166: You can't fool me.

Base Director, this is bad. That... that Zhou Yan has a problem. We seem to have caught the wrong person!

"What!"

Upon hearing his subordinate's report, the Base Director, who was reading a newspaper, immediately dropped it and rushed to the place where Zhou Yan was being held.

Looking through the special glass, there was no sign of Zhou Yan inside. Only a scruffy cat was grunting and eating the large amount of food that had been sent in earlier.

The guard beside him also panicked and quickly explained.

"Leader, please listen to me. He really just suddenly turned into this."

"No one entered during my watch, and even the food was delivered by machine."

The Base Director ignored the guard's panic and instead burst out laughing.

A guard nearby couldn't help but ask curiously.

"Why is the Base Director laughing?"

"I'm laughing at Zhou Yan's lack of strategy and your lack of wisdom."

"I personally captured this person. Not only did I confirm his aura, but I also found his friend following him, attempting to help him escape. I only apprehended him after repeated confirmation."

"Now he's just used a little trick, transforming into a scruffy cat, and you're already hesitating?"

The Base Director looked at everyone with a confident expression.

"Leader, isn't that a lion?" a young man next to him casually remarked.

The Base Director's face flushed slightly, but he quickly suppressed it with his cultivation, then asked with a pleasant expression.

"What's your monthly salary?"

"Ah? Leader, I, I..." The man saw the Base Director's fake smile and realized he had said the wrong thing, about to apologize.

But the Base Director released his aura, and the Core Formation Middle Stage pressure forced his words back down.

"I asked you, what's your monthly salary!"

His tone intensified a few shades.

"Reporting... reporting, Leader, 6800 a month."

As soon as he finished speaking, the other party received a transfer notification.

"This is your salary for this month. You don't need to come tomorrow."

"Leader, Leader, I..."

"Get out!" With another release of pressure, the man dared not look up and hastily left.

After the man left, the Base Director spoke indifferently.

"Do you think I don't know he turned into a lion? 'Scruffy cat' is a metaphor, a derogatory term!"

"Next time, if you can't speak properly, shut up."

Everyone repeatedly affirmed.

"Alright, since he likes to turn into a lion, let him. Anyway, our mission is just to keep an eye on him for these few days."

With that, he turned and left dashingly.

His Secretary Liu followed closely behind.

"Xiao Liu, which department was that kid from just now? That department needs to strengthen its ideological construction in the future, they are too insensible."

Secretary Liu's face showed embarrassment, unsure how to answer.

Seeing Secretary Liu not respond, the Base Director turned his face and asked in confusion.

"I'm asking you a question, why aren't you answering?"

"That... Director Wu, he... he was a temporary worker sent by Lianxing Pavilion, and he's going back to Lianxing Pavilion after this month."

The Base Director remained silent, only quickening his pace and walking in the direction the man had left.

"Hey, I told you, you really caught the wrong person, not to mention I'm not even human."

Yuan Chenling finished all the food again, then started to grumble. But the guard didn't believe him this time, instead saying with a look of disdain.

"Zhou Yan, oh Zhou Yan, don't try to fool me anymore!"

"Even the Base Director, that great Core Formation Cultivator, has identified you as Zhou Yan, so whether you are Zhou Yan or not, you are Zhou Yan."

"But to escape, you even said something like 'I'm not human'. You don't have an ounce of a Prodigy's demeanor. I despise you."

"Just stay put, you'll save some energy."

After the guard finished speaking, he turned around and threw in another batch of food.

Yuan Chenling happily continued eating.

Of course, he knew explanations were useless, but if he grumbled a bit, the other party would find it annoying and feed him. Since he was locked up and couldn't get out, and his boss would definitely come to rescue him, he might as well eat and drink well, then just wait for salvation.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the base.

Wang Yao walked ahead with a cold demeanor, while a middle-aged man constantly fussing over him walked beside him.

Xiao Sheng felt very uncomfortable watching the two men in front of him in such a posture, wondering how Wang Yao could tolerate it.

After repeatedly confirming that the other party had no cultivation and no special instruments on him, he generously began a Divine Sense exchange with Wang Yao.

"Brother Wang, what did you do? Why is he suddenly so obedient?"

"This guy's personality is very similar to someone in our Sect, but he's inferior in all aspects. I have a lot of experience dealing with people like him."

"Plus, I've been using my Divine Sense to get information from the outside world, and he's been constantly saying self-pitying things, practically confessing everything."

"I pretended to cooperate for a while, and then I tricked him into agreeing to take us to where Senior Brother Zhou is being held."

Sage Xiao didn't fully understand, but he felt that Wang Yao was terrifyingly strong this time.

Just like that, the Xiao-Wang duo followed him to a huge door.

After verifying their identities, the door opened, but the expected trapped Zhou Yan was not inside.

Inside was only a giant jar, and in the jar was a half-human-tall egg. Several pipes were connected around the jar, leading to several smaller jars.

The man took Wang Yao's hand and excitedly walked to the jar.

"Wan'er, this is the experiment you've always wanted to participate in."

"Look, this magnificent scene!"

"Come back, as long as you return to my side, I will immediately let you join the team, and we will research this supreme power together!"

However, Wang Yao's expression was not very good at this moment.

"Why did you bring me here? Shouldn't we be going to the place where Zhou Yan is held?"

"Zhou Yan? Didn't you say you wanted to see our latest results?"

"I was talking about the person we recently caught!"

Seeing the other party's expression turn cold, the man's body stiffened.

"I'm a researcher; if you want to see the person we caught, you have to go to the security department. But it's okay, I'll help you contact them to find him right away."

The man seemed to realize something, yet he still feigned a lovestruck appearance and turned to leave.

"Bang!"

"Ew—!"

Xiao Sheng looked at the "watermelon juice" that almost splattered on him, feeling a bit nauseated.

"Why did you kill him?" Xiao Sheng asked, puzzled.

Although he also saw that the other party had realized Wang Yao was fake, usually he would just knock them out. This direct killing was unlike Wang Yao's style.

"This kind of guy who harms others and then tries to make up for it with self-pity is a complete Demonic Path fiend."

"I've been very restrained to tolerate him for so long."

"And he probably won't take us to find Senior Brother, so it's better to strip him of his clothes and use his identity to find him ourselves."

With that, Wang Yao began to strip the man's clothes.

Xiao Sheng wanted to say something, but felt that the man indeed deserved to die, so he ultimately didn't speak, only helping Wang Yao stick a Transformation Talisman on him.

Wang Yao, now in the man's likeness, tried hard to adjust his expression.

Soon, a 'him' with an arrogant expression, looking down on everyone, appeared.

"This guy really acts like whatever he transforms into... Is this not my talisman?" Xiao Sheng secretly wondered.

Wang Yao picked up the ID card on the ground and put it into his jacket pocket.

"You dispose of the body, I'll go find Senior Brother, and then we'll meet up."

With that, Wang Yao pushed the door open and went to look for Zhou Yan.

After Xiao Sheng dealt with the body, he idly looked around and touched things.

Finally, he wandered to the giant egg in the center, stroked his chin, and looked at the giant egg.

"This egg looks a bit familiar..."

"I remember! Old Zhou's Flood Dragon egg also looked like this, but this one is much bigger and seems to have more vitality."

"How about... I just take it?"

Meanwhile, the Base Director, who failed to reclaim his "hope and future," was slumped in his office chair, his eyes devoid of light.

It wasn't until the office door was pushed open and Secretary Liu walked in, placing a chip on the table, that he regained some spirit.

"Director Wu, I think you need to see this."