Jiang Nuan arrived at the Lighthouse Base with the scarf she had received at Ice Lake wrapped around her neck.
Standing before the main entrance, she gazed at the lighthouse-shaped emblem on the building, feeling strangely dazed.
The old group photo on Lu Shiyan’s desk suddenly overlapped with the entrance before her eyes.
Everyone in the photograph was standing right here, their faces full of youthful confidence and ambition.
Lu Zhaoming stood in the center.
She glanced back. Shen Wu had one hand resting on the steering wheel and lifted his chin at her through the car window.
[I’ll wait here until your rehearsal is over. Notify me immediately if anything happens.]
Jiang Nuan gave an acknowledgment through the mental link and rolled her eyes inwardly.
She had originally planned to drive herself here and head home after the evening rehearsal. Simple and efficient.
But Lu Shiyan had waved a hand and arranged for Shen Wu to drive her there and back. Shen Wu was waiting outside the entrance, and they were supposed to keep the mental link open the entire time.
Even parents sending their children to kindergarten weren’t this cautious.
[What are you muttering about? Manage your expression.]
[Tsk. I’m going into the base. Talk less, or it’ll be hard for me to manage my expression.]
[How heartbreaking. The moment you enter someone else’s house, you turn your back on me. What a heartless woman.]
[Mm-hmm. This heartless woman is going to work now. Mute yourself.]
Shen Wu gave a quiet laugh that traveled through the mental link.
Lin Zhou had been waiting by the entrance. He waved to her from a distance.
“Jiang Nuan, over here.” Lin Zhou smiled and gestured for her to follow. “The captain is dealing with some work matters, so I’ll show you around the base first.”
Jiang Nuan followed him through the main gate.
Lin Zhou casually introduced the various buildings as they walked: the training grounds, dormitories, administrative offices, laboratory areas, recreation facilities…
She chatted with him while memorizing the layout.
It was somewhat similar to Unit Zero’s base.
“Oh, right.” Lin Zhou pulled a card from his pocket and handed it to her. “Use my card for the next couple of days. There are security checkpoints everywhere in the base, and you can’t get anywhere without a card. I can use the iris scanner.”
Jiang Nuan’s eyelid twitched. This was much more convenient than she had expected. She accepted the card with a smile and thanked him.
There were people everywhere inside the base.
Staff members in Investigation Department uniforms hurried along carrying flower stands, lights, and audio equipment.
Someone carrying a stack of table markers jogged past her and nearly collided with her shoulder.
“Is everyone preparing for tomorrow night’s gala?” Jiang Nuan asked as she stepped aside.
Lin Zhou pursed his lips and nodded. “The Federation is among the guests invited tomorrow. The Investigation Department wants to make the event as grand as possible.”
The incident at Ice Lake a few days ago—the cracks that had appeared in the seal containing the anomalous energy—had not been made public.
The news was still celebrating the Lighthouse Squad’s successful sealing of the anomalous energy, and the Investigation Department wanted to show off in front of the Federation. That was understandable.
After all, this was the first time anyone had truly managed to suppress the anomalous energy. To everyone, the Lighthouse had once again become humanity’s savior.
Jiang Nuan lowered her eyes and nodded without saying anything.
Lin Zhou led her through two security checkpoints and into the banquet hall.
The hall rose three stories high, with clusters of crystal chandeliers hanging from the domed ceiling and carpets covering the floor.
The central dance floor had already been arranged. Several people who had just finished rehearsing were resting and chatting beside it.
A short-haired woman spotted them in the crowd, her eyes lighting up. She crossed the distance in three quick strides.
“You must be Jiang Nuan!”
Before the words had even left her mouth, she was already in front of Jiang Nuan, throwing her arms around her and giving her a hearty hug.
“I’m Tao Ning from the Lighthouse.”
The force of the pats on Jiang Nuan’s back nearly rattled her bones. She struggled to maintain her smile.
