Chapter 138: Nagano Wastelands

Eugene flinched in surprise, gripping the communicator tightly. Instinctively, he swung at the person behind him.

Ji Laili had only asked a casual question, but caught off guard by the sudden attack, he had no choice but to defend himself. By the time Eugene realized who he was fighting, the two had already exchanged several moves.

“Damn, you scared me! Do you always walk around without making a sound?” Eugene grumbled.

Ji Laili lowered his gaze and shot him a cool look. “You’re the one sneaking around here. If I can spot you, that means others can too.”

His eyes flicked downward, landing on the communicator in Eugene’s hand. His brows furrowed. “Where did you get that?”

Eugene raised a brow smugly. “I brought it with me before coming to the base.”

“I couldn’t let you guys and Instructor Aiger take all the credit. I—”

His words trailed off as he caught sight of Ji Laili’s serious expression, his sharp gaze tinged with an icy glint.

It had been a long time since Eugene had seen him wear such an expression. For once, a rare sense of unease crept up his spine. He clenched the communicator tighter, trying to shake off the strange feeling. His tone turned defensive. “What’s with that look?”

Ji Laili’s voice was steady but pointed. “Have you ever wondered why the Imperials never discovered this communicator?”

Eugene frowned. Ji Laili’s cold stare unsettled him, stirring an irritation he couldn’t quite place. He was about to snap back—wasn’t it just because he had hidden it well enough that they failed to find it?

But the words caught in his throat.

Was that really possible?

What had once been his smug confidence now felt like a joke.

The base’s leaders had already suspected a Federation spy was among them. Would their security scans really have missed something as critical as a communicator?

If they had detected it, then why hadn’t they confiscated it immediately?

Ji Laili continued, “Maybe the communicator has some kind of detection-blocking function.”

“Or maybe… they recognized it during the scan and chose not to expose it right away.”

Eugene froze. Ji Laili’s next words came like a blade slicing through the last of his denial. “Who gave you this communicator?”

Eugene’s voice dropped to a whisper. “…Instructor Philo.”

Ji Laili didn’t look particularly surprised.

His fingers clenched tightly around the device, while Eugene stood there, refusing to believe the possibility forming in his mind.

“Instructor Philo wouldn’t do something like that. He can’t be compromised—”

Was he trying to convince Ji Laili or himself?

The mere thought that his respected instructor might be involved was something Eugene couldn’t bring himself to accept.

But then, another realization struck him. His expression darkened. “Shit! I already told Instructor Philo about Lei Po’s extraction plan!”

If—if—Ji Laili’s suspicions were right…

The communicator creaked under the force of Eugene’s grip. Sensing his growing panic, Ji Laili grasped his wrist, speaking in a low, firm voice. “Don’t panic.”

“Without concrete evidence, this is still just a theory.”

“Stay calm, senior. Send another message to Instructor Philo. I’ll contact Instructor Aiger as soon as possible.”

Eugene took a deep breath and gave a small nod. Ji Laili released his wrist and instructed him, “Keep the communicator on. After you send the message, go find Senior Shen.”

“Let him handle the device.”

With that, Ji Laili quickly messaged Lauri to confirm his location and dashed off in that direction.

Yet, every fingerprint scan, every facial recognition checkpoint along the way felt like it was eating up precious time, slipping through his fingers like sand.

The moment the door slid open, he bolted forward.

Like a gust of wind, he tore past the patrolling guards, leaving them with nothing but the afterimage of his silhouette.

Faster. He had to move faster.

For the first time, Ji Laili felt the weight of the road beneath him.

As if he were running along the lifeline of everyone counting on him.

Lei Po’s face, Chi Fei’s teasing voice, the desperate people they had risked everything to rescue—all of it flashed through his mind.

He could only pray.

Please, let this just be a false alarm.

Please… let them be safe.

---

Nagano Wastelands

As the name suggested, the landscape was barren—devoid of trees. Yet, the climate remained mild year-round. The wind swept over endless fields of wild grass, stretching all the way to the horizon.

“Not bad, actually.”

Chi Fei commented, admiring the view.

Lei Po, on the other hand, had no interest in sightseeing. A vein twitched on his forehead as he watched the group of rescued individuals curiously examining the grass—before long, they were already chasing each other through the fields like children at play.

“Aren’t you going to stop them? We’re not here for a damn picnic. They’re making themselves a huge target.”

Chi Fei, however, understood. “They’re all pretty young. Before they could even reach adulthood, they were locked up in that lab. They’ve never seen anything like this before. I’ll go talk to them.”

“Forget it.” Lei Po stopped him, shoving his hands into his pockets as he gazed out at the rolling fields. He clicked his tongue. “Let them play.”

“Bunch of rookies acting like they’ve never seen grass before. There are plenty more places they’ll see in the future.”

Chi Fei smirked, raising a brow. “‘Rookies,’ huh? You sure you won’t wake up in the middle of the night and slap yourself for stopping them?”

Lei Po scowled. “If anyone’s getting slapped, it’s you, not me! I wasn’t the one trying to stop them!”

Chi Fei rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then nodded as if making a grand realization. “So, in other words, you’re actually a good person.”

This insufferable, smug bastard of a senior!!

How the hell had Chi Fei survived this long without someone beating the crap out of him? How had his companions not killed him yet?

Lei Po, at least, had a strong urge to do so.

Aiger wasn’t here yet. That meant there was still time to punch this guy.

The thought barely formed before Lei Po rolled up his sleeves with a cold smirk.

Chi Fei’s eyes widened in alarm. “Wait, you’re serious?!”

“I don’t play around.”

Just then, he felt a tug at his sleeve.

Lei Po looked down.

A girl from the rescued group had grabbed onto his jacket, smiling up at him.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

Lei Po: …!

“What the hell are you thanking me for?” Lei Po took three steps back, his tone flustered and wary, as if faced with some insurmountable dilemma.

“I heard that curly-haired brother call you ‘Brother Po.’ Thank you, Brother Po! Big Brother Chi Fei is really nice—can you not hit him?”

Hah… So it was for Chi Fei. Lei Po felt a little annoyed.

Seeing the girl’s expectant gaze, he scowled but yanked down his rolled-up sleeves in a few quick motions.

“If I hit you now, you might scream. Who knows, maybe those Imperial idiots would hear it. I’ll beat you up when we get back.”

Chi Fei: “Uh… thanks, I guess?”

Seeing Lei Po’s irritated expression, Chi Fei couldn’t help but laugh. Feeling more at ease, he said, “Relax. They’re all grateful to you—not just because of me.”

“These kids are wary by nature, always on guard.”

Because in their lives, there was no margin for error. One misplaced trust could mean never getting another chance.

“I’m grateful too. Thank you for not giving up on them.”

Hearing Chi Fei suddenly speak so seriously made Lei Po uncomfortable. He was bad at dealing with this kind of thing—really bad.

“I already said I’d get you all out of here, so stop with the senti—” His voice cut off abruptly, eyes flashing with alarm.

“Danger! Get down—now!”