The Seventh Base

Chapter 38: Chapter 34: The Secret of the Valen Factory
 

As she entered the factory, Ye Qingdie saw Seth’s favorite mecha. A wave of sadness hit her.

At the church, she had lost Uncle Fang.

Now, she had lost Seth and Xiao Ze as well.

Even more terrifying, it seemed her faith was also collapsing.

“Seth trained numerous times but never actually fought in this mecha,” Ye Qingdie’s voice was tinged with sorrow.

Xu Mo glanced at the ordinary-looking mecha. That straightforward man was gone. He also wanted to see what it would be like when Seth got into the mecha.

Unfortunately, he would never see it.

“Was it Qin Zhong?” Xu Mo asked. Lao K’s aura and voice felt familiar to him. Searching his memory, he realized it resembled Qin Zhong.

Recalling Ye Qingdie’s confidence when she took him to the casino and Qin Zhong’s deliberate role as a server, Xu Mo guessed Qin Zhong was the ‘leader’ of that underground organization.

“Yes.” Ye Qingdie nodded, “He saved me many years ago, and I’ve been following him ever since, thinking I was the core of the organization…”

Her voice seemed a bit ironic. Unexpectedly, she was merely a disposable pawn.

Seeing those people outside, Ye Qingdie suddenly understood she was never the core.

There might be many people like her.

She was just a pawn raised by him, nothing more.

“But, what did he do? Why did he do this?” Ye Qingdie’s voice was pained. She didn’t understand, what was Qin Zhong after?

“We should know soon enough.” Xu Mo also didn’t know, but since Qin Zhong did this, his purpose would be exposed soon.

In Ye Qingdie’s previous understanding, the black market was controlled by the underworld forces led by Cobra.

But now, to Xu Mo, it appeared Qin Zhong was the real king of the black market.

Perhaps he had started planning to control the black market long ago.

Qin Zhong, who managed the casino, inherently had an advantage.

“Xu Mo,” Ye Qingdie turned to Xu Mo and said, “I still want to invite you to join us, but now it seems unnecessary. I’m sorry for dragging you into this; we owe you a life.”

Her eyes carried an apology.

If it weren’t for Xu Mo, they wouldn’t have made it back today.

“It’s come to this; these things don’t matter. There are still people outside; they probably stayed to monitor you. It’s unclear what Qin Zhong intends to do, so we should find a way to escape,” Xu Mo said.

“There are a few passages inside the factory that only a few of us know. Even he doesn’t know them. You wait here; I’ll escort you out later. Remove your War Saber and Battle Armor,” Ye Qingdie said to Xu Mo.

Xu Mo didn’t know what Ye Qingdie planned to do, but he obediently removed the War Saber and Battle Armor as instructed and handed them to her.

Ye Qingdie wrapped up the War Saber and Battle Armor and then took out a stack of Federation currency, placing it inside. She looked up at Xu Mo and said, “These Federation coins were originally yours. I kept some to reconstruct a mechanical body for Xiao Qi. Once you leave with these, don’t come back.”

“You aren’t leaving?” Xu Mo asked.

“It won’t be easy for us to leave, and I don’t want to leave just like that.” Ye Qingdie said to Xu Mo, “They haven’t seen your true face, so no one will recognize you outside the black market. Follow me.”

Xu Mo understood Ye Qingdie.

Following Ye Qingdie toward a hidden door, both remained silent.

After walking some distance, a door appeared ahead. Ye Qingdie extended her hand to Xu Mo with a smile and said, “This might be a final farewell. It was nice to know you, brother Xu Mo.”

Xu Mo also extended his hand and took hers.

Ye Qingdie leaned forward and hugged Xu Mo, then withdrew with a smile and said, “I’ve always wanted to tell you, sis isn’t a C. Did you feel that?”

Xu Mo couldn’t help but laugh.

“I felt it, quite fierce,” Xu Mo responded with a smile, neither showing any sadness.

Ye Qingdie helped Xu Mo put on a backpack, like sending off a younger brother, and said, “Go. Find a quiet place to cultivate. You have a strong talent. When you’re powerful enough, try to go above ground. If you’re lucky, we might meet again up there.”

“This Underworld is no place for people to live.”

“Alright,” Xu Mo nodded seriously, feeling his eyes sting a bit.

“Go on,” Ye Qingdie opened the door for Xu Mo. Xu Mo removed his mask and walked out without any special farewell.

Leaving this door might mean life and death separation; no one knew their fate.

