The heavy steel door hissed open, revealing a world of blinding white.
Unlike the blood-soaked auction hall, the Core Lab was spotlessly clean. The walls were made of reinforced glass, and the air hummed with the sound of precision instruments.
But the things inside the glass tanks made Nine cover her mouth to suppress a scream.
Rows upon rows of cylindrical tanks lined the walls. Inside each tank floated a... thing.
Some looked human, but their limbs were swollen and twisted like tree roots. Others had grown gills on their necks or scales on their skin. They were all floating in a pale green liquid, their eyes wide open but lifeless.
"Failed experiments," Jiang Daolin walked past the tanks, his expression unreadable. "They tried to mix human genes with ancient viruses to create 'super soldiers' or 'immortals'. These are the rejects."
Nine grabbed the corner of Jiang Daolin's coat tightly. "Are... are they dead?"
"Death would be a mercy for them," Jiang Daolin whispered.
He walked to the center of the lab. There stood a massive centrifuge machine. Inside, several vials of glowing crimson liquid were spinning.
This was the final product. The so-called "Elixir of Immortality."
Jiang Daolin picked up a vial. The red liquid swirled inside, thick and heavy like mercury.
Stitcher's Sense: Blood Analysis.
He uncorked the vial and took a sniff.
Immediately, a nauseating scent rushed into his nose. It wasn't the smell of chemicals. It was the smell of concentrated, refined human essence.
"Bone marrow from a child, adrenaline from a tortured victim, and... the blood of an RH-negative carrier," Jiang Daolin's voice trembled with suppressed rage.
"To make one vial of this... they need to drain three people dry."
Nine's face turned pale. She was RH-negative. If Jiang Daolin hadn't saved her, she would have become just another ingredient in this bottle.
"Monster... They are monsters..." Nine sobbed.
"Don't cry," Jiang Daolin put the vial down. "Tears can't save anyone. But fire can."
He walked over to the main computer console. His fingers flew across the keyboard. He wasn't a hacker, but he knew exactly what he was looking for: The Ledger.
Every "product" had a source.
Click.
A file opened on the screen. It was a list of "Donors."
Jiang Daolin scrolled down rapidly. His eyes scanned hundreds of names and photos. Subject 089... Deceased. Subject 095... Deceased. Subject 102... Processed.
Suddenly, his finger froze.
On the screen, a photo appeared. It was a girl with a sweet smile, wearing a high school uniform.
Subject: Jiang Xiaoyu. Code Name: The Source. Status: ALIVE. Current Location: Transferred to Beijing HQ (The Kylin Manor).
"Xiaoyu..."
Jiang Daolin touched the screen, his fingertips shaking.
She was alive! She hadn't been processed! But the status "The Source" terrified him. It meant she was too valuable to be killed. She was being kept somewhere else, likely suffering a fate worse than death as a living blood bank.
"Beijing... Kylin Manor..."
Jiang Daolin etched these words into his soul.
He pulled out a USB drive and copied all the data. This was the evidence. This was the death sentence for every rich buyer on that list.
"Sir! Look!" Nine suddenly pointed at a countdown timer on the wall.
Self-Destruct Sequence Initiated. T-Minus 5 Minutes.
"They know we are here," Jiang Daolin said calmly. "They want to bury the evidence along with us."
"What do we do? We can't make it to the deck in 5 minutes!" Nine panicked.
Jiang Daolin looked around the lab. His gaze landed on a heavy-duty cargo submarine docked in a private launch bay at the back of the lab.
"We don't need the deck."
He grabbed Nine's hand and ran toward the submarine.
"We are taking their escape route."
As they climbed into the sub, Jiang Daolin paused. He took out the Corpse Suppressing Ruler one last time in this place.
He channeled his Qi into the ruler and smashed the main control panel of the centrifuge.
Crack!
Sparks flew. The machine went haywire. The vials of "Elixir" shattered, spilling the red liquid everywhere.
Then, he threw a lit lighter onto the spill. The volatile chemicals ignited instantly.
Fwoosh!
Flames roared, turning the white lab into a sea of fire.
"Burn," Jiang Daolin whispered as he closed the submarine hatch. "Burn it all down to hell."
Hiss—
The submarine detached and shot out into the deep, dark ocean.
Behind them, The Elysium—the ship of dreams and nightmares—was rocked by a massive explosion from within. Fire burst from the lower decks, illuminating the night sea like a dying star.
In the silence of the deep sea, Jiang Daolin looked at the USB drive in his hand.
"Wait for me, Xiaoyu." "I'm coming to Beijing."