As Ye Chen stood there in a daze, Murong Xue came jogging up from the side of the street, stopping prettily before him. Her flowing hair swung about her shoulders, releasing a faint, delicate scent like that of a midnight lily. She laughed lightly, "I was actually planning to look for you, but I heard you were out on a mission. Have you just returned from the wilds?"

Ye Chen nodded.

"Has anyone been bothering you recently?" Murong Xue circled him once, looking around curiously as she asked.

Ye Chen rubbed his nose. "It seems there was one."

"Who was it?" Murong Xue asked eagerly.

"Far away, yet right before my eyes," Ye Chen replied cryptically.

Murong Xue paused, then instantly understood, playfully chastising him, "Dare to trick me? You're asking for a beating!" She raised a delicate fist, preparing to strike him. Just then, a car horn blared from a distance.

Murong Xue turned, startled, and quickly grabbed Ye Chen, saying, "Follow me, quickly."

Confused, Ye Chen was pulled along as she darted toward the mouth of a small alley. He felt her soft, boneless little hand—quite cool—clasping his, and he asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

"Shh!" Murong Xue made a silencing gesture, pulling him back to lean against the wall to hide. Only after several cars had passed did she whisper, "That's the Enforcement Squad. If they see me standing on the street, they’ll definitely report back to my father again."

"You snuck out?" Ye Chen was astonished.

Murong Xue pouted. "He’s just too strict! He only allows me to stay within the manor, afraid I’ll leave the base city. I refuse to stay cooped up in that place every day! Besides, I'm an Evolved Human; I’m not afraid of those common monsters."

Ye Chen rubbed his nose. "It just shows your father cares about you. It’s too dangerous outside. Even with great strength, there’s always risk; nothing is one hundred percent safe."

"I know, I just wanted to look around. And I can’t rely on my father forever. I’m grown up now; I should be self-sufficient," Murong Xue said with a stubborn glint in her eyes.

Ye Chen nodded. "That’s true."

Murong Xue’s eyes darted, and she suddenly looked at Ye Chen, her smile deepening the moment she blinked. Ye Chen immediately had a bad feeling. Sure enough, he heard her giggle, "How about this: next time you go out on a mission, take me with you?"

Ye Chen managed a wry smile. "If anything happened to you, I couldn't bear the responsibility."

"It’s fine, I’ll be very well-behaved," Murong Xue said slyly.

Ye Chen considered it. "The guards at the city gate probably won't let you out, will they?"

"No problem," Murong Xue replied with supreme confidence.

Ye Chen stared blankly. "You have a plan?"

Murong Xue nodded, smiling. "We’ll just climb over the wall when the time comes."

Ye Chen nearly choked and fainted.

Seeing Ye Chen momentarily stunned, Murong Xue burst into laughter, doubling over.

Ye Chen glanced at her with resignation. Listening to the clear sound of her laughter near his ear, he felt a flicker of warmth in his heart. He looked up at the sky and said, "It’s getting late; I still need to go see my sister."

"Sister?" Murong Xue looked up, surprised.

Ye Chen nodded, the image of his sister, Ye Zhu, flashing through his mind, bringing a wave of warmth.

Murong Xue thought for a moment. "Alright then. I’ll find you another time. Don't try to back out!"

Ye Chen rubbed his nose sheepishly.

"I should head back too, or I’ll get scolded again." Murong Xue stuck out her tongue, preparing to wave goodbye, but then realized their hands were still clasped together. Her pretty face flushed slightly. She quickly pulled her hand away, her face as red as an apple. "I’m leaving." Saying that, she didn't wait for Ye Chen to reply. With a flash of movement, she appeared on a nearby building, then vanished in another blink.

Ye Chen was momentarily stunned, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. He hadn't expected Murong Xue’s physique to be so powerful, yet she clearly lacked combat experience, never having fought a monster.

Shaking his head, Ye Chen turned and left the alley.

...

Ding-dong!

Ye Chen pressed the doorbell.

"Coming!" A pleasant voice sounded from inside a moment later. The door opened, and Ye Zhu poked her head out. Seeing it was Ye Chen, her eyes immediately lit up, filled with delight. "Brother, what brings you here?"

"Just checking on you," Ye Chen smiled faintly, holding up the two bags of food in his hand. "I brought you grilled food. Have you eaten dinner yet?"

Ye Zhu quickly opened the door wider, laughing. "I was just about to make dinner. This saves me so much trouble—you came at the perfect time."

Ye Chen smiled faintly and glanced into the living room, seeing books stacked everywhere. He chuckled, "What have you been reading lately?"

"Lots of things, I’ve skimmed through a little bit of everything," Ye Zhu chirped playfully.

Ye Chen nodded, opening the bags, and the two began to eat.

