Chapter 8: The Traitor Within

"Call you devoted? You didn't even try to save Li Yuqin."Su Zhan clicked his tongue in amazement: "Call you indifferent? Out of all those people, you specifically came to kill me.

Oh, there's another possibility - you made a deal with your mutant accomplices not to harm Li Yuqin.

But that would be too obvious. Your mutant friends would guess your identity. I don't think you'd do that.

Alternatively, Li Yuqin might be faking it - she could be a mutant like you. But that's unlikely.

Because if that were true, you'd both know each other's mutant identities.

Unless you trusted each other completely, willing to risk your lives, you'd still follow the rules of the dark forest."

Su Zhan concluded: "So you don't actually care about Li Yuqin that much. This is just your cover as a mutant.

Coming to kill me? Probably just because you disliked me."

He smiled: "Turns out you're not as stupid as you pretend. Pity you picked the wrong target."

After finishing the job.

Su Zhan considered how to dispose of the body.

Then he remembered Doberman's identity.

Du Feng hadn't said anything, but his expression clearly showed some connection to Doberman.

The screams outside had ceased unnoticed.

Su Zhan knew - the Aberrant Purge Division had arrived.

He checked his phone.

Fifteen minutes had passed since the villa lost power.

"Took them this long?"

Fifteen minutes might seem short.

But considering the Aberrant Purge Division had been surveilling him.

In such situations.

They should have intervened immediately.

"Did they stop watching me today?"

Su Zhan thought: "What an unfortunate coincidence."

His scales gradually receded, his frame shrinking slightly.

Within moments, he resumed his slender high schooler appearance.

"Aberrant Purge Division."

Su Zhan quickly washed remaining blood from his face at the sink.

Picking up broken tile fragments, he painfully cut several wounds on himself while suppressing his healing.

Injuries from fighting Du Feng had already healed.

But his clothes couldn't repair themselves.

Only fresh wounds would make his story plausible.

After roughly tearing his clothes, he cleaned and smashed the tile fragments.

Through the window, flashing red police lights were visible.

"Survivors assemble here!"

A voice boomed through loudspeakers.

Su Zhan took a deep breath and opened the bathroom door.

The villa had become hell on earth.

The scene remained too graphic for description.

Li Yuqin crouched in a corner, her expensive silver miniskirt in tatters.

As for Du Feng's lackey - all bark and no bite earlier - now barely recognizable as human.

"Still alive? Lucky you."

Su Zhan thought privately.

The arrivals included armed City Patrol Division officers and more sharply dressed Aberrant Purge Division agents.

As for mutants.

Su Zhan saw none.

They must have fled before authorities arrived.

This had been a carefully planned mutant hunt.

"Su Zhan, you again?"

A female voice called.

Su Zhan turned.

Xiao Shi looked particularly striking in her Aberrant Purge Division uniform.

"Officer Xiao."

Su Zhan nodded slightly.

"Why are you here?"

Xiao Shi approached.

"Li Yuqin invited me to her birthday party. Naturally I came."

Su Zhan replied calmly.

Xiao Shi frowned at his tattered clothes: "Come to Jiangcheng Aberrant Purge Division later."

"Understood."

Su Zhan nodded, playing the obedient student.

"Su Zhan."

Doberman approached.

He scrutinized Su Zhan, implying: "Quite the mutant magnet, aren't you? Unlucky."

Su Zhan shrugged: "Not by choice."

"Team Leader Du."

An officer hurried over, reporting respectfully: "Casualty count complete. Before mutants arrived, villa contained 45 students from Jiangcheng No.3 High School Class 2-3 and 23 staff - 68 total.

Current count: 47 dead, 18 wounded.

Also, we found a mutant corpse in the master bedroom bathroom. It appears to be..."

He hesitated, watching Doberman's expression.

"Who?"

Doberman felt foreboding.

"It's... Du Feng."

The officer immediately lowered his head, avoiding Doberman's gaze.

Doberman whirled to glare at Su Zhan.

The air turned icy.

Several officers instinctively stepped back. Even Xiao Shi tensed slightly.

Su Zhan felt invisible pressure - an Awakener's mental intimidation.

Ordinary people would confess under such duress.

Doberman suddenly grabbed Su Zhan's chin.

"Look me in the eye."

Doberman's pupils turned gold: "How did my brother die?"

Xiao Shi intervened: "Team Leader, he's just a student. Save interrogation for headquarters."

"I truly don't know."

Su Zhan trembled: "I was too scared, hid in a stall the whole time."

A timely bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.

So Doberman's brother after all.

How interesting. You must have known your brother was a mutant.

Su Zhan strongly suspected Doberman knew about this mutant hunt.

Otherwise surveillance officers would have intervened sooner.

Not waited fifteen minutes.

Fifteen minutes was far too late.

Doberman, you traitor within the Aberrant Purge Division.

Doberman gave him a long look, then ordered Xiao Shi: "Take all survivors to headquarters."

"But... the wounded?"

Xiao Shi protested: "Some can't move, others need immediate surgery."

Doberman hesitated, the gold fading from his eyes.

"Send wounded to hospitals under 24-hour guard."

He scanned the traumatized survivors, lingering on Li Yuqin:

"Everyone else, including this Li heiress, comes for questioning."

Xiao Shi visibly relaxed: "Yes, Team Leader."

Su Zhan kept his head down, observing Doberman.

The Hound appeared calm again.

But his clenched fists showed white knuckles - barely contained fury.

Medical teams began evacuating the wounded.

Purge Division started transporting survivors.

Su Zhan was seated between two armed officers in a black van's rear.

This headquarters visit wouldn't be easily navigated.