Then...
Lin Yue spoke.
"I found something."
She enlarged the photograph.
Chen Lihua’s left arm.
A small patch.
Almost invisible.
Lin Yue zoomed.
"Injection site."
Rose looked.
"Recent?"
"Less than forty eight hours."
"Can you tell what?"
"No."
"But..."
She pointed toward Chen Lihua’s pupils.
"Dilated."
"Skin slightly pale."
"Muscle tension reduced."
"She’s sedated."
Shen Tian’s eyes became colder.
Lin Yue continued.
"But not heavily."
"They need her conscious."
"Why?"
Lin Yue stared at the photograph.
"Experiments."
Silence.
Nobody laughed.
Nobody teased.
The atmosphere changed.
Shen Tian’s Dragon aura shifted.
Just slightly.
The lights flickered.
Rose looked toward him.
"Shen Tian."
He closed his eyes.
The aura disappeared.
"I’m fine."
Bai Xue stared.
"No, you’re angry."
"Yes."
"Good."
Everyone looked toward her.
Bai Xue’s expression was cold.
"If they’re doing what I think they’re doing..."
She looked at Chen Lihua.
"...be angry."
. . .
A phone rang.
Not Shen Tian’s.
Rose’s.
She looked down.
Unknown number.
Everyone became silent.
Rose answered.
"Speak."
A familiar voice came through.
"Rose."
Her expression changed.
Adrian.
Shen Tian raised an eyebrow.
Rose put the call on speaker.
Adrian continued.
"Is Shen Tian with you?"
Shen Tian answered.
"No."
Silence.
Adrian sighed.
"Funny."
"Thank you."
"Put him on."
"You’re on speaker."
Another silence.
Then...
"Great."
Elena’s voice appeared faintly in the background.
"I told you."
Adrian ignored her.
"We have a problem."
Shen Tian smiled.
"Everyone keeps saying that."
"This one involves my family."
"I know."
Silence.
Adrian’s voice became serious.
"How?"
"Chen Lihua called me."
Nothing.
Absolute silence.
Then...
Adrian whispered...
"What?"
Shen Tian repeated.
"Chen Lihua called me."
"When?"
"Last night."
"Where is she?"
"France."
Adrian swore.
Elena said something quietly in the background.
Adrian continued.
"Listen carefully."
"My father had dealings with an organization called Crown Meridian."
Bai Xue’s eyes sharpened.
Another name.
Adrian continued.
"I didn’t know much."
"Original Adrian didn’t care."
"He thought it was just another military biotech contractor."
"But after Fenrir..."
"My system unlocked more memories."
Shen Tian’s expression changed.
"What memories?"
"Vale family records."
"Not mine."
"The body’s."
Adrian paused.
Then...
"My grandfather worked with them."
Silence.
"For what?"
"Enhanced soldiers."
Rose’s face hardened.
Adrian continued.
"Long before Fenrir."
"Different program."
"Same concept."
"Take cultivators."
"Take bloodlines."
"Take ancient martial families."
"Turn them into something useful."
Lin Yue looked disgusted.
Adrian’s voice became colder.
"My family supplied security."
"Transportation."
"Sometimes subjects."
Silence.
Elena’s voice appeared.
"He didn’t know."
Adrian became quiet.
Shen Tian looked toward Rose.
She stared at the phone.
Then...
Adrian continued.
"I know what Chen Lihua said."
Shen Tian’s eyebrow rose.
"How?"
"My system gave me a mission."
Of course.
Adrian Vale Major Fate Route
Xu Ning opened a panel.
Vale Bloodline Reckoning
Objective: Destroy remaining Crowned Serpent relationship with Vale family
Rescue Chen Lihua
Expose grandfather’s involvement
Potential Fate Gain: 67,000
Shen Tian stared.
Adrian continued.
"And before you ask..."
"I’m not asking to work together."
Shen Tian smiled.
"Good."
Rose looked between the phone and Shen Tian.
Adrian continued.
"I’m going."
"So am I."
"Fine."
"We stay out of each other’s way."
"Fine."
"If I reach her first..."
"Take her."
Adrian stopped.
"What?"
Shen Tian leaned against the table.
"If you reach Chen Lihua first, rescue her."
Silence.
Adrian had expected competition.
Possession.
Fate theft.
Something.
Not that.
Then...
His thoughts reached Elena.
Why is he making this easy?
Elena sighed.
"Adrian."
He froze.
Right.
She could hear him.
Shen Tian couldn’t.
But Rose could hear Adrian’s inner voice through the Fate resonance over the call?
Rose suddenly blinked.
Interesting.
The connection was weak.
But...
There.
Adrian thought...
