The Third Rebirth (REBIRTH)
Ye Xiao didn't hear Jiang Mu's sharp comment, as his hand was being held by Ling Chen.
The other's scorching body temperature made his ears burn as if they were on fire.
Guiding Ye Xiao's fingers onto the trigger and correcting his grip on the gun, Ling Chen leaned in with his voice laced with amusement, "I see it, your ears are red, aren't they?"
The warm breath near his ear made Ye Xiao feel ticklish but he always took Ling Chen seriously. He nodded gently and whispered in confirmation, "Yes, they're probably red... and very hot."
Standing close, Ye Xiao could feel the resonance in Ling Chen's chest as he laughed. Holding the gun, Ye Xiao couldn't help but curve his lips into a smile.
Once Ye Xiao's posture was correct, Ling Chen leaned in again, his tone leisurely and patient, "Don't keep your arm so stiff when holding the gun... Yes, relax a bit... That's it, very standard... Our Ye Xiao is really amazing, so smart and quick to learn!"
Hearing the last sentence, Ye Xiao's eyelashes fluttered—no one had ever praised him like this before.
So, this is what it feels like to be complimented? It's like being gently brushed by a feather that leave a tingling sensation.
Seeing the pink hue spread across Ye Xiao's cheek, Ling Chen finally seemed satisfied.
He let go of Ye Xiao's hand and sat down beside him then waved to Jiang Cancan and Jiang Mu, who were sitting far away, "Come over and let's have a meeting!"
The four of them sat in a circle, and Ling Chen, as usual, got straight to the point, "Our old acquaintances, the first, fifth, and seventh groups of Holy Judgement, have entered D Zone—twenty-four people confirmed and carrying a large number of weapons. Additionally, three mercenary groups are also planning to join the fun and play along."
Jiang Cancan started wiping his precious K57 with a rag again, his wheat-colored skin taut and his voice heavy, "First, fifth, and seventh groups?" He snorted with a laugh, "Soaring Dragon fell into their hands, not a loss. But when they fall into ours, it won't be a loss either."
Holy Judgement was a relatively large mercenary group that were divided into elite, assassination, and action teams from top to bottom.
The action team usually handled general tasks while the elite team of twenty-four people was constantly active on the front lines and clashing with the Second Division.
Even a casual encounter would involve exchanging a few bullets as greetings, with both sides steadily building up their animosity.
Ling Chen continued, "D Zone's magnetic field is unstable, so detectors and such are hit or miss. Whether for us or Holy Judgement, high-tech isn't very reliable. If we clash, it'll mostly come down to pure combat strength."
He then gave orders, "Cancan, Xiao Mu, take turns driving tonight and head to the third coordinate point. Open plains like this make us too easy of a target."
Jiang Mu nodded but his voice was as flat as usual, "Our stock of canned food and ammunition is running low." Of course, the nutrient solution could last until next year.
Ling Chen grinned that caused his handsomeness to carry a roguish charm and not at all like a regular soldier but more like a bandit who thrived on danger, exuding the boldness and recklessness forged in the midst of chaos, "Isn't there someone eagerly delivering supplies to us? Three elite groups and three mercenary teams. Tsk, let's get to know these fat sheep."
He glanced down at Ye Xiao, who was sitting obediently beside him while holding a long sword, "Our Ye Xiao's candy stash also needs replenishing."
Hearing Ling Chen mention him, Ye Xiao nodded cooperatively, "Mhm!"
Before leaving, Jiang Cancan couldn't bear to part with the fish in the lake and dove back in to catch a few more then keeping them in a container.
Along the way, he kept staring at the fish while imagining various cooking methods like braised, steamed, boiled, and spicy, and occasionally chuckling to himself in satisfaction.
At the crack of dawn, the armored vehicle arrived near the third coordinate point.
Surrounded by hills on three sides with dense vegetation, it was suitable for both offense and defense.
The morning was chilly, and Ye Xiao, unconsciously seeking warmth, slept soundly next to Ling Chen, who acted as a natural heater.
Ye Xiao's head rested on Ling Chen's shoulder with one leg draped over him, and his hand tightly clutching Ling Chen's clothes. While Ling Chen held Ye Xiao with one arm and studied a map with the other.
Jiang Mu entered the rear compartment from the driver's seat without saying a word.
Covering Ye Xiao's ears with his hand, Ling Chen finally spoke, "What's the matter?"
Jiang Mu lowered his voice, "The third coordinate point is strange."
Seeing that Ye Xiao wouldn't let go of his clothes, Ling Chen simply took off his jacket and let Ye Xiao continue holding it while he slept. Then, he and Jiang Mu stepped outside the vehicle.
In the morning mist, Ling Chen squinted his sharp eyes as he looked at the distant abandoned building. "Indeed, it's strange."
It was a three-story derelict building with its exterior tiles completely peeled off, leaving only a mottled wall.
The exposed metal framework was heavily rusted and swaying precariously in the wind while occasionally emitting a creaking sound.
Jiang Mu also stared at the building. "This style of architecture is from over a decade ago."
