tiger will experience the serum's activation."

Tong Yang bumped him. "Then why beat around the bush?"

"Got carried away without realizing it."

Tong Yang shot him a glance. "I'm heading back. Be careful yourself."

"Alright. Goodnight."

With that, Tong Yang opened the linen room door and walked out.

Since only they resided in this corridor area, no one would notice her.

Tong Yang closed the linen room door and headed towards their room.

"Excuse me..."

While passing a corner in the corridor, she bumped into a server head-on.

Tong Yang reacted swiftly, reaching out to steady the server's tray. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

She instinctively spoke in Chinese, and the other person replied in Chinese as well.

Tong Yang looked down at the server before her, wearing an ordinary half-face mask, with jet-black, lustrous hair, but a pair of eyes shimmering with a bright jade-green.

"Thank you, miss," the server said with a nod.

Tong Yang let go and said calmly, "You're welcome."

Then, they passed each other, walking in opposite directions.

Back in the room, Tong Yang asked, "Did any servers come by a few minutes ago?"

This corridor only led to their rooms, and the server had come from that direction.

Xu Junyue was curled up on the sofa watching TV, eating fruit while absentmindedly saying, "No, why?"

Tong Yang's expression turned grim. She shook her head. "Nothing. Just reminding you, besides people from parallel worlds, there's also the First World. Although I killed your parallel-world selves at Xili Mall, there might still be your First World counterparts."

"Got it, got it," Xu Junyue waved impatiently. "Move, you're blocking the TV."

Tong Yang rolled her eyes at her. However, there were still over ten hours until the serum activated, after which they could leave Hake Island early. Staying quiet until that time would be enough.

"Oh, right. Maynard came looking for you."

Tong Yang was turning back to her room when Xu Junyue suddenly spoke up.

Tong Yang's body stiffened. She slowly turned her head back. "What did you say?"

Xu Junyue said, "Not two minutes after you left, Maynard showed up at our door."

"Why didn't you tell me Maynard is President Ye?"

"He wasn't wearing a mask?"

"Nope."

"And you?"

"Wasn't wearing one either, of course," Xu Junyue said nonchalantly.

Tong Yang's face darkened. "Use your head. Why do you think I didn't tell you he's Ye Huai? Why is everyone on the island wearing masks?"

"Why..."

Tong Yang gritted her teeth. "Because no one on this island reveals their true identity, and that includes Ye Huai!"

Xu Junyue froze, her mouth hanging open, the fruit in her mouth dropping onto her clothes.

"Then... then he wasn't President Ye?"

"Obviously! In this situation, how could Ye Huai possibly come find you and introduce himself directly?"

Xu Junyue instantly sat up straight. "He was from a parallel world?"

"What do we do? Have we been discovered?"

Tong Yang's face was dark. The visitor was probably the "Ye Huai" from the parallel world, the one truly known as "Maynard." While others might not know Maynard's real identity, he certainly knew his own.

Not only had they been discovered, but Ye Huai had been exposed as well.

"Where are the others?" Tong Yang asked.

"In their rooms."

Tong Yang pushed open Tang Li's door, her gaze immediately turning heavy. The lights were on, the bed was neatly made, and it was empty.

She hurried to He Jingjing's door and pushed it open. He Jingjing was leaning against the headboard, wearing a face mask.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing Tong Yang's serious expression, He Jingjing asked, puzzled.

"We've been exposed," said Tong Yang.

"What?" He Jingjing immediately sat up straight. "What's going on? Has 'Black Storm' already found us?"

Tong Yang took a deep breath, walked into the room, and checked the windows. "Not 'Black Storm'. People from the parallel world have discovered us."

"How could this happen? What do we do now?"

Tong Yang said, "This place isn't safe. We need to leave first."

The parallel world's "Ye Huai" knew their residence. They couldn't stay here waiting to be caught.

Tong Yang quickly changed back into her own clothes, which were more suitable for movement.

