218: May I ask, sir, is he an enemy or a friend?

Inside the Command Hall, on the giant holographic screen, the view followed the perspective of the Sharp Blade Squad's captain, revealing the gruesome scene deep within the alley without reservation.

Even the seasoned soldiers and staff officers, accustomed to battlefields and death, were shocked by the sight before them.

Dismembered limbs were scattered everywhere, and viscous blood—sickly green, eerie purple, and orange-red—splashed everywhere, staining the ground and walls with filth.

Although the bodies were fragmented, their non-human characteristics were still discernible.

Twisted bone spurs, skin covered in scales or hard armor, mutated limb joints... all of it perfectly matched the characteristics of the Island Nation's 'Gene Warriors' that Ye Baoguo knew.

A rough count suggested there were no less than thirty bodies!

Ye Baoguo narrowed his eyes, expertly concealing the anger within, but his fists involuntarily tightened.

“The intelligence was correct; it truly is these Little devils who can't change their ways. I knew they would try to sneak in during the chaos!”

But beyond his anger towards the Little devils, what shocked him more was that, apart from the bodies of these Gene Warriors, there was not a single trace of any other party's remains at the scene.

This meant that the unknown third party either possessed overwhelming power, effortlessly annihilating this Gene Squad without suffering any losses, or they were exceptionally professional and swift in clearing the battlefield.

Whichever possibility it was, it indicated that the opponent possessed strength beyond imagination.

Just as Ye Baoguo's thoughts raced, speculating about the opponent's origin and purpose, the Sharp Blade Squad's captain, Hu Yifan, spoke again, his voice filled with suppressed shock.

“Commander! Live individual detected ahead! Repeat, live individual detected!”

The camera zoomed in sharply, focusing on a corner of the alley's ruins.

A figure was seen leaning against a half-broken wall, enveloped in a hazy mist, as if he had just been pulled out of water.

His face was covered by a torn cloth, revealing only a pair of tired but unusually bright eyes.

His clothes were ripped in many places, exposing deep, bone-visible wounds underneath, from which blood mixed with a strange, fishy-smelling liquid continuously seeped, dripping onto the ground with a soft 'drip-drop' sound.

This is... Ye Baoguo's pupils slightly constricted.

The next moment, an absurd yet most realistic conjecture suddenly surfaced in his mind.

Could it be that the person before him was the one who annihilated dozens of powerful Gene Warriors?!

At this thought, Ye Baoguo felt a chill run up his spine, and his scalp tingled.

Could such terrifying individual combat power truly exist?

Ye Baoguo made an immediate decision and issued an order.

“All units, attention!”

His voice was extremely grave.

“Maintain maximum alert! Until the opponent actively attacks, no firing is permitted without my command! Repeat, no firing!”

Upon hearing the order, Hu Yifan, the captain of the Sharp Blade Squad, clearly felt immense pressure.

He cautiously advanced a few steps, and following the advice of the command staff, he proactively extended goodwill, attempting to communicate with the masked man.

“Are you alright? You look badly injured; do you need help?”

The masked man seemed to have exhausted his strength, merely raising his eyes slightly without any response.

The dampness around him seemed to intensify, and the faint, fishy smell subtly showed signs of turning into mist.

Hu Yifan, who had cautiously approached a few more steps, suddenly felt a chill in his heart.

At this distance, he could already discern some details.

He saw that some of the smaller wounds on the opponent's body seemed to be wriggling and healing at a visible rate.

The opponent's non-human healing speed, coupled with his bizarre state and terrifying individual combat power, made a thought involuntarily pop into his mind:

Is this... truly still human? Could it be some higher-level monster with mimetic abilities?

Just then, the masked man suddenly moved.

He struggled to stand up, stumbled to a corner, brushed away the covering rubble, fumbled to pull out a bulging bag, and then, with all his might, tossed it to Hu Yifan.

At the same time, an extremely hoarse, awkward voice, clearly disguised and suppressed, spoke intermittently, with a strange tone but astonishing content:

“Little devils... Gene Warrior Squad... infiltrated... reconnaissance... destruction... subsequently... there's an even larger scale... snatching... Magic City... plan...”

Having said that, he seemed to have completed his final mission, swayed for a moment, and then turned to leave.

“Wait!”

Hu Yifan caught the package and instinctively shouted.

Almost simultaneously, members of the Sharp Blade Squad and the second echelon's War Wolf Squad moved in unison, forming a encirclement and blocking the masked man's path.

The atmosphere instantly tensed.

