Volume 1, Chapter 41: We Can Cooperate

A few seconds later, the colorful halo completely receded and hid back within the fragment.

Su Mengyi slowly opened her eyes. Her pupils were clearer than before, as if they could reflect the very veins of life.

She looked at her hands in a daze, and then, instinctively, glanced at a clump of mutant moss struggling to survive in the cracks of the concrete in the corner of the wall.

She did not speak aloud; a single thought merely flashed through her mind.

The next moment, that dark green clump of moss, as if hearing a divine oracle, grew and spread wildly in a posture bordering on the grotesque, twisting itself into a simple Chinese character representing "life" on the rough wall.

"This..." A team member stared in utter shock, rubbing his eyes hard.

Zhang Nan’s mouth remained wide open, unable to close for a long time.

"Holy shit! Mengyi, you... have you become a spirit?!"

Su Mengyi herself was stunned as well. She could clearly sense a faint yet unmistakably real spiritual link established between herself and that clump of moss.

"I think... I can hear them... talking," Su Mengyi whispered softly, filled with uncertainty and novelty.

"It's not hearing; it's commanding." Li Hexuan took back the fragment, his voice calm yet carrying an unquestionable certainty. "Su Mengyi, you have awakened the legendary 'Whisperer of Life' physique. This fragment stimulated your bloodline ahead of time."

He cradled the fragment in his palm, feeling the energy within it that remained as vast as the ocean, and swept his gaze over everyone in the team.

"This fragment is our foundation. Next, I will use it to enhance the strength of all of you. Remember, in this man-eating apocalypse, the only truth is the power grasped in your own hands!"

Upon hearing this, blazing fires ignited in everyone's eyes.

Just as the team's morale was soaring, a team member responsible for scouting came scurrying back from the entrance, his face drained of color.

"Brother Xuan, something major has happened!" The team member lowered his voice, speaking quickly and urgently, "It's spreading like wildfire out there! Word is that we snatched the core of the Source Energy Tower, and both the military and the Apocalypse Corporation are searching everywhere for us! The Apocalypse Corporation has even put out a bounty: they want us alive or dead!"

The air inside the parking garage instantly dropped to freezing point.

Becoming the public enemy of all factions was certainly not good news.

"That guy Zhao Qilong from the Apocalypse Corporation is a high-tier esper, not someone to mess with. Since we tricked him so badly, he's definitely going to come after us like a rabid dog," Zhang Nan said in a deep voice, gripping his giant shield tightly.

Yet, not a trace of panic could be seen on Li Hexuan's face; instead, he sneered.

"A bunch of clowns. If they want to find me, they'll have to see if they have the life to do it."

Just as his voice fell, he abruptly turned his head to look into the dark depths of the parking garage's entrance.

"Someone's coming."

Everyone instantly fell silent, gripping their weapons, their murderous intent fully exposed.

A few seconds later, steady footsteps approached from afar.

The newcomer made no attempt to hide his tracks, walking leisurely alone into the dim area.

The visitor wore a crisp military uniform with shoulder insignia that had been changed to that of a lieutenant. It was none of other than the young officer from the top of the tower.

"Mr. Li Hexuan."

The young officer stopped ten meters away, his sharp gaze sweeping over everyone before finally resting on Li Hexuan.

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Lin Feng. On behalf of the City E military, I formally invite you and your team to join the official sanctuary."

His voice wasn't loud, yet it echoed through the empty parking garage.

Zhang Nan and the others were taken aback. They hadn't expected the military to track them down, let alone offer recruitment.

Li Hexuan's expression remained unchanged as the corners of his mouth curved into an amused arc.

"Join? Lieutenant Lin, that's a very pleasant way to put it. Do you want to incorporate my people and 'confiscate' the stone in my hand by the way?"

Lin Feng's expression did not change at all; he merely shook his head.

"It's cooperation. Mr. Li, your strength and your team's combat effectiveness are obvious to all. At the top of the tower, if you hadn't taken the core fragment at the last second, causing that king-class behemoth to go berserk, all of us would have died in there. For that alone, I personally owe you my life."

He paused, his tone growing more solemn.

"The military needs powerhouses like you. And you also need the military's protection, resources, and intelligence. The Apocalypse Corporation's bounty has spread all over City E, and Chen Hao's group has also vanished, hiding in the shadows like venomous snakes. Without a strong backing, your situation will only become more and more dangerous."

"As for this core fragment," Lin Feng's gaze fell upon the colorful stone with a flash of eager intensity, "its value is immeasurable, and it is crucial to the future of all humanity. What the military hopes for is to research it together with you, rather than seize it by force."

These words were reasonable, well-founded, neither humble nor pushy.

Li Hexuan fell silent.

He knew what Lin Feng said was true. Relying solely on their dozen or so people to fight against a deeply rooted faction like the Apocalypse Corporation, while also guarding against Chen Hao's underhanded plots, was indeed too difficult to stand alone. Cooperating with the military had more pros than cons.

However, he, Li Hexuan, would never hand his fate over to others.

"Cooperation is acceptable."

Li Hexuan finally spoke, his voice cold and hard.

"But I have my rules. First, my 'Thor Squad' must maintain absolute independence. We are partners, not your subordinates. My people only take orders from me."

"Second, I will keep the core fragment. The military can participate in the research—provided you bring out resources and sincerity that satisfy me in exchange."

"Third, we need an independent stronghold, the highest operational clearance, and top-priority intelligence sharing."

With every condition Li Hexuan stated, Lin Feng's brows tightened a fraction further. These conditions weren't just demanding; they were outright exorbitant!

"Mr. Li, your demands are too high," Lin Feng replied in a deep voice.

"High?" Li Hexuan took a step forward, and an invisible pressure radiated outward, with faint electric arcs even crackling in the air. "Lieutenant Lin, you need to understand one thing. Right now, you aren't doing me a charity; I am giving you a chance to cooperate. Without me, you wouldn't even figure out what this fragment actually is."

His voice wasn't loud, yet it carried an unquestionable arrogance.

"If you agree, we are the firmest allies. If you refuse, we leave right now. You are welcome to try and see if you can keep me here."

The air seemed to freeze.

Lin Feng stared intently at Li Hexuan. From those bottomless eyes, he saw absolute confidence and unquestionable dominance. He knew that the man before him meant every word he said.

After a long while, Lin Feng slowly relaxed his tightly furrowed brows and let out a heavy breath.

"Fine."

He nodded, the single word uttered with extreme difficulty.