Chapter 338: Chapter 300: It’s Just You and Me

"Sorry for the trouble."

The SUV stopped in the dim tunnel. Ahead of them, Alex, who had shifted back to his human form, was negotiating in a low voice with Flynn and the others.

"What trouble is this?" Flynn waved a hand dismissively. "You should’ve just told me. I wouldn’t have been chasing you down."

As Flynn spoke, he turned to look at the car behind him.

The Miss Reporter was leaning against the car window, watching them. ’Oh, how cute.’

Flynn felt a rush of heat to his brain. The thrill of seeing a rumored female appear as a real, living person in front of him still hadn’t subsided.

But the matter wasn’t fully confirmed yet, and it wasn’t the right time for him to ask about it. He’d just have to find another opportunity later.

Alex handed his pass to Flynn. "It’s a special situation. Informing you in advance would have done you no good."

Flynn took it, glanced it over, and handed it back to Alex.

They couldn’t conduct a formal clearance check on them right now anyway. Alex showing them the pass was merely a gesture of respect and goodwill.

Flynn caught the same scent on him as on Miss Reporter and immediately understood their relationship.

’This guy’s not half bad,’ he thought. ’He’s a smooth talker, knows how to get things done, and he’s an alpha wolf. No wonder he became... Miss Reporter’s mate.’

"The Special Security Team is approaching," Brooke said, lowering his walkie-talkie to alert Alex’s group.

"We’ll need your cooperation in a moment," Alex said.

Flynn waved his hand. "Don’t be such a stranger! We’re brothers from now on. This is nothing."

Alex arched an eyebrow slightly but didn’t take the bait.

Flynn realized he was being a little too familiar. He coughed and patted Brooke next to him. "I mean, for his sake. You’re both from the Dog Clan, and you have a mission..."

Brooke shot a sidelong glance at his superior, whose brain had clearly been addled by the female, and said to Alex, "We’re doing this for the sake of your mission."

Flynn said, "Right, right. Your mission has such a high-security level, we should be helping."

Alex gave a slight nod. Wasting no more time, he walked over to the car, opened the passenger door, and lifted Gu Ning out.

Gu Ning asked, confused, "What are we doing?"

"We can’t take the car for now," he said as he put a hat on her.

Gu Ning looked at the two Beastmen behind him and asked, "Are we sneaking away?"

"Yes." Alex took the backpack Leighton handed him and helped Gu Ning put it on.

Gu Ning saw Leighton standing by the car, watching them. Mingxi and Belial were out of the vehicle, but they showed no sign of leaving with them. She looked up at Alex. "Just you and me?"

"Just you and me." Alex finished checking the items Gu Ning was taking with her. "Barto and the others have to stall the Special Security Team for a while. Don’t worry, they’ll catch up."

Seeing Gu Ning’s worried expression, Alex stroked her head and said gently, "There will be people to meet them along the way. If you’re worried about Cook, we can wait for them on the road for a bit."

Gu Ning understood this must have been planned in advance, so she didn’t dwell on it. The top priority was to leave Zone 15.

Leighton leaned against the car with a grin. "What, can’t bear to leave me?"

Gu Ning glanced at him but said nothing.

Leighton, however, understood the little rabbit’s look and clicked his tongue.

"Little rabbit, say something nice for me to hear," he said.

Although Gu Ning still had reservations about this Sheep Officer, he had protected her throughout their journey, and she probably wouldn’t see him again. So, she said magnanimously, "Stay safe. Don’t get hurt. All of you."

A happy smile spread across Leighton’s face. "You can drop that last part."

’Why’d she have to turn "you" into "you all"?’ he thought. ’It just doesn’t sit right.’

"Miss Gu Ning, we’ll catch up with you as soon as we can," Mingxi said.

Gu Ning looked at Mingxi and saw that he had taken off his jacket and tied it around his waist. She awkwardly averted her gaze.

Alex’s gaze swept dispassionately over Mingxi. The young Beastman seemed composed, but the roots of his ears were beet red, and the scent of his arousal hadn’t faded.

’It’s a good thing to separate him from Gu Ning right now.’

"Miss Gu Ning, we run really fast!" Belial chimed in, breaking the awkward tension growing between Gu Ning and Mingxi. His face was full of reluctance to see them go.

Gu Ning nodded.

"It’s time to go." Alex grabbed Gu Ning’s wrist, not wanting to watch her drag out her goodbyes.

Brooke started to follow, but Flynn caught his shoulder. "I’ll guide them. You stay here with the others and handle the Special Security Team."

"Deputy Chief," Brooke protested, reluctant.

Flynn said, "That’s an order."

Brooke could only stand his ground, watching the back of the young woman as she left. He patted the pocket at his waist, and just as she was about to step through a small door at the side of the tunnel, he couldn’t help but call out, "Miss Reporter."

Gu Ning and Alex turned back at the same time.

Brooke was silent for a few seconds before lowering his hand from his pocket. "It’s nothing."

’This thing... it’s probably not important to her, is it?’

’It’s just a broken strap, after all.’

"Let’s go." Alex put an arm around Gu Ning, and they ducked through the doorway.

Flynn clapped Brooke on the back, then followed them into the darkness.

*

「Third Military District.」

A frigid wind howled through the endless ruins, whistling past the district’s perimeter fence and gently stirring the overcoat worn by the man standing on the watchtower.

Even after standing in the cold wind for so long, the agitated fire in Biyou Si’s heart had yet to cool.

He crossed his arms, pacing back and forth with his head slightly lowered.

"General, we’ve intercepted their convoy, but..." A staticky voice crackled from his terminal. The signal on the other end sounded poor.

Biyou Si said, "Report."

The Beastman on the other end hesitated before saying, "We haven’t found the person you’re looking for."

Seemingly afraid of his anger, the voice on the other end quickly added, "They might still be hiding in the city. We’ll continue to search."

Biyou Si rubbed his forehead and took a deep breath. "Don’t bother. They’ve already escaped."

’That damn lion held me up, after all.’

The man on the other end was stunned for a moment and said in disbelief, "But our people are at every checkpoint, and we have eyes in the sky. Absolutely nothing could get out, not even a bird."

Biyou Si said coolly, "And what about underground?"

The Beastman on the comms stuttered, "U-Underground?"

"A bunch of idiots." Biyou Si let out a breath and disconnected the terminal.

"General," said the adjutant, who had been listening nearby as he stepped forward. "Perhaps they don’t have the female with them. Could they be deliberately trying to bait us?"

"The Special Security Team has been dealing with that group from Zone 19 for days without finding a single trace of a female."

"They have a Mimic Mixed Species with them," Biyou Si said.

The adjutant replied, "They do have a Mimic Mixed Species."

Biyou Si continued, "If they wanted to play games with us, why wouldn’t they use that Mimic Mixed Species?"

The adjutant’s expression was one of confusion.

Biyou Si smiled and shrugged off his military jacket. "They wiped their tracks too clean. Hiding her so carefully they don’t even dare use the Mimic Mixed Species they brought along... It seems the incident at Sky Watch Point was real after all."

The adjutant was shocked. "You mean..."

Biyou Si cut him off. "Was anyone missing from their convoy?"

"No," the adjutant replied.

Biyou Si pressed, "Not a single person?"

The adjutant nodded. "That’s right. Their convoy did swap personnel, but we’ve checked. Accounting for the team members who stayed behind, the departing group wasn’t short anyone."

Biyou Si thought for a moment. "Check how many people left Zone 19 around the same time their team did, both before and after."

The adjutant immediately went to investigate. Soon, he had obtained the number of people who had departed the zone and their information from an informant they had planted in Zone 19.

"Besides the two teams that went to Zone 15 before and after, over a hundred other people left Zone 19 during those two days. They’re all from the Military Department." The adjutant handed the checkpoint file in his hand to Biyou Si.

"That’s too many people," the adjutant said with a frown. "General, please give me some time to investigate."

Biyou Si’s brow, however, relaxed. He looked at the file in his hand, and a small smile played on his lips. "So they’re trying to throw up a smokescreen."

The adjutant asked, "So, should I still investigate?"

Just then, Biyou Si’s terminal lit up, and a message appeared.

Biyou Si glanced at his adjutant and handed the file back to him. "You’re dismissed."

After the adjutant turned to leave, Biyou Si opened the message:

[Zone 5, Alex]

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