78: company?

“Company?”

Upon hearing that word, the students, who had been extremely excited, instantly quieted down.

Lin Xiao suddenly opened his eyes.

A sharp expression appeared on Xie Wangsheng's face for the first time.

The air in the conference room seemed to grow heavy at that moment.

The next second, this heaviness was completely shattered by Liu Lian's strange cry.

“Holy crap! Company? Is it *that* Company, like Umbrella Corporation? That name is so cool!”

“Exactly! It sounds like the kind of mastermind, the ultimate big villain!”

“Isn't that how it always plays out in games? On the surface, it's a high-tech enterprise, but behind the scenes, they're researching zombie viruses!”

The students erupted into chatter again, their previous resentment towards the final assessment completely gone, replaced by an almost twisted excitement.

It was as if they weren't discussing a heinous criminal organization, but a newly released game dungeon.

Group Leader Li looked at the expressions on these young people's faces, a mix of curiosity and fanaticism, and felt a flood of emotions.

Indeed.

Not long ago, they were just a group of ordinary students who had just finished their college entrance exams.

Otherwise, they would never have reacted this way upon hearing that name.

Group Leader Li forcibly suppressed the strange feeling in his heart, his expression becoming incredibly solemn.

“This ‘Company’ is not the kind of thing you see in games and novels.”

“According to the intelligence we currently possess, they have established an peripheral stronghold near Gusu University Town.”

He paused, then said, word by word,

“An underground bar, named [Azure Bar].”

“On the surface, it's a place for young people to dance and drink, but in reality, it's a den of Ancient Demons.”

“They lure unsuspecting young people and use their flesh and Soul to refine a certain thing...”

Group Leader Li's words were filled with an uncontrollable anger.

“human elixir.”

“Boom!”

These two words caused the temperature in the entire conference room to drop sharply.

The students, who had just been excited, instantly lost their smiles, replaced by a deathly pallor and uncontrollable fury.

“Beasts!”

Fang Yuan slammed the table, and the solid wood conference table shook violently, emitting a dull thud.

“These scumbags! They must be torn to shreds!”

“Right! Kill them all! Not a single one left!”

“Why bother capturing them alive? Just wipe them all out!”

The crowd was furious.

Intense killing intent permeated the conference room, making even Group Leader Li feel a pang of fear.

Just then, Xie Wangsheng, who had been silent, finally spoke.

“Killing them all is simple.”

He calmly scanned his angry companions.

“Then what?”

“Where is the next stronghold? Where is the ‘Company’s’ headquarters? How many more bars like this do they have? Who among you knows?”

A series of questions made the noisy conference room quiet down again.

Xie Wangsheng looked at Team Leader Li at the head of the table.

“Team Leader Li, your goal is probably not as simple as just taking down this bar, is it?”

“What you want are live captives. To pry open their mouths and dig out more clues about the ‘Company,’ right?”

Group Leader Li nodded heavily, his expression toward Xie Wangsheng showing a hint of approval and relief.

It's always easier to talk to smart people.

“That's right. This stronghold is just the tip of the iceberg. The ‘Company’s’ influence runs very deep. If we don't uproot them, Gusu, and even the entire Great Xia, will never have peace.”

“Capturing live targets, especially high-ranking ones, is the core objective of our operation.”

Xie Wangsheng stopped speaking and turned to look at Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao was also looking at him.

The two exchanged glances, reaching a consensus without needing any words.

Xie Wangsheng looked back at Group Leader Li and nodded gently.

“We accept this mission.”

...Above Shennongjia.

Clouds billowed.

Li Heng hovered ten thousand meters in the sky, his vast Divine Sense spreading like mercury, covering the endless primeval mountain range below.

Scanning inch by inch, investigating inch by inch.

Mountains, rivers, caves, deep valleys.

There was no abnormality.

No traces of a Seal, nor any powerful Ancient Demons Qi.

He slowly exhaled a mouthful of stale Qi.

This was the last place.

From Kunlun Mountain to Mount Wudang, from Mount Qingcheng to Mount Longhu, he had personally investigated all the legendary blessed lands in the country, all the nodes with abnormal Spiritual Qi.

The result was nothing, except for some mortal Cultivate Schools whose Legacy was intermittent and whose strongest members were only at the Qi Cultivate stage.

The Ancient Demons seemed to have vanished into thin air.

“Could it be that the place where they are Sealed is not in the country at all?”

Li Heng's thoughts drifted further away.

This possibility was high.

It seemed that once the academy's affairs were on track, he would need to make a trip abroad... Midnight, Gusu University Town.

Azure Bar.

Deafening music, mixed with the scent of alcohol and hormones, fermented in the crowded dance floor.

Under the flashing lights, young bodies twisted wildly, releasing their restless energy.

In a corner booth, Liu Lian held a glass of whiskey, his body swaying gently to the rhythm of the music, but his eyes, like radar, precisely scanned every beautiful figure on the dance floor.

“Tsk tsk, see that? That Young Miss in black stockings, her legs are really nice.”

“And that one, the one in the white T-shirt, her waist is so slender!”

He mumbled to himself, his face showing undisguised appreciation.

Fang Yuan, sitting next to him, seemed restless.

He was wearing borrowed trendy clothes, feeling uncomfortable all over, and looking at the wild scene around him, he was so embarrassed that his toes were practically digging out a three-bedroom apartment.

“Are we... are we really going to stay here all this time?”

He lowered his voice and leaned into Han Li's ear.

“It feels weird. How about we go guard outside instead?”

“Guard what?”

Han Li grabbed Fang Yuan, who was about to get up, and pressed him back onto the sofa.

“What are we here for? To scout the enemy! You're standing at the door like a door god, afraid people won't know we're here to cause trouble?”

He pointed to Liu Lian, whose eyes were like searchlights, with an approving look.

“Learn from Liu Lian. Look at his acting, how natural, how invested! He's brought the image of a dissolute playboy obsessed with wine and women to life!”

“This is called disguise, understand? Professional!”

“Huh?”

Liu Lian heard his name and turned around blankly.

“Acting what? What acting?”

He looked at Han Li and Fang Yuan with a sincere expression.

“I'm not acting. I'm serious, the girls over there really are pretty!”

Han Li's smile froze.

Fang Yuan opened his mouth, unable to say a word.

The two looked at Liu Lian's face, which was plastered with “I'm serious,” and fell completely silent.