159: Finish.

The Giant Bat Evolution's corpse gradually lost its warmth, and ominous dark green blood snaked through the rubble. The air was thick with the lingering scent of ozone, blood, and the scorched smell of sonic vibrations.

Shen Mingyuan endured the persistent buzzing in his ears and waves of nausea, holstering his "twin stars" pistols. He leaned against a broken wall, trying to let his overstrained nerves and exhausted body rest for a moment.

He looked up, his dark red eyepieces fixed on the youth not far away, who was slowly retracting a blood-stained long tail.

Although the armor hid his expression, when his voice came through the voice changer, it deliberately carried a light, intrigued tone—like a Detective who had just solved a puzzle—even though this lightness was forced through sheer willpower.

"Yo, nice moves," Shen Mingyuan said, tilting his chin toward Zhou Zihui. "Looking at this setup, and that 'official-issue' tail maintenance? It seems you've successfully 'landed a government job' and secured a steady paycheck? Congratulations."

Zhou Zihui silently and skillfully wrapped the startlingly long tail back around his waist, securing it with the buckle of his specialized surveillance uniform. His movements carried a steadiness—or perhaps a heaviness—unsuited to his age.

Hearing Shen Mingyuan's teasing words, there was no joy on his face; only the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, more like an unconscious muscle reflex.

The tip of the tail he had just retracted swept the ground irritably, kicking up a small cloud of dust.

"It's all right," he said softly, his voice somewhat dry. "It's just... a way of atoning for my sins."

He didn't look at Shen Mingyuan; his gaze fell on the bat's corpse, yet seemed to pierce through it, looking toward a more distant, blood-stained past.

The heavy sense of guilt—for causing his classmate's death, for becoming a monster himself, and for ultimately having to personally 'kill' a part of his brother's consciousness—clung to him like an eternal haze.

Joining GUPA's supervision and training was less a new life and more a path of shackled repentance he had chosen for himself and his brother.

Shen Mingyuan sensed the gloom in his tone. The Detective's intuition kept him from probing further or teasing. He switched to a more practical concern: "Anyway, thanks. If you hadn't jumped in, I would've been a sitting duck for that bat."

Zhou Zihui shook his head as if to shake off certain emotions. He turned and took out several small vials of deep blue solution sealed in transparent tubes from an inner pocket of his surveillance uniform. They emitted a faint, comforting glow in the dim light.

"For you." He stepped forward and handed the tubes to Shen Mingyuan. "I know that... fighting like this takes a huge toll on you.

This is a high-concentration, easily absorbed bio-energy supplement issued within the organization. It also contains some soothing ingredients to stabilize the nerves. It's very effective for quickly recovering physical strength and alleviating negative states after energy depletion."

He paused and added, "I specifically applied for a few extra. You should be able to use them."

Shen Mingyuan looked at the tubes of blue solution without taking them immediately. His voice behind the voice changer took on a probing tone: "Oh? Specifically applied for me? Is this... an official benefit, or a personal favor? Is it okay to give them to me? Do they know who 'shadow' is?"

Zhou Zihui looked up, meeting the dark red eyepieces of Shen Mingyuan's helmet with a frank and calm gaze. "It's fine. Officially, I applied for them as spare supplies. As for your identity..."

He tilted his head slightly, indicating a high vantage point in the distance—the spot where the Captain had been standing earlier.

At that moment, the Captain gave a thumbs-up toward Zhou Zihui, clearly approving of the battle's outcome. He then turned and led the other team members away quickly to handle the aftermath in other areas.

"I didn't say anything."

Zhou Zihui turned back, his voice softer yet clear. "And they didn't ask. To them, it's only normal that an 'experimental subject' or 'potential threat' like me, fresh out of juvenile detention and placed in a special supervision program, wouldn't know an 'urban legend' like you."

He briefly explained why he was there: "During the... sentencing evaluation in prison, a routine medical scan detected an abnormal concentration of evo factor and a 'symbiotic' state in my body. After that, they came to me and gave me this chance to 'atone' and 'learn control'."

Shen Mingyuan understood. He reached out and took the cool blue solution, stowing it away properly. "Thanks, I'll remember this favor." The lightness in his tone was a bit more sincere this time. "So, what are your plans now?"

"Rejoin the team, report, and continue 'learning control'." Zhou Zihui said succinctly. He gave Shen Mingyuan one last look. "You... be careful too. That guy who escaped, this probably isn't over yet."

With that, he didn't stay any longer. He turned and walked quickly in the direction the Captain had gone, his back looking a bit lonely amidst the ruins, yet carrying a resolve to move forward.

After confirming Zhou Zihui had left and that no new threats were approaching, Shen Mingyuan didn't hesitate.

Enduring the persistent ringing in his ears and bouts of dizziness, he left the rubble-strewn combat zone as fast as he could. Using the building shadows and the late afternoon sun as cover, he took a wide detour and finally returned to his black sedan parked further down the road.

