The sedan merged into the traffic, and Xiao Shuai responded in his heart while driving:
"Chairman, there are some clothes in the car. I’ll drive over to pick you up right away."
The wipers moved rhythmically on the windshield, sweeping away the blurry neon lights.
As the vehicle turned a corner, a black business van happened to be driving from the opposite lane.
Amidst the rain, the two vehicles passed each other, heading in different directions.
The passengers inside the cars were completely unaware of each other’s presence.
Inside that black business van, the atmosphere was completely different from the bustle outside.
Zhou Liang gripped the steering wheel, concentrating on driving.
Gao Jin sat in the passenger seat, his expression somewhat grave.
In the back seat, Ali, Ah Yang, and Xiao Jie wore tattered clothes marked with blood and scratches, yet their faces beamed with the thrill of surviving a disaster.
In the furthest back seat, apart from her messy hair and slightly dirty researcher’s uniform, Cui Xiuying was basically unscathed.
As an important hostage in need of rescue, she received extra care and protection from the operatives.
This journey from the Inner World and Noah Building was indeed a close call.
As for Shijima Gorou, lying beside her on the seat, he wasn’t as fortunate.
His entire body was bruised, his face swollen like an overly fermented bun, still unconscious with his eyes shut tight.
This was evidence of how potent that sedative injection from Cui Xiuying was.
"Captain Gao, you didn’t see it."
Ali couldn’t contain his urge to talk, gesturing wildly:
"That Minister Luo from Noah, it was as if a storm hit the whole floor with his telekinesis; we almost didn’t make it out alive!"
"Luckily, White Owl was there; otherwise, no one could’ve been his opponent."
Ah Yang added with lingering fear:
"When those two started fighting, it was like a demolition crew had entered an illegal building! Crash and bang, they demolished the monster-filled Inner World! That’s how we got lucky and escaped!"
Zhou Liang looked at them through the rearview mirror while driving, smilingly saying:
"I feel Cheng Jiashu was like a scholar confronting a soldier when compared to him."
Xiao Jie said with admiration:
"That White Owl really seems like the legendary Demon King, so strong and brutal!"
"But... he’s quite loyal. He could’ve left on his own, but he took us with him to escape, didn’t leave us down there to feed the monsters."
Ali nodded vigorously: "This guy is worth befriending. If I meet him in reality later, I’ll definitely make him my friend."
Listening to the team members praising cheerfully, Gao Jin remained silent, only gazing deeply at the rain scene outside the window.
Cui Xiuying quietly listened, the image of the figure wearing the Evil Ghost Mask flashing in her mind again.
Although his fighting style was incredibly violent, for some reason, she felt a strange sense of familiarity and security.
He didn’t seem like an indiscriminate Demon King, but rather, a hero fighting for justice.
After a moment of silence, Gao Jin turned his gaze towards Cui Xiuying and spoke:
"Miss Cui, we will take you to a safe house next."
"You and Mr. Shijima should hide there for a few days. Once I coordinate with the Japanese side, we will immediately arrange to hand over Mr. Shijima to his family."
"Rest assured, at least within Xia Country, I guarantee your safety with my integrity."
These words finally eased the burden off Cui Xiuying’s mind.
She was most worried that officials would see Shijima Gorou, this special "experimental body," as a commodity and imprison him again.
Gao Jin paused, then shifted the topic:
"If Miss Cui has no better place to go, you might consider joining our Special Search Team’s experimental department."
"We would be thrilled to have someone of your caliber. If you join, you will receive the highest level of security assurance, and the Noah Organization wouldn’t dare to trouble you again."
Cui Xiuying was moved. Google seaʀᴄh novel✦fire.net
She knew they valued her valuable experience in the human experimentation project at Noah Pharmaceutical.
Joining the Special Search Team could secure her safety.
But the cost would be... losing some more of her freedom, once again.
But do I really have a choice?
She bit her lip, remained silent for a while, then softly said:
"I want to think it over."
Gao Jin nodded and didn’t press further.
Then he looked at Zhou Liang beside him and instructed:
"Ah Liang, head to the safe house in Jiangdong District first."
"Once we get there, Ali and the others will stay to protect the two, and then you come with me to meet Mr. Zhao."
Zhou Liang was slightly taken aback by these words:
"Aren’t we reporting directly to Director Qin and the Chief?"
Gao Jin’s gaze shifted to the flow of colorful lights in the midnight cityscape outside the window, his voice low and resolute:
"We need to be prepared with two plans."
Though puzzled, Zhou Liang refrained from asking more.
Inside the car, Ali and the others were still enthusiastically discussing, looking forward to the bonuses, points, and promotion opportunities they could achieve from the success of this mission.
The long-repressed atmosphere finally turned light-hearted.