By the time she walked out of the room, the other two were almost packed.

"What about Tang Li? Where is she?" He Jingjing asked.

"Not sure. There are no signs of a struggle in the room. She probably left on her own. Let's go. Don't worry about her; she knows her limits."

Weapons weren't allowed on the island. Tong Yang and the other two directly climbed out of He Jingjing's room window and left the villa.

"Boss, where are we going?"

Tong Yang shook her head. "I don't know. Let's observe the situation nearby first."

She pressed her lips together, her expression grave. "Ye Huai is also in the villa."

Xu Junyue exclaimed in shock, "The Mr. Ye from the real world?"

"Does he know we've been exposed?"

"I don't know."

"That's bad."

"He's a sickly guy; he could be taken out in no time."

Tong Yang pulled out the phone from her jacket pocket. The signal was full, but messages couldn't be sent.

Tong Yang said solemnly, "He's not stupid. He should have a way to get out."

"No matter how smart he is, his hardware isn't up to par."

"Then what should we do? Are you going to find him now?" Tong Yang crouched down and moved forward. "Let's figure out the situation first. The parallel world's Ye Huai might still be in the villa."

The three of them concealed their figures in the grass, circling around to the front gate of the villa.

In the brightly lit villa, servers stood in a row in the lobby. Tong Yang carefully scanned among them but did not see the person she had bumped into in the hallway.

A sense of foreboding rose in her heart. That server's position had been too suspicious, with only the linen room and their rooms nearby. If she was from the parallel world, Ye Huai might be in danger.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, a loud noise erupted behind them.

Tong Yang and the other two froze simultaneously, turning to look. The direction they came from was engulfed in flames. Glass and walls were shattered by the strong shockwave, and a fierce fire was burning.

"The room's been blown up!"

"Holy shit! Good thing we ran fast!"

Tong Yang's lips tightened into a line, her face grim.

Inside the villa, servers and guests heard the noise, looking panicked towards the explosion.

At the same time, a mechanical broadcast voice came from overhead.

"The traitors have appeared. Please everyone return to your rooms immediately."

"Please everyone return to your rooms immediately!"

Servers rushed to the fire site, using fire extinguishers to put out the flames, while the other guests swarmed back to their rooms.

Tong Yang and the other two did not leave, hiding in the bushes to the right front. The surrounding light was dim, allowing them to observe every move in the villa.

"Boss, there are weapons over there!" Xu Junyue pointed at a window. Judging by the furnishings inside, it should be the kitchen.

Tong Yang nodded at her. "Be careful."

"No problem!"

Xu Junyue tiptoed to the window, pushed it open, and nimbly climbed inside.

Perhaps the explosion had drawn quite a bit of attention, as the kitchen was empty.

Not long after, Xu Junyue climbed back out carrying a bunch of knives.

Tong Yang selected several handy knives, keeping some on her person and hiding others in her backpack for future needs.

After waiting a few more minutes, everyone wandering outside the villa had returned to their respective rooms, and the surroundings became eerily quiet.

After putting out the fire, the servers returned to the lobby and closed the villa's main door.

Tang Li's whereabouts were unknown, Ye Huai was also missing, and the villa appeared to have no abnormalities.

Their identities were exposed, yet the surroundings were quiet like an ordinary night, which was baffling.

The shadows from the lights overhead blended with the environment. The hiding place of Tong Yang and the other two was not easily discovered.

"What should we do?"

Tong Yang furrowed her brow tightly. "I don't know. There's no movement."

If the enemy didn't make a move, they couldn't either. Otherwise, the initiative would fall into the hands of those hiding in the shadows.

The parallel world's Ye Huai... Besides him, were there others?

Why hadn't they shown themselves yet?

Ye Huai, he...

"Ouch!" Xu Junyue covered her forehead and let out a pained cry.

"Who's there?" Xu Junyue angrily picked up a paper ball from the ground. It felt heavy in her hand. "Holy crap! It's wrapped around a stone!"