Ling Chen nodded as he understood Jiang Mu's implication—the Noah System had only been in use for four years, and D Zone was discovered just two years ago.
Leaving aside how long the building had been there or why it stood so abruptly in the wilderness, the fact that there were no people, tools, or materials in D Zone raised questions—who built this structure, and how was it constructed?
Light footsteps approached from behind.
Recognizing them, Ling Chen turned and asked, "Awake?"
Ye Xiao, while yawning, jumped down from the rear compartment and was still wrapped in Ling Chen's black combat uniform jacket, which was a bit too long for him.
He also noticed the grayish building in the distance. "Is the third coordinate point here?"
Jiang Mu replied, "Yes, it's at the location of that building."
Ye Xiao nodded and said abruptly, "I know where that building came from."
Ling Chen looked at him. "You do?"
"Mm." Ye Xiao tightened the jacket around him before recalling carefully. "The Noah System World was constructed by replicating the real world on a one-to-one basis. Everything that exists in the real world is there. D Zone, however, randomly replicates elements from the real world without any pattern."
Jiang Mu quickly grasped the idea. "So the forest we were in earlier had both coniferous and broadleaf trees. The lake where Can Can caught fish had both saltwater and freshwater fish. All of this is due to the randomness of replication, meaning there's no logic or pattern?"
"Exactly, it's random replication without any pattern." Ye Xiao nodded. "This building must be the same—a random replication of some structure from the real world with no supporting facilities."
Ling Chen didn't ask how Ye Xiao knew this. Instead, he woke up Jiang Cancan and drove the vehicle before cautiously stopping in front of the building's entrance.
Jiang Cancan had already woken up.
While carrying the K57 and biting on a tube of nutrient solution, he stepped forward first then he pull away the ivy clinging to the mottled outer wall to reveal a metal plaque with engraved characters.
"737... Biotechnology Research Institute?" Jiang Cancan stepped back to report his findings. "Judging by the characters on the metal plaque, this ghostly place was built 24 years ago, around the time the environment in the real world began to deteriorate."
He patted his slightly grown buzz cut, "But is 737 the institute's code? Can Ye gets a headache every time I see these abandoned biotech research institutes. Who knows what kind of messy things are inside!"
Jiang Mu glanced at him from the display, "Don't jinx it, or you'll get slapped in the face."
Jiang Cancan quickly covered his mouth and did not dare to speak anymore.
Jiang Mu looked at Ling Chen, "I've scanned the entire building. There are three floors above ground and three below. The third floor is the living quarters and cafeteria, the second floor is the specimen exhibition room and archives, and the first floor is empty. The main facilities of the institute are concentrated underground with the first and second basement levels are laboratories, and the third basement level houses the energy supply equipment and underground pipelines."
Ling Chen asked, "Where exactly is the coordinate point for placing the detector?"
Jiang Mu replied, "In the middle of the third basement level."
"Alright," Ling Chen quickly made a decision. "Let's go to the second floor first to see what this institute mainly researched, then head underground and move towards the target location. Don't get separated."
The four of them stepped onto the stairs with Jiang Cancan leading the way. He kicked the locked black door directly and with a loud "bang," he successfully forced it open.
The power system was already damaged, and the inside was pitch black, filled with the smell of age. So, each of the four held a flashlight.
The first floor was poorly lit, and the flashlight beams revealed nothing but emptiness. Following Jiang Mu's directions, Jiang Cancan found the stairs and headed to the second floor.
"Is it just Can Ye's illusion? Why does it feel so cold here? And has this institute been robbed? Look, the potted plants at the stair corner are all broken, and there's obvious blood splattered on the walls." He waved his flashlight, "It feels like we're shuttling through a supernatural scene!""
Ling Chen, holding a gun in his right hand, asked Ye Xiao, "Are you scared?"
Ye Xiao shook his head, "No."
Ling Chen smiled and asked again, "Then are you afraid of ghosts, our Ye Xiao?"
Ye Xiao still shook his head before answering seriously, "Compared to ghosts, I'm more afraid of people."
Ruffling his hair, Ling Chen didn't ask further and casually pinched the smooth skin at the back of his neck, "With me here, there's nothing to be afraid of."
They successfully reached the second floor and found the archives room.
Jiang Cancan opened the door in two moves, and dust fell from the door frame that cover him.
After a quick observation of the layout inside, they saw rows of wooden bookshelves filled with yellowed paper books.
An oval-shaped long table held nearly ten computers, and beside the table stood a glass cabinet reaching up to the ceiling and containing hundreds of bound documents, all yellowed.
For caution's sake, Ling Chen took out gloves and put them on. Seeing Ye Xiao staring at his hands, he asked, "Do you want to wear them too? I'll find a pair for you when we get back."
Ye Xiao shook his head, "You look good wearing them."
Seeing the gloves, he just remembered the first time he met Ling Chen.
Opening the glass cabinet, Ling Chen frowned after flipping through a couple of pages, "This research institute is focused on genetic studies."