Wait.
Rose smiled.
Adrian froze.
"Rose?"
"Yes?"
"Can you hear me?"
She smiled wider.
"Maybe."
"Fuck."
Elena laughed.
Shen Tian stared at Rose.
Then...
"What’s he thinking?"
Adrian immediately shouted.
"NO."
Rose laughed.
"He wants to know why you’re making this easy."
Shen Tian nodded.
"Because Chen Lihua isn’t a treasure."
Silence.
Adrian became quiet.
Shen Tian continued.
"Whoever reaches her first gets her out."
"That’s it."
Elena’s expression softened on the other end.
Adrian sighed.
"Fine."
Then...
His next thought came.
Why does the villain keep being the reasonable one?
Rose covered her mouth.
Shen Tian looked toward her.
"What?"
She shook her head.
Adrian realized.
"Don’t."
Rose smiled.
"He called you reasonable."
Shen Tian looked offended.
"Disgusting."
The room laughed.
Adrian groaned.
. . .
Then...
Another voice entered the call.
"Shen Tian."
Chen Mo.
Everyone froze.
Shen Tian stared at the phone.
"Why are you there?"
Chen Mo sounded irritated.
"I’m not."
Silence.
Shen Tian blinked.
"What?"
"I’m calling Adrian separately."
Adrian sighed.
"Three way call."
Shen Tian stared.
Xu Ning smiled.
[Technology.]
"Quiet."
Chen Mo continued.
"My mother called you."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"No idea."
Silence.
Chen Mo’s breathing changed.
Anger.
Confusion.
Fear.
Not for himself.
For her.
Shen Tian recognized it.
Then...
Chen Mo spoke quietly.
"Is she alive?"
"Yes."
"You saw her?"
"Photograph."
"Send it."
Shen Tian did.
Silence.
Long silence.
Then...
Chen Mo inhaled sharply.
His thoughts became loud enough for the Fate linked women nearby to hear.
She’s alive.
Mu Qingqing wasn’t present.
Ji Xuan wasn’t present.
Luo Xiaoyu wasn’t present.
But...
Rose heard through the strange resonance.
So did Chi Lingxi.
Ling Shuangxue.
Qin Ruobing.
The others.
Chen Mo thought...
She’s actually alive.
No arrogance.
No assumptions.
No heroine routes.
Just a son.
Then...
I’m coming.
Shen Tian spoke.
"Obviously."
Chen Mo froze.
"You can’t hear me."
Silence.
Shen Tian paused.
Then...
For exactly one second...
He looked genuinely confused.
Everyone stared.
Shen Tian looked toward Rose.
Rose stared back.
Then...
He remembered.
The women.
Right.
He had always known.
Shen Tian slowly rubbed his forehead.
"I forgot for a second that half the room is basically a protagonist thought surveillance network."
Silence.
Then...
The room exploded laughing.
Rose leaned against the table.
Chi Lingxi covered her mouth.
Tang Meilin almost fell out of her chair.
Ling Shuangxue actually laughed.
Bai Xue pointed at him.
"You forgot?"
"For one second."
Xu Ning was laughing harder than anyone.
[Host.]
"Quiet."
[You looked so confused.]
"I wasn’t confused."
[You absolutely were.]
Shen Tian ignored her.
Chen Mo’s voice came through the phone.
"Are you done?"
Shen Tian smiled.
"No."
Chen Mo sighed.
Then...
A woman’s voice came through beside him.
"That’s Shen Tian?"
Chen Ruoxi.
Shen Tian closed his eyes.
Not again.
Rose immediately smiled.
"Oh."
Shen Tian pointed at her.
"No."
Rose looked innocent.
"What?"
"No."
Chen Ruoxi’s voice came closer.
"Rose?"
Rose’s smile became dangerous.
"Ruoxi."
Qin Hao’s voice suddenly appeared too.
"Why am I still on this call?"
Shen Tian froze.
"Qin Hao?"
"Unfortunately."
Silence.
Adrian started laughing.
Chen Mo sounded exhausted.
Elena muttered something.
Han Yuer’s laughter appeared faintly in the background.
Shen Tian stared at the phone.
Then...
At Xu Ning.
"What is this?"
[A protagonist conference call.]
"End it."
Qin Hao immediately spoke.
"Agreed."
Adrian said...
"Seconded."
Chen Mo added...
"Please."
Rose smiled.
"No."
Three protagonists groaned simultaneously.
The heroines laughed.
(Author’s Note: IMPORTANT!)
SEND POWESTONES!!!
ALL SUPER GIFTS (Magic Castle, Space Ship, Golden Gachapon) = MORE ChapterS!

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