Tong Yang had a sudden idea. She snatched the paper ball, removed the stone, and unfolded the crumpled paper.

"I'm fine, temporarily unable to get away. There are four people in the villa. Tang Li is in the parallel world."

The paper contained only a few words, but the information was clear. The handwriting appeared to be Ye Huai's.

"How could Tang Li be in the parallel world? That's so strange..." Xu Junyue looked at the words on the paper and muttered.

Tong Yang glanced towards the villa. Since Ye Huai hadn't asked for help, it meant he could handle the current situation himself.

Tong Yang didn't say more. She folded the paper and put it in her pocket.

"He Jingjing, did 'Chu Shiyu' say anything before she left?" Tong Yang asked.

Several seconds of silence passed with no response.

The two turned around simultaneously. He Jingjing, who had been following them, had disappeared.

"Where is she?" Xu Junyue looked at the scene in astonishment.

Tong Yang couldn't help but frown. She hadn't heard any movement. Where was He Jingjing? Two minutes ago, she was still right behind them.

"Boss..." Xu Junyue nudged her arm.

"What is it?"

Xu Junyue pointed at the nearby grass. "Does that look like a person over there?"

Tong Yang followed her finger. The light wasn't very bright, but she could vaguely see a blurry shadow in the grass. It looked like a shadow from the light, but upon closer inspection, it appeared to be something with a sheen.

Tong Yang couldn't see clearly. Gripping her weapon tightly, she leaned in closer for a look.

The grass blades were dripping with some unknown liquid, its color indiscernible. A round, spherical object was hidden in the grass, motionless, not looking like a living thing.

Tong Yang used the tip of her knife to collect some of the liquid from the leaf and brought it close to her nose for a light sniff. "Blood."

"Blood?" Xu Junyue bent down and reached out to pull the round object over.

A head rolled to a stop in front of the two of them. Under the faint light, they could see the woman had long, golden hair. Her eyes were like two black holes, empty.

"Who gouged her eyes out?" Xu Junyue picked the head up and brought it close for a careful look.

Tong Yang pressed her fingers against the skin. "Time of death isn't long, less than half an hour."

"Go check if there's anything else in the grass."

"Okay."

Xu Junyue crawled over on her hands and knees. Before long, she pulled a headless female corpse wearing a server's uniform out of the grass.

"She's from the parallel world's Maynard family, right? Why would she die here?" Tong Yang's expression was puzzled.

Xu Junyue returned to her side and shrugged. "You're asking me? How should I know?"

Tong Yang said irritably, "I wasn't asking you. I was talking to myself."

"What about He Jingjing? No idea where she ran off to. What should we do?"

Tong Yang said, "She's been injected with genetic serum. Worry about yourself first."

"Good point!"

Tong Yang examined the woman's head, the two dark hollows where her eyes should be making her think of something.

The server they had bumped into in the hallway spoke fluent Chinese and had jet-black hair. Even though her full facial features weren't visible, she was most likely Asian. So why were her eyes emerald green?

Could it be that she killed that server and transplanted someone else's eyes into her own sockets?

Tong Yang turned her head to look at Xu Junyue.

The latter touched her own face, feigning innocence. "Why are you looking at me?"

"What does Xu Siyuan look like?"

"Two eyes and a mouth."

Tong Yang: "..."

Forget it, asking was pointless.

"The person who killed her might be Xu Siyuan, and she's inside the villa."

Hearing this, Xu Junyue jolted all over, grabbed the kitchen knife, and charged towards the villa.

"Calm down!" Tong Yang reached out and pulled her back. "It's just a guess. How is rushing in like that any different from suicide?"

"We can't just hide here forever," Xu Junyue grumbled discontentedly.

"There are four people from parallel worlds in the villa. How many can you fight? They can heal from injuries, can you?"

Xu Junyue muttered, "You don't know until you try."

Tong Yang said, "Tang Li and He Jingjing have probably both entered the parallel world. We need to too..."