Jiang Cancan cursed under his breath, "Damn."
Over twenty years ago, humanity's living space was continuously shrinking, with natural disasters occurring as frequently as a minor one every three days and a major one every five days.
At that time, some proposed that to adapt to the changing natural environment, humans themselves should change.
Tracing back to the root, it meant altering human genes.
In times of life and death, people tend to selectively forget about laws and ethics.
Back then, countless biological research institutes emerged that conducted large-scale genetic experiments on humans and animals, and almost to the point of madness.
This phenomenon was officially recorded as the "Genetic Enhancement Movement."
However, after nearly a decade of efforts, apart from various failed experiments, no valuable research results were obtained.
Jiang Cancan had once followed Ling Chen on a mission to dismantle an illegal research institute, and the memories were far from pleasant. Now, just hearing the words "genetic research" gave him goosebumps, "Chen Ge, what exactly is this place researching?"
"Gene fusion and enhancement," Ling Chen quickly summarized after skimming through the documents, "It's about integrating animal genes with human genes to give humans certain animal traits, thereby improving environmental adaptability." His gaze darkened as he stared at a photo tucked within the files.
Ye Xiao curiously leaned over to take a look.
The photo showed a boy lying on the ground, with vertical pupils, fur covering his body, and a slender tail extending from his coccyx. However, it seemed the physiological traits hadn't fused well, as his skeletal structure appeared severely deformed.
On the back of the photo was a cross mark with the word "Discarded" written on it.
Ling Chen pressed Ye Xiao's head into his chest, "Be good and don't look. It's not good for your eyes."
Ye Xiao didn't struggle and obediently stopped looking.
After going through a few more documents, the group had a clearer understanding and began heading downstairs.
Jiang Cancan, a tall man over six feet, clung to Jiang Mu's sleeve like a pitiful child while looking around nervously and cautiously asking his younger brother, "Xiao Mu, do you think those gene fusion experiments... are still in this research institute?"
Jiang Mu replied, "I don't know." When he felt his sleeve being tightly gripped, he didn't say anything and let Jiang Cancan hold on.
As they reached the first floor, Jiang Cancan grew even more anxious, "Damn, I saw a file about fusing mantis genes with humans."
Jiang Mu knew that Jiang Cancan had been afraid of insects since childhood—any kind of insect.
He used to cry when he saw caterpillars and ran away from cockroaches.
After a moment of hesitation, he reached out and held Jiang Cancan's hand.
Jiang Cancan instantly felt reassured and exclaimed in his heart: My little brother is indeed the cutest in the world!
With no electricity, the four of them prepared to cross the first-floor corridor and take the fire escape to the basement.
The surroundings were eerily quiet, and they could hear each other's breathing.
Jiang Cancan swallowed hard, "This is so creepy, haha... Maybe we should talk to pass the time... haha..."
After a couple of forced laughs, Jiang Cancan quickly eliminated Jiang Mu and Ling Chen from the list of potential conversation partners and decided to talk to Ye Xiao instead.
"Kid, how's Chen Ge's... gun? Is it good to use?"
Ye Xiao, who always answered when asked, replied, "It's good and very comfortable to hold. But I don't know how accurate my shooting is yet; I haven't tried it."
"No problem, your eyesight is good, and your hands are steady after practicing with the knife for so long. If you're not accurate, you can always practice more." Jiang Cancan said with a slightly relaxed tone, he even grinned. "Kid, look how good Chen Ge is to you. If you don't have any organization, why not just follow Chen Ge?"
Ye Xiao asked, "Join the Second Division?"
"Exactly! Although the biggest misconception of my life was thinking, when I was younger, thinking of following Chen Ge was something to brag about. But I have to admit, following Chen Ge is great. At least, if you lose a fight, you can always have Chen Ge step in—there's no chance of losing! It's really face-saving!"
Ye Xiao was silent for a few seconds before he said with his tone a bit downcast. "I don't have an organization, but I can't join the Second Division."
His past identity simply wouldn't pass the political vetting.
Ling Chen, who had been silent until now, suddenly asked, "Can't join? But do you want to?"
Ye Xiao didn't hesitate while nodding repeatedly. "Yes, I do!"
Ling Chen's voice was casual, "If you want to join the Second Division, you don't necessarily have to enlist in the military."
Ye Xiao: "Really? There's another way?"
Jiang Cancan was also curious—how come he didn't know about another selection method?
The Second Division always recruited the best soldiers from the entire army and with incredibly high standards.
"Mm," Ling Chen tilted his head before lowering his voice, "For example, becoming the wife of the Second Division's commander."
The commander?
The commander of the Second Division... wasn't that Ling Chen himself?
Ye Xiao's mind went blank and his mouth opened but no words came out.
Jiang Cancan was struggling to hold back his laughter behind them that caused his expression to almost twist, "Our Chen Ge really knows how to flirt! Can Ye admits defeat!"
Ling Chen watched as Ye Xiao's ears turned increasingly red and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
He pulled Ye Xiao closer to him, "We're arriving at the basement level, comrades, stay alert!"