Chapter 126: Shen Yu Stood There

A faint sound came from behind him—Shen Yu knew they had received his signal.

His dark eyes remained locked on the front, calculating the time precisely as he shifted his right foot slightly.

In the next instant, he sprinted toward the laboratory.

He had thirty seconds to evade the patrol squad, leaving only ten seconds of buffer to ensure the guards wouldn’t notice anything unusual. Otherwise, they would run into them head-on.

If this were a solo operation, that timing wouldn’t be an issue for an Alpha.

The difficulty lay in the fact that this was a team mission.

The one leading the charge bore the greatest pressure—he had to unlock the door as fast as possible, securing enough time for the rest of the team to get inside.

Shen Yu’s gaze remained cold and focused, locking onto a precise point. His steps were silent yet swift, his burst of speed so intense that his figure flickered like a shadow. In the blink of an eye, he had already reached the entrance.

Pressing his fingerprint onto the scanner, the door trembled as it unlocked. Within moments, the Alphas behind him surged forward without hesitation, slipping inside like phantoms.

Even with their speed, they couldn’t outrun the passage of time.

As the door slowly began to close, only a small gap remained. From outside, the faint sound of approaching footsteps could be heard.

Ji Laili took a running start, his body launching into the air. His chestnut curls lifted with the momentum as he locked his gaze on the entrance. Using the force from his landing, he slid through the narrowing gap just in time.

Click.

The silver-white door sealed shut behind him.

From the other side, the patrol squad’s muffled voices echoed down the corridor:

“Did you hear something just now?”

“Everyone, keep quiet.”

“…What? I didn’t hear anything. Are you sure you’re not imagining things?”

“Damn, you scared me.”

The grumbling faded as the squad moved away, likely heading in another direction.

Ji Laili grinned, his eyes crinkling in amusement as he silently high-fived Lei Po before turning to Eugene and Zhai Yifei, raising both hands.

The meaning was clear.

Zhai Yifei chuckled and returned the high-five.

Eugene, unimpressed, rolled his eyes but lifted his hand regardless.

Their palms met in a soundless clap. Ji Laili’s smile deepened, his eyes curving in delight. When Shen Yu raised a hand, Ji Laili interlocked their fingers and gave a small shake before flashing him a thumbs-up.

He winked— Senior, you’re amazing.

They had successfully infiltrated the lab.

Shen Yu’s lips curled slightly as he pointed forward and gave a hand signal to advance.

Ji Laili gestured an “OK” before passing the command to the others and falling in step behind Shen Yu.

Although they had wandered near this area several times before, this was their first time inside. The laboratory was pitch black, the cold metallic surfaces of experimental equipment reflecting a faint, eerie gleam.

Shen Yu clearly knew this place well. Even in the darkness, he moved smoothly, avoiding obstacles and machinery with ease as he led them to a scanner.

Their objective was to rescue the experimental subjects. However, the mission had been planned in haste, and no one had expected to succeed in a single attempt.

Rather than a full-on rescue, this was more of an exploratory mission.

Shen Yu pulled out a thin, transparent sticker—on its surface, a series of spiral patterns mimicked the texture of a fingerprint.

He pressed it lightly onto the scanner.

A green light flashed.

Beep.

The door unlocked.

It worked?!

Everyone’s eyes widened in awe.

Shen Yu calmly put away the fingerprint sticker. Spending days in the lab and coming up empty-handed wasn’t his style.

His special status made him an anomaly. While the ordinary researchers either despised him or feared him too much to approach, they had no choice but to turn to the higher-ranking scientists for help in dealing with him.

They had hoped to pressure Shen Yu into compliance—exactly what he had been waiting for.

All the blood they had drawn from him over the past few days? Not wasted.

Inside the lab, as long as he was discreet enough, the available resources were practically limitless.

The fingerprint sticker was one such creation.

He had discreetly extracted the fingerprint of a Beta who had authority to speak in front of Wen Qiu Shui—just in case.

He hadn’t expected it to come in handy so soon.

The team didn’t dwell on their shock for long. Their attention quickly shifted to the now-unlocked door—this was their first time seeing the experimental subjects.

The door was equipped with motion sensors, and as it opened, lights automatically flickered on, illuminating the dark space.

Inside, silver metal bars formed what looked like a massive cage.

But what was locked inside weren’t beasts.

They were living, breathing humans.

There were four or five males and two females. The moment the door opened, a chaotic mix of pheromones surged out, making it impossible to determine their secondary genders.

Their bodies were thin and frail, clad only in short-sleeved shirts and shorts. Their arms and legs were covered in injection marks, with large patches of bruises and needle punctures staining their pale skin.

It was a sickening sight.

Lei Po clenched his fists, his voice low and trembling with fury.

“Damn those Imperial bastards!”

Eugene’s gaze swept over the cold metal bars, a fire burning in his chest. Hearing Lei Po curse, he couldn’t hold back either—his voice carried barely restrained anger:

“One day, we’re going to wipe out those heartless scum!”

Zhai Yifei didn’t stop them. His cold eyes gleamed with icy resolve, showing silent agreement.

They were the same race—to see their own people imprisoned like this stirred a complicated mix of emotions.

More than that, it was their duty to protect them.

If not for the fact that they couldn’t act recklessly yet, Lei Po and Eugene would’ve already charged out and slaughtered those Imperial bastards.

Inside the cage, someone suddenly stirred.

The sudden burst of light was immediately captured by their retinas—but their reaction was far more intense than expected.

As Lei Po and Eugene were still muttering curses about the Imperial scum, the prisoners inside the cage snapped their eyes open, their gazes sharp with vigilance and hostility.

One of them—a man and the only one whose Alpha status was still recognizable—stepped forward, positioning himself protectively in front of the others.

His fierce gaze radiated a dangerous intensity.

Judging by the visible needle marks on his arms and legs, he had endured the most injections among them. Though his stance was unsteady, his resolve was unshakable—he firmly shielded the others behind him.

It was clear that if they took even one step closer, he would attack.

Ji Laili lifted his gaze, first glancing at the motion sensor, his lips pressing into a tight line.

Beside him, Zhai Yifei abruptly interrupted the two still cursing under their breath.

“Quiet.”

Meeting the wary and defensive gazes of the captives, Zhai Yifei felt a headache coming on.

He wasn’t sure what to say to get them to calm down.

If they panicked and caused a commotion, attracting the patrol squad would be a disaster.

After a brief hesitation, Zhai Yifei glanced at Ji Laili, deciding to let him handle it.

This was something best left to those who were good at it.

Catching Zhai Yifei’s eye, Ji Laili immediately understood, giving a small nod.

But before he could even flash his usual reassuring smile, something unexpected happened.

The tall Alpha prisoner shifted his intense gaze past Ji Laili, looking at someone standing just behind him.

For a brief moment, his vicious glare flickered—then, to everyone’s surprise, his hostility faded entirely.

Because standing right there was Shen Yu.