“Nice to meet you, Sister Tao Ning.”
This woman was definitely a close-combat specialist.
“Welcome!” The short-haired woman released her and grinned, her sharp features and bright eyes radiating heroic energy.
Jiang Nuan had barely caught her breath when Tao Ning slapped the shoulder of the tall, powerfully built man beside her who was drinking water.
The blow was far from light.
The man choked and coughed violently. The water nearly came out through his nose.
“This is Chen Zhuo from the Lighthouse,” Tao Ning introduced him without the slightest hint of guilt.
Chen Zhuo wiped the water from the corner of his mouth, gave Tao Ning a helpless look, then turned to Jiang Nuan and held out his hand.
“Hello, Jiang Nuan.”
Jiang Nuan shook his hand and returned the greeting.
The people in the Lighthouse Squad seemed much more normal than those in Unit Zero.
After they let go, Chen Zhuo leaned half a step closer and lowered his voice.
“Let me tell you something. Ever since his mother passed away two years ago, that kid’s become even less willing to talk to people. Aside from Captain Lu, he hardly gets close to anyone. But this time, he actually took the initiative to recommend you as his dad’s dance partner. Looks like he’s decided you’re going to be Captain Lu’s future—mmph!”
The last few words were strangled in his throat.
Lin Zhou clamped one hand over his mouth, then turned to Jiang Nuan with an apologetic smile.
His movements as he dragged Chen Zhuo away were swift and efficient.
“Brother Zhuo, that light stand over there looks a little crooked. Can you come take a look?”
Chen Zhuo was hauled away, protesting indistinctly. His muffled complaints gradually faded into the distance.
Jiang Nuan stood where she was, the corners of her mouth twitching.
Even a squad representing humanity’s greatest combat strength couldn’t escape this kind of melodramatic gossip.
[Tsk, tsk. He decided you were the one when he was eight,] Shen Wu’s voice came through. [And more than a decade later, he still hasn’t changed. Very devoted.]
…
She had been too emotional just now and accidentally pushed her thoughts through the mental link.
She decided to pretend she hadn’t heard him.
Tao Ning took Jiang Nuan’s hand and led her toward the snack area beside the dance floor.
“Have something to eat first, sweetheart.” She pointed at the plates of dried fruit, nuts, and other snacks on the table. “The captain and Cheng Wanyin are still busy. It’ll probably be a while.”
Jiang Nuan thanked her and casually picked up a packet of nuts. As she tore it open, her gaze swept across all the exits in the hall and the direction of the corridors.
She memorized their locations. She would have to report them to Captain Lu that evening.
“That scarf…” Tao Ning looked at the scarf around Jiang Nuan’s neck. “It belongs to little Shiyan, doesn’t it? He especially likes that one. He takes it everywhere.”
Jiang Nuan nodded. “I ran into Captain Lu and little Shiyan in line for roasted chestnuts at Ice Lake a few days ago. He gave it to me.”
She said little Shiyan, but the face of the adult Lu Shiyan automatically appeared in her mind.
Young Lu Shiyan had been so much cuter than the Unit Zero captain he became after growing up.
That boy who had risen onto his toes to tie her scarf had called her “big sister” properly, obedient and adorable.
But how had he grown up to become…
Tao Ning grinned. “That means the boy really likes you.”
A nut caught in Jiang Nuan’s throat, and she began coughing.
Seeing that Tao Ning was about to pat her back, Jiang Nuan quickly coughed twice more to clear it, then waved her off.
“Since Captain Lu isn’t here yet, I’ll look around on my own.” Jiang Nuan smiled. “It’s rare to get such nice weather today.”
“Sure, I’ll come with you.” Tao Ning clapped the crumbs from her hands. “I could use the exercise too.”
“It’s fine. I’ll just walk around by myself.” Jiang Nuan pointed in the direction of Tao Ning’s dance partner. “Shouldn’t you spend some time with your partner?”
