Chapter 21: The Third Laboratory
Over a dozen soldiers in blue uniforms stood before a building, its lights brightly lit. This was the Third Laboratory.
The Third Laboratory had two functions. First, it conducted research on chimeras—for example, the synthetic beasts previously under the command of the Greed subordinate were all produced here. Second, it synthesized Philosopher’s Stones, using death row prisoners and war captives as materials.
After observing the surroundings of the Third Laboratory for a while, Su Xiao chose not to infiltrate directly. He was waiting for the right moment.
Half an hour later, a middle-aged researcher walked out of the Third Laboratory and headed toward a car parked in the courtyard.
Su Xiao’s target had appeared. He moved swiftly to follow.
The moment the middle-aged researcher opened the car door, Su Xiao sat down in the back seat. The middle-aged researcher was completely unaware.
As the middle-aged researcher settled into the driver’s seat, Su Xiao grabbed his head.
*Crack.* The middle-aged researcher’s neck was snapped, and his body slumped limply to the side.
Su Xiao glanced around. No one had noticed this. He dragged the middle-aged man’s corpse to the back seat.
Five minutes later, the “middle-aged researcher” stepped out of the car. It wasn’t the original researcher—it was Su Xiao.
He lightly pressed the high-tech mask on his face. The effect was decent. Apart from a different tactile feel, it looked no different from the real thing.
This was a consumable mask, purchased by Su Xiao for 300 Paradise Coins. It could disguise him as someone else’s appearance, but it required scanning the target’s facial features and could only be used once. It could disguise both face and voice.
Su Xiao wore a gray suit and black pants—the exact attire of the middle-aged researcher.
He walked openly toward the Third Laboratory. Just as he reached the entrance, a soldier blocked him.
“Dr. Oliver, why have you come back?”
The soldier was cautious and used a trap.
“What? I’m not Oliver. I’m Kevin. I come in and out of here every day, and you still can’t remember my name?”
Su Xiao feigned dissatisfaction. The name on the work ID wasn’t Oliver at all—it was Kevin.
“Apologies, Dr. Kevin. Please show your credentials.”
Su Xiao produced the ID.
“I just wanted to come back and grab something. What a hassle.”
Despite saying this, Su Xiao still presented his work ID.
“No problem, Dr. Kevin. Please, come in.”
Su Xiao entered the Third Laboratory. As soon as he stepped inside, he noticed a locker room not far away and headed toward it.
He had found two items on Kevin: a work ID and a set of keys.
Taking out the keys, Su Xiao examined them discreetly. He quickly spotted a key labeled with the number 17.
Approaching locker number 17, Su Xiao casually used the key to open it. Inside was a white lab coat and spare clothes.
Taking off his jacket, Su Xiao put on the white lab coat, making him look more like a researcher.
From the information on the work ID, Su Xiao learned that Kevin was a scholar researching chimeras, working in the upper levels of the Third Laboratory.
The Philosopher’s Stone research was conducted on the lower levels. The two were separate departments. Fortunately, he had already infiltrated the Third Laboratory; the rest would be easy.
The Third Laboratory was strict on the outside but lax on the inside. Since it was a military district, the chance of civilians approaching was slim, so the experiments were carried out blatantly.
Su Xiao took an old-fashioned elevator and pressed the button for floor -1.
When the elevator reached floor -1, the surrounding friction hissed, suggesting no one had taken the elevator to this floor in a long time.
The elevator doors opened, revealing a dilapidated scene. The previous laboratory had been brightly lit, but upon reaching floor -1, the view changed drastically. The hallway was cluttered with debris, and the fluorescent lights flickered unevenly.
This environment was straight out of a horror movie. If an ordinary person came here, they would be scared out of their wits.
*Clang!*
A dull sound came from a distance. Su Xiao turned his head to see a full suit of armor slowly walking toward him.
The armor was covered in rust, and red light glowed from the eye sockets. This was an existence similar to Alphonse—a soul fixed onto the armor.
This was the guard of floor -1. The guard looked like a candle flickering in the wind, on the verge of collapsing.
“Intruder… die.”
*Clang.* The armor fell to the ground and began to writhe, as if trying to stand up.
Su Xiao stepped forward and removed the armor’s helmet. Inside the helmet was a blood-red array, slightly cracked. By conservative estimate, this armor had existed for decades.
Wiping away the blood seal inside the armor, the armor went silent.
Su Xiao began searching floor -1 for an entrance to the lower levels. After searching for a long time, he found nothing.
This floor -1 was utterly horrifying. If someone were filming a horror movie here, they wouldn’t need to set up any atmosphere.
Su Xiao was certainly not afraid of ghosts. If ghosts existed, it would be the ghosts who feared him, not the other way around.
Closing his eyes, he sensed the area below. There were indeed structures below, and human activity.
Finding a spot below with no one, the Dragon-Slaying Flash appeared in his hand. Su Xiao cut open a section of the floor.
The concrete floor was easily sliced through. Su Xiao lifted a half-meter-diameter concrete slab and gently set it aside.
Looking down, directly below was a warehouse filled with discarded experimental equipment.
Jumping into the warehouse, Su Xiao stood at the door, dusted off his clothes, and walked out calmly.
As soon as he entered the corridor, a researcher approached from the opposite direction.
Su Xiao walked straight ahead. The researcher glanced at him, frowned as if sensing something off, hesitated for a few seconds, and then asked, “Who are you?”
There were very few researchers working on the Philosopher’s Stone. Su Xiao’s unfamiliar face immediately aroused suspicion.
“I’m Kevin from the biology department. I was temporarily reassigned here.”
“Biology department? For what purpose?”
Although the researcher’s tone was firm, Su Xiao sensed some unease in him.
“Orders from above. It’s about the chimeras and the Philosopher’s…”
Su Xiao stopped mid-sentence and looked the researcher up and down.
“And who are you? The research I’m conducting is classified. Show me your credentials.”
The researcher’s heart tightened, and he gave an awkward smile.
“I was just asking casually since you’re a new face.”
“Oh? Is that so? Where is Laboratory D3?”
“On the lowest level.”
“Thanks.”
Su Xiao turned and left, narrowing his eyes.
There was no such thing as Laboratory D3—he had made it up on the spot. The other person was problematic and definitely not a lab researcher.
If it weren’t inconvenient to act now, Su Xiao would have dealt with him. The other’s identity was practically obvious.
“Others are targeting this place too, huh. I need to hurry.”
Su Xiao quickened his pace, heading straight for the third underground level, where the Philosopher’s Stones were stored.
Based on the location provided by Envy, Su Xiao reached the third underground level half an hour later. He was questioned twice along the way. He bluffed through the first time, but failed the second—that guard was now a corpse.
Walking through the third underground level, there were very few researchers here, but significantly more guards.
Turning a corner, Su Xiao arrived in front of the leftmost laboratory. This was where the Philosopher’s Stones were stored. He had asked Envy about the quantity stored here—roughly between 8 and 10. If the stock exceeded that number, the Philosopher’s Stones would be sent to the Presidential Palace.
Just as he rounded the corner, Su Xiao saw several corpses lying at the entrance of that laboratory. The bodies were twisted, as if crushed to death by a giant hand.
Someone had beaten him to it. Su Xiao rushed toward the laboratory, and two people came charging out, colliding with him head-on.
The two were inside the laboratory; Su Xiao was at the entrance.