As the tram made its way through the tunnel, Xiao Luo felt like he was entering a mine shaft. It was not completely dark as low-intensity lamps were installed along the passageway, providing sufficient illumination to move about, but it was still relatively dark in there. The tram was not completely shuttered, allowing cold gusts of air generated to flow through the carriage as they moved. The frigid draft made the men shiver.
Suzuki Ikuo folded his arms over his chest to stay warm. “This doesn’t look like a track to a military installation. It looks more like the road to hell!” he said.
Suzuki Ikuo had fear and anxiety written all over his face. He wanted to believe that everything happening here was nothing but a nightmare, for he had a foreboding feeling he was helplessly approaching death.
“Ah!” The mute man uttered a sound in response.
The deaf man nodded as well.
“You’re such a coward. Why did you even join the yakuza?” Xiao Luo sneered. He saw the anxiety in Suzuki Ikuo, and he felt compelled to say his piece when the man started whining.
“I…”
Suzuki Ikuo was at a loss for words. He dared not talk back to Xiao Luo, who was, in his eyes, a terrifying, murderous monster. But inwardly, he thought to himself—why don’t you find any random yakuza member and see if he’s any braver than I am?
The tram was only traveling at a moderate speed, at around 30 to 40 miles per hour, and after being in the dark tunnel for about 20 minutes, they saw light. Soon, they were almost reaching the end of the tunnel, and there they saw another platform. The tram started slowing down as it was programmed to do.
The platform looked clean and spotless.
The environment appeared to be sanitized, like a clean room, and it was evident that this was a place for the development of advanced technologies, for there were many biohazard signs on the walls.
Suzuki Ikuo’s heart leaped to his throat. His area of expertise was to engage in turf wars or collect protection money. He had never seen anything like this before. The fact that this was a covert military base and its whereabouts was considered classified, made him feel slightly anxious and he could barely breathe.
“Major General Matsushita!”
About a dozen soldiers dressed in black uniforms and armed to the teeth lined up to welcome Xiao Luo. Right in front of the group was a Ri Nation officer with a long face. He saluted as Xiao Luo alighted from the tram.
“Mmm,” Xiao Luo responded. He had both his hands behind his back, and he looked every bit the picture of an arrogant senior officer who had no regard for others.
He did a quick sweep of his surroundings and spotted a metal door. It looked like it was constructed of the same material as the main gate of the villa. This was a double door and he could tell it was the entrance into the research facility.
Just as he took a step toward that direction, the Ri Nation man with the long face suddenly asked, “Major General Matsushita, why didn’t Chinatsu come with you?”
He was alert. He looked at Suzuki Ikuo and the other two men standing next to him. These three were unfamiliar faces, and the base was a classified high-security location. As part of their security precautions, it was necessary to be meticulous in their screening.
“You think that there is a problem with my men?”
Xiao Luo’s gaze was icy cold. Instantly, the temperature in the area seemed to plunge to freezing point.
The Ri national with the long face shuddered. “I… I wouldn’t dare, Sir,” he quickly said.
As he spoke, he took two steps back and quickly lowered his head.
“That is better. Now, open the door!” Xiao Luo took long strides as he walked toward the research facility.
“Yes, Sir!”
The long-faced Ri national immediately scampered after Xiao Luo. He video-called the security officer stationed inside the facility to get entry clearance. The security officer verified the request, and the door opened from the inside.
The long-faced Ri national gestured for Xiao Luo to step in, and the latter walked right in with no hesitation.
Suzuki Ikuo and his two henchmen mustered up their courage and followed Xiao Luo. To them, it felt no different from stepping into hell. Even if they could make it out alive, they were more worried that they would be placed on the military’s blacklist. If it came to that, there would be no place on the entire island of Ri Nation to hide.
…
…
Upon entering, they saw many workers dressed in white hazmat suits inside the facility. Xiao Luo and his party were then escorted to Yamashita Tomotake’s office by a lady.
This lady was evidently meeting major general Matsushita Take for the first time, as she introduced herself the minute she met Xiao Luo. She was Nakamura Miko, and Xiao Luo learned that there had been a breakthrough in the research here. She informed him that a highly powerful and aggressive genetically mutated warrior was almost ready. Yamashita Tomotake wanted to invite the major general to witness this miraculous moment.
“Bring me to the one with the toxic body!” Xiao Luo instructed.
“You wish to see the toxic one, Major General?” asked Nakamura Miko. Doubt and confusion were written all over her face.
Xiao Luo said, “Is there a problem?”
“No, no. I’m just wondering why you wanted to see her, Major General,” Nakamura Miko replied.
“The Major General can see whoever he wants to see. What reason does he need? Enough of this nonsense, just bring us there!”
It was Suzuki Ikuo who said that. He had been keeping a lid on his nervousness, and when the opportunity came, he naturally felt the urge to shout at someone to release his pent-up anxiety.
Nakamura Miko was startled and did not dare to pursue her question any further. She nodded and said, “Yes, Sir!”
…
…
The interior of the research facility was well lit. Xiao Luo and his party followed Nakamura Miko into the lift, where they headed further down the shaft.
My God, we’re probably beneath Lake Kawaguchi, Suzuki Ikuo thought to himself. As someone who was claustrophobic, he was very distressed by this, although the facility did not seem like it was underground at all.
Xiao Luo’s eyes scanned around the place. There were many test subjects being confined here, and they looked utterly helpless, just like lab rats. And what awaited them was nothing but despair and agony.
“We’re here!” Nakamura Miko said with a smile.
The doors to the elevator opened. “This is the lowest level of the facility, and this is where we hold all the live test subjects. We have many inferior people from the Hua Nation, Vietnam, and Korea.”
Inferior people?
Standing beside Xiao Luo, even Suzuki Ikuo seemed riled up when he heard this.
There was a small squad of security personnel stationed here, and they were armed with rifles. After Nakamura Miko introduced Xiao Luo, they all saluted him respectfully.
Xiao Luo completely ignored their presence and looked around the place. He saw rows of sealed metal containment cells on one side. He glanced through the window on the doors of these locked cells to see the inside. Each of these held a live test subject, but in one cell, what he saw shook him to his core. They were a mother and son, and he recognized them immediately—Xie Wenchang’s wife and son. The image of the family holding each other after their reunion suddenly flashed in his mind, and he had never expected that he would see them here like this.
The woman and child were both wearing hospital gowns. There was a forlorn look in their eyes, and they were sitting in one corner of the cell. The woman held her child protectively in her embrace. When they saw a pair of old, vicious eyes staring through the window, the woman immediately blanched and started trembling. Her eyes were filled with fear and horror, for she only saw the major general and had no idea that it was Xiao Luo. Her first thought was that the people at the facility were here to take them away to conduct experiments.
“When were they brought in?” Xiao Luo asked.
Nakamura Miko stepped forward and replied, “Yesterday afternoon. According to the information I have, this is a family of three who came to Ri Nation for a vacation. They have no relatives or friends in Hua Nation and therefore, were suitable to be our test subjects. Nobody would even notice even if they disappeared from the face of the earth.”
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