He was a very tall, handsome young man with delicate features.
When Tao Ning looked over, the young man’s face immediately flushed. Her own ears quietly turned red as well.
“All right, then. The captain should be finished in about half an hour.” Tao Ning gave a light cough. “Once everyone’s here, we’ll rehearse together.”
“All right, I’ll take a look around and be right back.” Jiang Nuan smiled and waved at Tao Ning before leaving the banquet hall.
The door slowly swung shut behind her, and the outside fell quiet at once.
As Jiang Nuan searched for the snake-patterned tree, she followed the path toward the experimental area.
*
On the way out of the banquet hall.
Jiang Nuan followed the direction Lin Zhou had pointed out earlier, walking at an unhurried pace and doing her best to keep her expression natural.
Greenery lined both sides of the courtyard corridor, its broad leaves glowing translucently beneath the winter sunlight.
Every so often, a staff member carrying a cardboard box or a piece of equipment would approach from ahead. Jiang Nuan would slow down and pause in front of the plants for a moment, pretending that she was merely bored of waiting for the rehearsal and had come out for a casual stroll.
Fortunately, there were far too many people at the base today.
Members of the Investigation Department, the federal delegation, and the staff responsible for setting up the evening gala were all mixed together, each busy with their own tasks. No one had the time to look closely into who she really was.
This wasn’t a mission for Unit Zero. She had kept it from everyone and was making her way forward alone.
That was the real reason she had agreed to be Lu Zhaoming’s dance partner.
She had entered Lighthouse Base a day early for the rehearsal, temporarily separated herself from Unit Zero, and intended to investigate the clues on her own.
Clues about her own past.
She had originally planned to start by probing young Lu Shiyan, but she hadn’t expected Lin Zhou to hand her an access card.
Jiang Nuan was even making small talk with Shen Wu through the mental link.
She knew very well that the moment Shen Wu found out what she was doing, Lu Shiyan would receive the news within three minutes at most.
Lu Shiyan would calmly bring her back, arrange another sufficiently safe mission for her—one under his control—and then tell her that he had never stopped her from investigating her past.
He simply wouldn’t allow her to put herself in danger.
It always sounded perfectly reasonable.
And it always left her with no way to argue.
Jiang Nuan rubbed her fingers over her scarf and muttered inwardly, “Sorry, Captain Lu.”
This time, she had to find the truth herself.
The number of people ahead gradually dwindled.
Jiang Nuan looked up. A thick metal door blocked off the courtyard. The sign beside it read: “Experimental Area. Unauthorized Personnel Prohibited.”
She walked up to the door, her palm damp with sweat.
If the access card Lin Zhou had given her didn’t have the necessary clearance and triggered an alarm… she wouldn’t even have time to explain.
Jiang Nuan glanced back.
There was no one around. From far away came the occasional clatter of things being moved.
Some risks had to be taken.
She pressed the access card against the reader.
Nothing happened.
Jiang Nuan’s breath caught. Her hand remained frozen against the sensor.
The next second, a crisp chime rang out.
“Beep.”
The light turned green.
The heavy metal doors slid silently apart.
The card Lin Zhou had given her was actually his own access card.
She had no time to think about it. She slipped inside at once.
The door closed behind her, completely cutting off the bustle of voices from the base.
The experimental area was unnervingly quiet.
A corridor stretched out before her, ending at a separate white building.
The laboratory building.
Jiang Nuan did not head over immediately.
She carefully surveyed the surroundings, checked the direction of the cameras mounted in the corners, then kept close to the wall and moved slowly through their blind spots.
She wasn’t particularly skilled at infiltration.
Within Unit Zero, both Ye Que and Shen Wu were far better suited to this sort of thing than she was.
But she couldn’t bring them in.
If she really was connected to Unit Zero, then this would no longer be just a mission to locate the core of the restricted zone.
It would be the past Bai Siyuan had erased from her—the life she herself couldn’t even be certain was real.
[Did going for a walk make you disappear?]
Jiang Nuan closed her eyes briefly.
As expected, Shen Wu was terrifyingly perceptive even without knowing where she was.
Jiang Nuan replied lazily through the mental link, [The base is pretty big. I walked a little farther than I meant to. I found a few green areas that might have clues about the snake-patterned tree.]
[So dedicated. Doesn’t sound like you.]
[…What do you mean, it doesn’t sound like me? I’ve always been dedicated.]
[Right.]
Jiang Nuan ground her teeth. [You sound a lot like Lu Shiyan.]
Shen Wu’s voice paused for a moment. When she spoke again, her tone was even colder. [That was a filthy insult.]
Jiang Nuan was almost angered into laughter, but the tension in her chest eased a little as well.
She was only a dozen or so meters from the laboratory building when the glass door ahead suddenly opened from the inside.
Someone was coming out.
Jiang Nuan’s heart sank.
The corridor was straight and completely exposed, with almost nowhere to hide.
At this distance, there was no time to retreat to the metal door.
She rapidly scanned the area, and her gaze fell on a half-closed door to the left. Through the gap, she could vaguely make out stacks of cleaning supplies.
A supply closet.
Without hesitation, Jiang Nuan slipped inside.
She supported the doorknob with one hand and gently pulled the door back into place, leaving a gap less than two fingers wide.
Pressing her back against the clutter, Jiang Nuan quieted her breathing.
This was the experimental area.
If someone spotted her outside, she could still claim that she had come out for a walk.
But if she were discovered inside the experimental area, any excuse would seem suspicious.
Footsteps sounded from the glass door nearby and approached from outside.
Jiang Nuan peered through the crack.
The person who emerged was tall and powerfully built, but an unmistakable layer of fatigue weighed down his features.
It was Lu Zhaoming.
Jiang Nuan cautiously retreated another half-step into the shadows.
Given the strength of Lu Zhaoming’s ability, if he deliberately sensed his surroundings, hiding in here would be little different from standing right in front of him.
Fortunately, he wasn’t deliberately scanning the area. He was probably simply too exhausted to look in this direction.
He stopped beside a pillar along the corridor and sat down on a bench. Only when his back met the seat did his perpetually tense shoulders finally relax a little.
Jiang Nuan had never seen Lu Zhaoming like this.
Whether it was the monster tide at the shopping mall or the perilous ice, he had dealt with everything as casually as if he were taking a leisurely stroll.
A man like him could show such exhaustion—and after coming out of this laboratory building, no less.
Had he gone to see Unit Zero?
The thought had barely surfaced when footsteps came from the other side.
Lin Zhou hurried over from inside the base. When he saw Lu Zhaoming sitting there, he approached him.
“Captain.”
Lu Zhaoming turned his head. “What brings you here?”
Lin Zhou stopped beside him. “I just came to remind you that Jiang Nuan has arrived.”
Hearing her own name, Jiang Nuan cautiously tucked herself farther into the shadows.
Lu Zhaoming raised a hand and rubbed his brow. He answered in a low voice, “All right. I’ll be there in a little while.”
“The dance floor and lighting are ready. The Investigation Department added two more segments at the last minute, but the opening dance is still scheduled for the same time.”
He hesitated for a moment before sitting down beside Lu Zhaoming.
“Captain, did you just come out of Unit Zero’s laboratory again?”
Lu Zhaoming did not deny it.
Lin Zhou’s brows drew together. “Did the experiment go smoothly this time?”
After a brief silence, Lu Zhaoming shook his head.
“There’s still no response whatsoever to any purification-type ability fluctuations.”
The ease vanished from Lin Zhou’s face. “How high have you raised the stimulation intensity?”
Lu Zhaoming gave him a look. “That’s not something you should be asking.”