…

When Xu Mo reached the black market entrance, he sensed the entire place enveloped in a peculiar atmosphere. The usually bustling black market had suddenly become quiet.

This quietness wasn’t superficial; it was the absence of the previous restlessness.

His senses spread out, clearly feeling the black market surrounded by people, even traps. He also saw people lying in ambush.

But outwardly, everything appeared normal.

Feigning calm, he walked out. No one stopped him, as he was just a fifteen-year-old boy—no one paid him any mind.

Leaving the black market and walking down the street, passersby were discussing something.

“Have you heard about the Valen Armory?”

“Yes, some say they saw photos. Is it true? If it is, it’s inhumane.”

“Did the Law Enforcement Team go?”

“Yes, many went. They say Valen Factory has been overturned. Captain Moke of the Law Enforcement Team is dead; he was killed by the culprits during an arrest attempt. Several Law Enforcement Team members died too. Some even say the Law Enforcement Team are the culprits.”

“It’s chaotic, chaotic. Let’s see. If the Valen Factory story is true, I’ll definitely go to the City State Council.”

“Me too.”

These voices reached Xu Mo’s ears, making him realize something had happened at the Valen Armory.

What was at the Valen Armory?

His parents’ cause of death might also be revealed.

When they intercepted Cobra, did Qin Zhong send people to attack the Valen Armory?

Given that the armory owned by these bigwigs must have had strong defenses,

even if Qin Zhong trained many people like Ye Qingdie, attacking the Valen Armory would likely result in many deaths.

But perhaps Qin Zhong didn’t care about ‘deaths.’

However, what was his purpose?

Pedestrians hurried on the streets, discussing incessantly. But it was all rumors, possibly spread by someone intentionally. The Underworld had no communication devices; it was either due to lack of signal or human control, or both.

News spread only by word of mouth, limited unless it was an exceptionally major event.

But given what Xu Mo saw along the way, he felt someone was orchestrating the spread of information.

This was a premeditated operation.

When Xu Mo returned to the department store, Mia was also back. Master Batu had personally fetched her.

At that moment, Mia was crying. Seeing Xu Mo’s return, she walked up to him.

“Xu Mo,” Mia called softly. Xu Mo gently asked, “What’s wrong?”

He didn’t call her Miss Mia. He could tell something was off with her; her mood was extremely low since she had been to Elsa’s house.

“Xu Mo,” Mia walked up and hugged Xu Mo lightly. Xu Mo stood quietly, not disturbing her.

He saw Bai Wei also had tears in her eyes, holding some photos, her tears continually falling.

Outside, a commotion burst forth. Many people rushed out, some even grabbing weapons, causing chaos. Amidst the chaos, screams and cries could be heard.

“My child.” Some knelt on the ground, crying bitterly, enduring immense pain.

Mia released Xu Mo. Xu Mo walked forward.

Bai Wei looked up at him, retracting her hand, not wanting him to see the photos.

But Xu Mo had already seen a bit. He took the photos from her.

An intense rage surged from his heart, causing his heart to seemingly stop, his soul trembling.

“Bastards!”

The photos fell to the ground. Xu Mo clenched his fists, veins bulging.

What a dark world this was.

He finally understood Uncle Fang and Ye Qingdie. This was a world that devoured people; they wanted to do something but found they could do nothing.

Xu Mo suddenly felt a wave of intense sorrow. Why had he come to such a world?

Master Batu, with his obese body, walked out, picking up the photos and tearing them up, then throwing them into a nearby trash can. He appeared calm as ever.

“Dad,” Mia cried, “is this true? Does the factory really conduct experiments on children? How can they be so heartless; are those people cold-blooded?”

Master Batu gently held Mia. He said nothing; any words of comfort were meaningless at this moment.

“Those are children! How can they do this? How can they do this? Doesn’t anyone stop them?” Mia cried bitterly in Master Batu’s arms, drenching his clothes with her tears.

Master Batu opened his arms, holding Mia, letting her cry in his embrace.

Xu Mo looked towards the street. More and more people surged onto the streets, almost frenzied.

The Underworld’s lower-class citizens usually endured oppression yet still struggled to survive.

However, the cruel truth they saw made them feel there was no hope in their survival, only endless sorrow.

Xu Mo realized his parents might have been one of them. Perhaps, after accidentally discovering something, they went to the Law Enforcement Team and were killed for it.

Maybe they didn’t want their son and daughter to become part of the experiments.

“Master Batu, what kind of experiment is this?” Xu Mo asked Master Batu, suppressing his anger.

“Genetic Warrior cultivation!” Master Batu replied.

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