A tense, confrontational atmosphere arose naturally.

Hu Yifan and Li Xing, the War Wolf Squad's captain, exchanged glances; they both saw the resolve in each other's eyes.

This mysterious person was in extremely poor condition, his wounds still bleeding, his figure tottering—this was the best chance to control him.

If they could capture him, perhaps they could uncover the secret of his immense power!

The pursuit of great power is inherent in living beings.

Their fingers twitched; they were about to disregard Ye Baoguo's previous order and directly command action—

“Let him go!”

Ye Baoguo's decisive command came through the earpieces, clearly reaching the ears of every special forces member.

Hu Yifan and Li Xing were both startled, a hint of hesitation on their faces.

But military orders were absolute; they forcefully suppressed the urge to act, made a gesture, and the Team members slowly opened a path.

The masked man also seemed to be momentarily stunned, glanced at them, and then, clutching his wound, limped away.

Just then, Ye Baoguo's voice sounded again, broadcast through Hu Yifan's external loudspeaker.

“Friend, Commander Ye will remember your assistance today! May I ask, are you friend or foe?”

The masked man's steps halted; he did not turn back.

A few seconds later, that awkward voice sounded again, with only one word:

“Friend.”

Having said that, he no longer lingered, his limping figure disappearing into the shadows of the alley.

The perimeter forces, following Ye Baoguo's orders, silently made way, watching him depart.

Inside the Command Hall, a young officer finally couldn't help but speak.

“Commander, why let him go? His power... if we could study it...”

Ye Baoguo turned around, his gaze sweeping over his bewildered subordinates, and said in a deep voice:

“I know what you're thinking. But from a tactical perspective, the opponent's strength is unfathomable. Even severely injured, we might not be able to withstand a desperate counterattack, which would only increase casualties and potentially create a deadly feud with the power behind the opponent. That would be unwise.”

He paused, his voice rising a few points, carrying an undeniable force.

“And from a strategic perspective, it's even more inappropriate! He was here today, fighting to the death against enemies who invaded our Hua Xia territory and harmed our compatriots! He risked his life to inform us of the Little devils's conspiracy; this is timely help in a crisis! He is a friend of our Hua Xia! If I, Ye Baoguo, were to harm him today, burning bridges and repaying kindness with enmity, how would I be any different from a beast? How would I be any different from the Little devils whom we despise?!”

“Our great Hua Xia, standing tall in the East of the world, relies not on treachery and petty self-interest, but on integrity, benevolence, and the ability to unite all forces that can be united! If we treat him with sincerity today, then perhaps if we meet again in the future, he will be a friend, not a foe. If we sow ill seeds today, we will surely reap ill fruit tomorrow!”

His words were impactful and resonated deeply, convincing everyone, who showed both shame and admiration.

Just then, Ye Baoguo's private communicator rang; it was Ye Chen.

He immediately answered.

Ye Chen's voice came through directly.

“Commander Ye, I've seen the situation on site simultaneously through Sky Eye. The masked man's voice has been de-noised and restored, and a voiceprint comparison has been done. There are a few suspected targets in the database, but further screening is needed.”

Ye Baoguo was initially surprised, but quickly his spirits lifted.

“Good! It's good to have a lead!”

Ye Chen's tone remained calm as he said:

“Please order the personnel on site, Commander, to collect all blood samples, fragmented clothing fibers, soil he stepped on, and brick fragments with bloodstains, using the highest standard biological containment vessels, and send them to the underground research facility.”

“I have a very important hypothesis that needs to be verified.”

Ye Baoguo was slightly taken aback, and just as he was about to say something, Ye Chen's communication was unilaterally cut off.

“...”

Ye Baoguo's mouth opened, but he quickly issued the command to Hu Yifan on site.

“Sharp Blade, War Wolf Squad, immediately lock down the scene to the highest level! Collect all biological samples and items left by the mysterious person, paying attention to sterile procedures and isolation! Once completed, immediately dispatch dedicated personnel to send them to the underground research facility at the fastest speed! This is a top priority mission!”

In the footage, the two special forces squads immediately sprang into action, carefully beginning to collect every drop of blood, every piece of torn cloth.

Ye Baoguo looked at the screen, then towards the direction of the Magic City's underground research facility, his brows slightly furrowed.

Wasn't Ye Chen pushing the 'New Human' project? Why would he suddenly be concerned with this situation? Could the masked man's powerful strength be related to the 'New Human' project?

Or... had an even more astonishing secret been discovered?