He warily scanned the surroundings to ensure no one was watching before quickly pulling the door open and slipping into the back seat. The small, enclosed space of the car provided a sense of security. Taking a deep breath, he placed his left hand on his left wrist and pressed the crimson orb with his fingertip.

Shimmering light flowed as the silver-black biological armor receded like a tide, decomposing and shrinking until it finally returned to its simple armband form.

Almost the instant the armor was deactivated, the physiological reactions he had been forcibly suppressing surged back violently!

"Ugh..." Shen Mingyuan groaned, his body curling up uncontrollably.

Instead of subsiding, the ringing in his ears became sharper and more chaotic without the buffer and noise reduction of the armor's internal audio processing System. The distant sounds of sirens and voices from outside became distorted, jarring noises that made his head feel like it was splitting.

Intense nausea rose in his throat. He dry-heaved a few times but produced nothing. His vision blurred into darkness, and his muscles felt weak and limp from overexertion and the neurological tremors following the sonic vibrations.

He slumped in the back seat, gasping for air for several minutes before finally gathering a bit of strength.

Groping around, he found headphones in his briefcase on the passenger seat and put them on—even ordinary physical soundproofing was a form of protection for his sensitive ears now. Then, he took out his phone, its screen light piercingly bright in the dim car.

He found Dr. Zhou's number and dialed. The call was answered quickly.

"Hello? Lawyer Shen? Are you okay? Where are you?" Dr. Zhou's voice came through, filled with concern and lingering fear, but the background was quiet, suggesting he was already in a safe area.

Shen Mingyuan tilted his head, pressing the receiver close to his left ear through the headphones, trying to keep his voice steady. "Doctor Zhou, I'm fine.

It was too messy inside just now.， I'll find a chance to get out first.. My car is still nearby.， Just about to drive away. How are things between you and Mr. Zhao?？ Is it safe?？"

On the other end, Dr. Zhou seemed to hesitate, his voice dropping lower. "We're fine. We've reached the safe assembly point. There are... people from relevant departments handling things."

He spoke cautiously, clearly having been cautioned. "Mr. Zhao is emotionally unstable, but he's physically fine. As for... er, his 'Da Huang'..."

Doctor Zhou paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully. "It has also been properly settled and hasn't suffered further harm. You can rest assured."

Shen Mingyuan immediately caught Dr. Zhou's subtext—the specific situation regarding the mutated giant python, GUPA's involvement, and the supernatural events at the scene were all matters requiring confidentiality. Doctor Zhou could not and would not discuss them in detail over the phone.

As a lawyer, Shen Mingyuan fully understood and respected such confidentiality requirements.

"That's good, safety is the priority." Shen Mingyuan didn't press further, instead asking, "Is the scene... still chaotic? Where should I avoid?"

"The main building area should still be wrapping up, but the outer roads are mostly clear. Take the east side road; that should be fine." Dr. Zhou gave practical advice and confirmed again, "Are you sure you don't need to come over? Or do you need help?"

"No, I'm heading straight back. Thanks for your hard work today, Doctor Zhou. Please comfort Mr. Zhao as well." Shen Mingyuan declined; his current state was really not fit for seeing anyone.

After hanging up with Dr. Zhou, Shen Mingyuan leaned against the seat and rested for a while longer until the ringing in his ears subsided to a bearable level. He struggled into the driver's seat, buckled his seatbelt, and started the car.

The low rumble of the engine reached him through the headphones, still making his temples throb with pain. He drove as steadily as possible, following Dr. Zhou's advice to leave the area, leaving the mess and chaos of the Rescue Center far behind.

Not until the car merged into the relatively smooth traffic of the city's main road, surrounded by the evening city lights, did Shen Mingyuan's tense nerves slightly relax. But fatigue and discomfort gnawed at his consciousness like maggots on a bone, becoming clearer by the second.

Back home, he locked the door and drew the curtains. He didn't even have the energy to deal with the armband or recharge the "twin stars"; he simply placed the blue energy supplement Zhou Zihui had given him on the table and collapsed onto the sofa with his remaining strength.

Rest... he had to rest. Otherwise, he suspected he might pass out at any moment.

Before darkness swallowed his consciousness, he used his last bit of clarity to pick up his phone and send a short message to Director Wang, the law firm partner: "Director Wang, sorry, sudden acute gastroenteritis, vomiting and diarrhea. I need to take tomorrow off. Work has been arranged; call for emergencies."

Sent. He didn't even have the strength to concoct a more complex excuse; a common "sudden illness" that was hard to verify immediately and usually wouldn't be questioned was the most efficient choice right now.

The phone slipped from his fingers and landed on the thick carpet. Shen Mingyuan lay flat on the sofa, lacking even the strength to move to the bed. The buzzing in his ears gradually merged with the distant city hum outside the window, and his vision blurred completely.

In the final moment before falling into a deep sleep, he thought hazily: Zhu Zicong... New Federation... forced evolution potions... and the unknown fate of 'Da Huang'... Tomorrow, there were many things to figure out.

But that was a matter for tomorrow.