Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A group of heavily ard Security Regint officers disembarked from their vehicles, following behind the blonde woman as she strode forward with swift, purposeful steps.
Their sudden arrival drew the attention of many survivors across the Spaceport.
The blonde woman swept her gaze coldly over Lin Xian and his group before locking eyes on Ding Junyi, the woman in the researcher’s uniform.
Without hesitation, she walked straight up to her, pulling out a mobile terminal, glancing at a photo for confirmation, and then speaking in a detached tone:
"I am Taylor Moreno, Federal District Chief and leader of this Special Investigation Unit. Did you initiate the communication with us?"
Her voice carried authority, her expression brimming with arrogance.
She didn’t spare even a glance at Lin Xian, Shi Diyuan, or the others, as if they weren’t worth her attention.
"Yes, that was ." Ding Junyi responded calmly.
Taylor scanned the group briefly before stating:
"You claid that three personnel from the Biological Research Departnt escaped from Underground City No. 9. Where are they?"
Inside the Infinite Train, Zhao Yan and Xu Wen had been waiting nervously.
The mont they saw the Federal Investigation Team, they clutched their bags and hurriedly rushed out of the train, nearly tripping over themselves in their eagerness.
"Us! That’s us!"
Before Ding Junyi could reply, Zhao Yan and Xu Wen had already rushed forward, introducing themselves eagerly.
"I’m Zhao Yan! Doctor of Molecular Biology, Biological Research Departnt, Underground City No. 9!"
"Xu Wen, Doctor of Biochemistry, Biological Research Departnt, and an official employee of the Federal Governnt!"
Despite the Federal Governnt abandoning them during the evacuation, seeing the Investigation Team now filled them with an overwhelming sense of relief and excitent.
The fact that the team had co specifically for them ant that, as scientific researchers, they still held so value in the eyes of the Federal Governnt.
Taylor scrutinized them, then spoke in a flat tone:
"Yesterday, we sent an aerial investigation team to Underground City No. 9. They’ve been missing for over eleven hours. Do you know what happened?"
"The city was completely overrun by subterranean creatures," Ding Junyi stated, pulling a portable hard drive from her coat pocket.
"This contains the system logs from the Underground City’s network, as well as our departnt’s research data. Everything you need to know is in there."
Taylor cast a glance at the device, and a subordinate imdiately stepped forward, connected it to a terminal, and began scanning the data.
After a mont, he whispered:
"The situation matches Headquarters' predictions… Most likely an S-Class Nocturnal Entity."
Taylor barely reacted.
"If that’s the case, then it’s no longer worth investigating. Prepare for withdrawal."
Then, she turned back to Ding Junyi, Zhao Yan, and Xu Wen.
"Take them with us. They’ll be useful for further assessnts."
"Really?! That’s fantastic! Thank you, Director Taylor!"
Zhao Yan and Xu Wen lit up with joy, their faces filled with emotion.
From being buried alive in the depths of a ruined city, to miraculously escaping, to now being taken back into the fold of the Federal Governnt—
It felt like they had walked through hell and back.
But then—
"Additionally—"
Taylor tapped her mobile terminal, pulling up a docunt, and continued:
"Aside from investigating Underground City No. 9, our mission also involves retrieving a classified biological research asset.
Did you recover it during your escape?"
Zhao Yan and Xu Wen’s faces instantly stiffened.
Displayed on Taylor’s terminal was an encrypted project code.
Others couldn’t understand it, but Ding Junyi, Zhao Yan, and Xu Wen knew exactly what it referred to.
The classified asset was none other than—
"Specin No. 1: Blood Scourge Flora."
"Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum."
As a high-ranking official, Taylor was no fool.
She imdiately noticed their unnatural expressions.
Without speaking, she began searching through the system logs on her terminal.
Monts later, she found security footage showing Lin Xian and his team rescuing the scientists—
And more importantly, she saw them transporting the containnt pod that held the Blood Scourge Flora.
"I see now."
Taylor handed the device to her subordinate, then walked past Ding Junyi and stood directly in front of Lin Xian.
"Sir," she said in an official tone, "on behalf of the Federal Governnt, I thank you for rescuing our research personnel.
Now, please return the property belonging to the Federal Governnt.
In exchange, I will provide you with a compensation package of survival supplies."
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Chen Sixuan, Shu Qin, and even Shi Diyuan’s group all frowned.
They had no idea what Taylor was talking about.
But Lin Xian did.
She was after that black flower.
What surprised him most, though, was Taylor’s own words—
It wasn’t just so random research specin.
The Blood Scourge Flora was an official target of the Federal Investigation Team.
It was far more valuable than he had expected.
"And what if I refuse?"
The words left Lin Xian’s mouth calmly, but they sent a shockwave through the group.
Taylor’s eyebrows furrowed.
"You refuse?"
Lin Xian smiled faintly and nodded.
"Yes, I refuse."
His voice remained steady, but his words left everyone stunned.
"I am not your employee, nor did I accept any Federal contracts.
We saved these people by choice, not under obligation.
Everything we recovered from Underground City No. 9 belongs to our team.
Do I not have the right to refuse?"
Taylor scoffed coldly.
"Underground City No. 9 was Federal property. Everything inside still belongs to us.
That includes the Gemini 11R Nuclear Electric Locomotive behind you."
Lin Xian’s expression darkened instantly.
He had risked his life retrieving those assets—and now they were trying to claim them as their own?
Brazen.
Absolutely shaless.
His gaze turned icy as he t Taylor’s stare head-on.
"So, Director Taylor—
How exactly do you plan to take it from ?"
Taylor’s expression hardened.
She stepped back and snapped:
"Security Regint!"
Clack! Clack! Clack!
The Security Regint soldiers behind her imdiately raised their weapons, aiming at Lin Xian and his crew.
Shi Diyuan and the others tensed—
Not expecting the situation to escalate this quickly.
Zhao Yan and Xu Wen stood frozen, their faces pale with fear.
And then—
Step.
Ding Junyi suddenly stepped forward, standing beside Lin Xian with her hands in her coat pockets.
She said nothing.
Taylor’s eyes narrowed.
"Dr. Ding, what is the aning of this?"
Ding Junyi exhaled slowly.
"The research I provided earlier contains all of my official contributions as a Federal scientist.
By submitting that data, I have fulfilled my contract as a Federal employee.
Therefore—
I am officially resigning.
From this mont onward, I am no longer a Federal employee."
"WHAT?!"
Zhao Yan gasped in shock, while Taylor’s face twisted in fury.
Only Lin Xian, standing beside her, understood exactly what she was doing—
And even he had to admit—
This woman was braver than he expected.
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