Since Ye Chen rarely visited, Ye Zhu excitedly told him about all the recent happenings she’d encountered, chattering ceaselessly. Ye Chen was happy to listen. As it grew late into the night, Ye Chen stood to leave. After bidding farewell to the place, he returned to the General’s Barracks.

Opening the main door, he stepped into the living room.

Silence reigned all around. The night outside was pitch black, without a sound. Ye Chen’s heart also settled. He walked into the living room, leaning back on the sofa. After sitting for a while, feeling restless and unable to sleep, he got up and searched the room, finding two bottles of aged wine—both extremely precious, salvaged by the base city from the wilds and awarded to the generals.

Ye Chen took two glasses and poured a serving into each.

Gazing out into the dark night, a hint of loneliness touched him. He picked up one glass, tapped it against the other—the crisp sound echoing in the stillness. He murmured a silent "Cheers" to the empty glass, then tilted his head back and drank it down in one gulp.

The sweet liquid flowed down his throat, but Ye Chen felt nothing. He turned to look outside, staring blankly for a while. Then he stood up, walked to the side where a large leather sack filled with Jī Huà sat—materials he had acquired from Tiger Fang Mountain that day. He hefted the sack onto his back and headed toward Mo Feng’s residence.

Not long after, he arrived at Mo Feng's door and knocked. The door opened shortly after, revealing a woman in a professional white uniform who looked at Ye Chen curiously. "Who are you looking for?"

Ye Chen froze for a moment, then checked the room numberplate, confirming he was in the right place. He asked, "Is Mo Feng here?"

"Are you looking for General Mo?" the woman in white replied. "Please wait a moment; I'll announce you."

"No need, just let him in," Mo Feng’s voice came from inside the room. With their physical capabilities, they could easily hear conversations within several kilometers.

The woman quickly opened the door.

Ye Chen, carrying the large leather sack, walked in and saw that the training room next to the living area had been cleared out. Several pieces of testing machinery were set up inside, and on one table, a Zombie-Human was restrained, seemingly in a deep sleep due to some injection.

Beside the experimental table, Mo Feng, wearing white gloves, held a computer and typed rapidly, inputting data. Hearing the footsteps, he didn't look up. "What brings you here on such a busy day?"

Ye Chen set the Jī Huà aside, walked to the sofa, poured himself a glass of red wine, and said, "This Jī Huà is what I collected. Hand it over to you to process into Grade One energy agents."

The woman in white stared at Ye Chen blankly. Who was this person? Why was he treating this place like his own home and speaking so casually to General Mo?

Mo Feng finally looked up, glanced at the large leather sack on the floor, and frowned slightly. "You certainly know how to pile work on me."

"Who told you you’re good at this?" Ye Chen leaned back lazily on the sofa. Ever since they were tasked with finding Commander Hua, Mo Feng and the others, with their strength, had all become Generals and were allocated residences.

Mo Feng rolled his eyes at the woman in white beside him. "Go wash the Jī Huà inside."

The woman in white paused, then quickly opened the leather sack. Seeing so much Jī Huà at once, she couldn't help but pause slightly, but being experienced, she quickly regained her composure and carried the sack into the bathing area to start washing.

The Jī Huà itself was usually alabaster white and resembled suet, as clean as jelly, but when collected, it was often smeared with monster blood, which simply needed rinsing off.

"Is she your assistant?" Ye Chen played with his wine glass casually.

"Yes," Mo Feng nodded.

"That makes things easy. Send her to my place tomorrow; I have a few hundred catties of Jī Huà that need to be converted into gene agents." Ye Chen said casually.

Mo Feng was momentarily taken aback. "Where did you get that much Jī Huà all at once?"

"I wiped out an Insectoid swarm," Ye Chen replied, pouring another glass of red wine and downing it.

"Insectoid..." Mo Feng's mouth twitched slightly, and he immediately rolled his eyes, deciding not to ask any further. He suspected asking more would only lead to a greater shock.

After resting a while, Ye Chen left Mo Feng’s place. Upon returning, he activated the spatial connection point. A black vortex, two meters in diameter, materialized. Ye Chen stepped through and saw several Blood-Toothed Tigers lying on the silver-white, curvilinear spaceship, looking quite fearsome. Near the cabin entrance was a large pile of Jī Huà.

"Boss, what are you doing here?" Little Black’s voice sounded in his mind.

Ye Chen replied casually, "Coming to get some Jī Huà."

"Oh." Little Black nodded slightly. "I'll help you."

"I'm fine on my own," Ye Chen mumbled, quickly gathering the Jī Huà and moving it out in several trips, piling it near the living room. This Jī Huà contained immense energy and wouldn't spoil if left for a day or two.

He closed the spatial connection point, showered, and changed into clean clothes. Every time he hunted monsters, he ended up covered in the stench of blood.

Afterward, he collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep.