Chapter 326: Self-destruct Program
「Meanwhile.」
The level-one alert from the laboratory was immediately transmitted to the Ouyang Family.
In a villa deep within the Ouyang Family's compound.
Ouyang Cheng stared intently at the screen. He had originally thought the manpower and firepower he'd dispatched would be enough to easily take care of the two of them.
He never expected they would let the pair escape.
Many of the surveillance cameras had been destroyed, so there was no way to know where they were. All they could confirm was the last place they were seen before they vanished.
"Useless! A bunch of useless fools!" Ouyang Cheng slammed his fist on the table in fury.
He hadn't wanted to kill Wells, which was why he only sent a few men and told them not to open fire immediately.
He never thought it would backfire!
Now, he was done caring about Wells. "I'm giving you five more minutes. If you can't deal with them in five minutes, I'll activate the self-destruct sequence!"
"And when that happens, every last one of you will die in there!"
The entire laboratory was now an impenetrable fortress. No one could get in or out.
No matter what, the lab's existence couldn't be exposed, and more importantly, the experimental data could not be taken!
That's why he was willing to destroy his own life's work, just to make sure the intruder who'd ruined everything was buried inside!
After issuing the order, Ouyang Cheng went back to staring at the screen.
Back in the laboratory, all security personnel had been mobilized.
They rushed toward the area where Xiao Ye and Wells were last seen and found the specific lab room they had entered.
Inside the room, Xiao Ye had already confirmed that one section of the wall had only been crudely reinforced.
'With enough force, it can be broken!'
Just then, a sudden noise came from outside!
It sounded like some kind of machinery was cutting through the door.
Wells trembled. "This is bad, they've found us! You have to think of something, quick!"
Xiao Ye's gaze swept around the room. It was filled with colorful things he'd never seen before.
"Do you have anything highly corrosive?"
"No," Wells answered instantly, without a second thought.
"Then can you use the materials here to concoct something?"
Wells froze for a moment, then his eyes lit up. "Yes!"
But just as quickly, he deflated like a popped balloon. "But it wouldn't be nearly strong enough to corrode metal this thick."
"We're running out of time. Go mix it. Leave the rest to me!"
"Right!"
Desperate to survive, Wells worked as fast as he could, concocting a vial of reagent in three minutes.
Meanwhile, the sound of cutting from outside grew clearer and clearer.
BZZZZT!
The cutting tool finally broke through the metal.
Wells's face was a mask of terror. "Hurry, hurry, they're about to get in!"
Xiao Ye took the reagent and splashed it onto the weak spot on the wall.
Instantly, billows of white smoke erupted, followed by a pungent, acrid smell.
The metal reacted with the chemical, its surface beginning to flake and crumble like pastry.
Outside, the cutting tool had already managed to slice a long line through the door.
Xiao Ye drew his pistol and fired several shots into the weakened area.
He then grabbed a heavy tool he'd found in the lab and swung it with all his might at the flower-like pattern of bullet holes.
BANG!
The metal was already partially corroded, and the gunshots had created a point of failure.
A single strike was all it took to smash through the metal at the center.
Sunlight and fresh air instantly poured in from the outside.
Wells's face lit up with glee. "Excellent! We can get out!"
Xiao Ye continued to widen the opening.
The cutting at the door continued unabated.
The five minutes were up!
Seeing that his men still hadn't caught them, Ouyang Cheng mercilessly activated the self-destruct sequence!
He dared not delay any longer. If the experimental data were to leak, the consequences would be unimaginable.
At the same time, an announcement echoed throughout the laboratory.
"Self-destruct sequence initiated. Please evacuate immediately. Countdown: 120 seconds... 119 seconds..."
The entire laboratory was instantly thrown into a panic.
"The self-destruct sequence? Oh my God, what the hell is going on?!"
"Let me out of here! I want out!"
Chaos erupted outside. Inside their room, an opening just large enough for one person to crawl through had been created.
Xiao Ye immediately gave Wells a boost. "The edges are jagged! Be careful! Protect your vital organs!"
'Time was too short; this was the best he could do.'
"Countdown: 59 seconds... 58 seconds... 57 seconds..."
Wells scrambled out with great effort.
He gasped, taking in huge gulps of fresh air.
Xiao Ye followed right after him.
Even though his gloves offered some protection, the jagged metal still sliced his palms.
"Countdown: 21 seconds... 20 seconds..."
Xiao Ye scrambled through as fast as he could.
He threw Wells over his shoulder and sprinted into the forest.
"Countdown: 1 second!"
BOOM!
A muffled explosion sounded.
The entire laboratory instantly imploded.
A massive cloud of smoke and dust billowed out.
Behind a tree trunk.
Wells was panting heavily. He was just a researcher, with the strength of a kitten; everything he'd endured today had pushed him far beyond his physical limits.
"I can't walk anymore."
Xiao Ye said nothing, simply hoisting the man onto his shoulder again and heading down the mountain path.
He had already memorized the patrol routes and used the quickest way to get clear.
At the foot of the mountain, men from the Xiao Family were already waiting for them.
Only when he was safely in the car did Wells finally feel like he had survived.
"Oh, God. Oh my God, I'm finally alive!"
He looked at Xiao Ye, his voice filled with sincere admiration. "You're incredible."
"Will you be the one escorting me to Country A?"
"Of course." Xiao Ye said nothing more, simply telling him to get some rest.
Wells leaned back against the seat and quickly fell asleep.
When he woke up again, he was in a sparse room, completely alone.
Wells was about to move when he realized he was handcuffed to a chair.
"What's going on?! Where is everyone? That guy—hey! Get out here!"
Xiao Ye was just outside the door, watching the scene inside clearly through a one-way mirror.
"That's him. Professor Wells. He was in charge of the species modification project at the Ouyang Family's lab."
Xiao Ye turned his head to look at the man beside him.
The man looked to be in his fifties, with sharp brows, piercing eyes, and an air of authority that commanded respect even when he wasn't angry.
His brows were tightly furrowed. "You've done well. I never expected we'd meet for the first time under circumstances like these."
This was the military headquarters in the Imperial City.
The very heart of Dragon Country itself!
The command center that controlled all of Dragon Country's foreign interests!
This man was none other than Dragon Country's one and only Grand General, the supreme commander of the military—General He!
Xiao Ye smiled faintly. "I didn't expect it either. My master always used to mention you, General He. I honestly thought we'd never meet."
Ordinary people would never have the chance to meet him.
Xiao Ye had the qualifications, but there would be no reason for him to come here unless it was for official business.
General He led him out of the observation room and into his office.
"Xiao Ye, I'm very grateful to you for bringing us such an important person and intel. What do you want as a reward?"
Xiao Ye looked at him and enunciated each word with cold precision, "I want the Ouyang Family."