"Their goal was never the remnants of super life forms, but this very ship, the Four Hundred Braves, and... all of you professionals."
Dora and Boluo were even more surprised, glancing at the armored door behind them. "What secrets are hidden inside here?"
Qing Ruyan said, "Leder, you tell them."
Leder’s demeanor was quite strange. He was obviously resistant to Qing Ruyan’s "order," yet he began to speak in detail. "Based on the boss’s orders this time, we have two main objectives. The ultimate goal is to find the laboratory on the Four Hundred Braves."
"However, this goal is hard to achieve. Countless people have entered Yingudusi Devil’s Pit before. If we can’t find it, completing the second objective will suffice."
"When I handed each of you a potion upon entering Yingudusi Devil’s Pit, I told you it could be used in desperate situations to greatly enhance physical fitness."
"In fact, this potion is an experimental product we developed. It’s made from special substances extracted from Mutant bodies and can transform a subject into a state between a Mutant and a normal life form."
"Using it on ordinary people is a waste. Our target, from the very start, was professionals."
Dora and Boluo, furious, demanded, "You intended to turn us into test subjects from the very beginning when you issued this mission?"
Leder nodded. "Yes. You have only yourselves to blame for being too greedy. Such generous terms were like a tasty bait, and you bit without hesitation."
Chen Gu, watching from behind, inwardly criticized Qing Ruyan. That damn woman must have guessed the entire conspiracy all along and still refused to tell me; indeed, not a single truth comes from that mouth! But, one had to admit, those lips were quite appealing.
At this moment, considering Leder’s behavior, Chen Gu could roughly determine Qing Ruyan’s profession.
[Brain Domain Hacker].
She could invade the brain of any living being, altering its contents at will, much like a hacker tampering with a computer. Her previous modification of enemy brains displayed an ability similar to [Psychological Invisibility]. However, while this ability was effective against a small number of enemies, when faced with a swarm, she couldn’t alter the brain of each individual insect quickly enough, leaving her at a loss.
Thinking this, Chen Gu suddenly wondered: If I can guess Qing Ruyan’s profession, can that old fox Leder do the same?
Leder was clearly under Qing Ruyan’s mental control; his body was revealing secrets he knew should remain hidden, despite his consciousness telling him not to. But... could this be a feint?
Chen Gu could choose to step forward and warn Qing Ruyan, but that would expose him. After careful consideration, he decided to hold back. His covert stance, with Qing Ruyan openly exposed, was the most advantageous situation. It shouldn’t be disrupted rashly. If Qing Ruyan encountered any unforeseen incidents, he would still have a chance to turn the tables. Revealing himself prematurely would wash away this advantage.
And Leder, unlike me, didn’t know from the start that Qing Ruyan wasn’t the President. He might not guess that she was a [Brain Domain Hacker] instead of a [Psychological Spy].
Dora asked again, "What exactly is hidden in the laboratory on the Four Hundred Braves that makes your people pursue it so relentlessly, one wave after another?"
A conflicted expression appeared on Leder’s face. He obviously did not want to reveal it.
But under the influence of Qing Ruyan’s ability, he finally said, "The Four Hundred Braves is not some pirate ship."
"They were the covert enforcers for a group of ambitious individuals within the Confederation!"
"All the crew members had highly suspicious backgrounds; they were either criminals or traitors. They worked for these ambitious individuals, dealing with troublesome matters that officials found inconvenient to handle directly."
"Later, one such ambitious individual went mad, wanting to conduct terrifying live experiments—not just on humans, but also on Mutants, the Alien Insect Race, and even on super life forms!"
"Thus, the Four Hundred Braves established this laboratory. They dared to conduct any experiment in the Star Sea without restraint."
"All the major Star Nations had also secretly conducted some unethical and immoral experiments, but these were insignificant compared to what happened aboard the Four Hundred Braves. Even after hundreds of years, the achievements obtained within this laboratory far surpassed the clandestine gains of the major Star Nations."
Dora understood. "So, people like you, who specialize in illegal experiments, are very eager to get everything inside this laboratory."
Chen Gu did remember that part of history—not learned from middle school textbooks, as that era was the Confederation’s dark history and was only briefly mentioned in college history courses. In major libraries, books on this subject were few and far between. Chen Gu saw it when searching for information about the Four Hundred Braves on the interstellar quantum network. In that era, power rested in the hands of a few—an almost dictatorial rule—and it was a very dark time. Later, several generals secretly carried out military operations, arrested those in power, and put them on trial. After decades of various struggles, the Confederation finally returned to a democratic path.
Leder said with disdain, "Do you think it’s just us who want it? Why do you think VSG-47 appeared at Yingudusi Devil’s Pit, and why did it retain so much data?"
"From the beginning, the Confederation’s officials never intended to give up the Four Hundred Braves. The successors of those dictators also wanted this laboratory."
"And in these hundreds of years, the Confederation has never ceased its search."
"At least half of the expedition teams that came to Yingudusi Devil’s Pit are backed by the other three major Star Nations."
Dora found it difficult to accept all of this at once and was at a loss for words, her mouth agape.
Qing Ruyan asked Leder, "Can you control these Mutants?"
Leder admitted, "Yes."
Qing Ruyan commanded, "Order them to destroy this laboratory!"
As Leder took out the controller, a shadow suddenly rose behind Qing Ruyan. Incredibly fast, it engulfed her!
Dora and Boluo shouted and rushed forward. The moment Qing Ruyan was attacked, Leder broke free from her control and forcefully pressed the controller he held.
A Hu Ling that had been quietly waiting to one side roared and charged at Boluo.
Boluo kept retreating, his heart aching. "Captain, it’s me! Snap out of it, you’re not ..."
But all that responded to him were Hu Ling’s continuous roars and its frenzied attacks.
Leder suddenly appeared in front of Dora. Nine guns materialized around her. BANG! BANG! BANG! They fired all at once, enveloping Leder in a hail of gunfire.
However, these bullets predictably passed straight through Leder’s body, causing him no harm whatsoever. Read full story at novelFirｅ.net
He had become a smoke-like entity. The bullets only managed to disperse him slightly, but Leder quickly reformed.
Dora exclaimed in disbelief, "[Multistate Special Agent]! You’re a professional too!"