"Then let's go to the parallel world. You take me in."

Tong Yang looked at her deeply. "Please use your brain. This is the territory of the parallel worlds. Entering recklessly, you might not last three seconds."

After all, actively entering and exiting a parallel world required a period of absolute safety.

Xu Junyue nodded in agreement. "Good point. I'll listen to you."

Tong Yang said, "I want to enter the parallel world passively."

"Passively?" Xu Junyue pondered for a moment. "If it's passive, then the people from the parallel world can't just attack us arbitrarily, right? And we can come out whenever we want?"

Tong Yang nodded. "Right."

"But, how do we enter passively?"

Tong Yang was vague. "Isn't there the Chu Shiyu from World A?"

Xu Junyue had a sudden realization. "Right! She can take us in."

"He Jingjing vanished into thin air. Let's wait a bit longer, she might appear."

"Someone's coming out."

A figure moved in the distance, Tong Yang warned.

The villa door opened, and a tall, slender figure appeared behind it.

The light cast his shadow onto the ground. Backlit by the strong light, his face was invisible.

He stood still for a few seconds, then turned and went back into the main hall.

"What's going on?"

"Don't know."

Their identities were exposed, their room was blown up, so why was there no other movement?

Could it be they thought they were already dead in the room?

The Ye Huai from the parallel world probably isn't that stupid, right?

He can't be that stupid, so there must be another purpose.

Ye Huai?

Was the other party targeting Ye Huai?

Looking at it that way, it made some sense.

Ye Tianlin from the parallel world and he had a father-son relationship. He brought Ye Huai along to the "Black Storm" gathering, but not himself.

Moreover, Ye Huai's successful ascension to "Maynard" at the Harker Island gathering must have had Ye Tianlin pulling strings behind the scenes.

She didn't know where Ye Huai was. He said he was temporarily tied up, which meant he wasn't in danger, just trapped.

"Who's there?"

Suddenly, Xu Junyue hissed in a low voice, followed by the sound of grass and leaves rustling.

"Damn... take it easy!"

Tong Yang looked back suspiciously and saw Xu Junyue pinning someone down, their hands twisted behind their back.

"Chu Shiyu?"

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! Are you crazy? Attacking without a word?" Chu Shiyu from World A cursed. "Get off!"

Xu Junyue grabbed her hair, examined it carefully, and only let go after confirming it was indeed Chu Shiyu from World A.

"Who told you to sneak up on me from behind?" Xu Junyue snorted coldly. "Pinning you to the ground is going easy on you."

"I wasn't sneaking up!"

Tong Yang asked, "What's going on?"

Chu Shiyu from World A sat up, dusting off the dirt from her clothes, complaining, "I came to save you."

"Save us?"

"Elaborate."

Chu Shiyu from World A said, "Dr. Wu told me that the people involved this time are different from before. It's no exaggeration to say we stand no chance of winning."

Xu Junyue pursed her lips. "That's a bit too exaggerated. With me here, how could we have no chance?"

Tong Yang glanced towards the villa entrance; there was no movement.

"What's the basis for that?"

Chu Shiyu from World A said, "Your real world has special forces, and our Primary World has them too."

"The Primary World calls them 'Forerunners,' humans who lead the Primary World forward. How powerful they are is beyond your imagination."

Xu Junyue pouted. "It's just because of the genetic serum."

Chu Shiyu from World A shook her head seriously. "No, on the contrary, the vast majority of them have not been injected with genetic serum."

"Do you know why?"

"Why?"

"The people of the Primary World were reluctant to inject them with inferior genetic serum, and couldn't produce enough high-quality serum at the time. So when they were selected as 'Infiltrators,' none had been injected. Once they choose to inject them, it must be high-quality genetic serum. Only the best of the best, one in ten thousand, get the high-quality serum. They are the most formidable among the 'Forerunners.'"

Chu Shiyu from World A continued, "If Tong Yang is a monster, then the 'Forerunners' are monsters just like her. In the Primary World, 'Forerunners' who have been injected with genetic serum enjoy privileges almost on par with Dr. Wu."

"That extreme?" Xu Junyue found it hard to believe. "One Tong Yang is already so hard to deal with."

Chu Shiyu from World A said, "On Harker Island, there are five 'Forerunners.' Three of them have been injected with high-quality genetic serum. Do you understand what that means? When Dr. Wu defected in the Primary World, only one such 'Forerunner' had appeared."

"In short, Dr. Wu warned us absolutely not to confront them head-on. We can't win."

Tong Yang looked at the brightly lit villa and said solemnly, "There are four 'Forerunners' in the villa. Where's the fifth one?"

Chu Shiyu from World A said, "Can't worry about that now. I can only take one person into the Primary World at a time, with a five-minute interval between. Once pulled into the Primary World, even 'Forerunners' can't easily attack you."

"Five minutes..." Tong Yang murmured.

"What exactly are they trying to do?" Tong Yang couldn't help but ask.

"Who knows what's going on in their heads? Enough talk, which of you is coming with me first?"

Tong Yang and Xu Junyue exchanged a glance. Entering the parallel world passively would restrict the 'Forerunners' actions. It was currently the safest method.

"President Ye is still in the villa," Xu Junyue reminded.

Chu Shiyu from World A frowned. "Ye Huai? What's he doing here? I can't enter the villa. They can freely enter and exit the Primary World, ignoring the energy cycle. Getting too close to them risks being discovered and killed before entering the Primary World."

"Doesn't that mean President Ye is doomed?"

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"I don't know. Anyway, Dr. Wu asked me to bring you all inside."

"Besides blowing up the room, they haven't taken any other action. It's a bit strange."

"Waiting for someone? Aren't we still missing one person?"

Tong Yang looked at Chu Shiyu from World A and asked, "What else do you know? Tell me."

Chu Shiyu from World A said, "Dr. Wu said that the main world only dispatched 'Forerunners' after you boarded the island. Usually, ordinary 'Forerunners' can handle this kind of thing. Those three who were injected with the premium gene serum took the initiative to participate early."

"Took the initiative to participate?" Tong Yang narrowed her eyes. "Let's make a bold guess."

"Ye Huai and the parallel world's Ye Huai, Xu Junyue and the parallel world's Xu Siyuan... So who would the third 'Forerunner's' corresponding identity be? What's worth them coming here proactively?"

"Who is Xu Siyuan?"

"My sister."

Xu Junyue and Chu Shiyu from World A looked at each other and said in unison, "The parallel world's Tong Yang?!"

Tong Yang shook her head. "No, not her."

"Then who would it be?"

"Who else besides her?"

Tong Yang said, "The Tong Yang from the First World."

"The First World..."

"Holy crap... no way!"

"The real-world you is already this perverse. I can't imagine how much more perverse the First World you could be."

"You're the perverse one." Tong Yang shot her a glare.

Tong Yang pressed her lips into a tight line, her expression grave.

Sometimes she didn't like her own intuition and guesses, because they were rarely wrong.

Tong Yang from the First World, the parallel world's Ye Huai, the parallel world's Xu Siyuan—if it really was those three, then Wu Pingxue's judgment was absolutely correct. Tong Yang and the others stood no chance; it was a dead end.

After pondering for a long time, Tong Yang said, "Xu Junyue, you and her go first."

The "Forerunners" were still in the real world. She could stay here to probe the situation. If she was accidentally killed, she could still enter the time loop.

Xu Junyue shrugged. "Alright, let's go then."

Xu Junyue and the other person left the real world and entered the parallel world.

Tong Yang hid alone in the bushes, sweat drenching her hair, sticking it clammily to her forehead.

The villa showed no movement; the "Forerunners" remained as still as a mountain.

Ye Huai probably hadn't been discovered, just temporarily unable to break away.

More unsettling to Tong Yang than Ye Huai's safety was the fact that the "Infiltrators" had taken no further action after blowing up the room.

"Welcome everyone to Hawk Island. On behalf of the First World, I sincerely apologize."

A woman's voice sounded over the broadcast. The familiar tone made Tong Yang momentarily lose focus.

Tong Yang closed her eyes. As expected, her guess was probably right again.

The "Forerunners" injected with the premium gene serum were exactly the three people she had guessed.

"Next, I'd like to play an interesting game with everyone."

"In one minute, I will cut off all power on Hawk Island. Please everyone remain quiet and do not move around arbitrarily."

Hearing this, Tong Yang realized the other party's intention.

She was going to bring the entire Hawk Island into the parallel world.

The "Forerunners" simply didn't care about being restricted. Wu Pingxue had miscalculated after all.

However, this might be for the best. At least in the parallel world, their intended actions could be inferred through the rules.

Tong Yang didn't care what would happen to the others entering the parallel world; it had nothing to do with her anyway.

She relaxed her body, counting down the passing seconds.

One minute arrived, and the lights on Hawk Island abruptly went out.

The surroundings plunged into dead silence, quietly undergoing a change.

"You're so lame, only a five-minute interval."

"If you're so capable, why don't you do it?"

"If I had that ability, would it be your turn?"

"Then you still don't have the ability."

"Alright, you two, stop arguing."

"I'm so sleepy... Tong Yang will be fine, no need to worry..."

Tong Yang opened her eyes, looked at the several people beside her, and said calmly, "I'm fine."

"..."

"Huh?"

"Holy crap?"

"How did you suddenly appear?"

The four of them stared wide-eyed at the suddenly appearing Tong Yang.

Tong Yang rested her right hand on her knee, pulled out her phone, which automatically connected to the parallel world's satellite signal. Messages could be sent now.

"The entire Hawk Island has been brought in," Tong Yang said nonchalantly, sending a message to Ye Huai to ask about his situation.

Ye Huai: [I'm fine. I just ducked into a random house.]

[Stay in touch.]

Ye Huai: [Be careful. The parallel world's me is here.]

[I know.]

"They brought the entire Hawk Island into the parallel world? What exactly are they trying to do?"

"Entering the parallel world passively, their actions will definitely be restricted. Wouldn't it be easier for them to attack us in the real world?"

Chu Shiyu from World A muttered, "So all my effort was wasted?"

Tang Li said, "What kind of messed-up situation is this? Won't even let people sleep at night."

Xu Junyue chuckled, "That's because you don't know. Whenever it involves the parallel world, I've never had a single good night's sleep."

Entering the parallel world was already commonplace for them, so they didn't feel panicked because of it.

Tong Yang surveyed the surroundings. The environment hadn't changed much, nor had the buildings.

Probably the people on Hawk Island had no idea they had already left the real world.

"The game is about to begin. Please cooperate with the gifts meticulously prepared by Mr. Maynard. Members of 'Black Tempest' who violate the rules will have their account information permanently erased and be immediately expelled from the island."

"Conversely, players who achieve victory in the game will be gifted a dose of gene serum by the Maynard family as a reward."

A voice came over the broadcast.

"Gift gene serum?" Tang Li frowned. "Has the parallel world gone mad?"

Tong Yang said, "There's no such thing as a free lunch. The price is probably quite severe."

"The 'Black Tempest' members just witnessed the miraculous effects of the gene serum not long ago. They absolutely cannot refuse these game conditions."

Tang Li said gravely, "It seems it's not just about catching us."

"Mhm. Let's take it one step at a time. At least there's no immediate life-threatening danger for now."

At the same time, the broadcast voice sounded again.

"During the game, players must always remember: your existence is above everyone else in the world."

"You can give any instructions to NPCs. If you need them, they will obey you unconditionally."

"Welcome, players, to 'Desire Island'."

"The game begins now."!