Ling Chen nodded, agreeing with He Ziyun’s speculation. The God Organization had already cultivated masters of the Earthly List and might even possess masters of the Heavenly List. It was unnecessary to focus on them; there had to be something amiss.
Thinking it over, Ling Chen suddenly let out a bitter laugh, slapping his forehead. He didn’t even know whether he could leave this place alive, so why bother with these concerns? What good was knowing more if he was still doomed to die in the end? Instead of guessing the motives of the God Organization, it would be better to think of a way to escape from this damned place.
While pondering, he heard a light tapping noise coming from the cell next door. Looking through the glass window, Ling Chen saw He Ziyun knocking on the wall of his cell.
"Mr. He..."
Before Ling Chen could finish his sentence, He Ziyun shook his head and said, "No use, these walls have steel plates inside them; brute force won’t break them."
Ling Chen shrugged; he had suspected as much. Their captors wouldn’t fear them trying to escape if they dared to lock them up here.
Their only hope was if someone could rescue them from this place.
...
At this moment, far away in the Huaxia country.
In a bright room, a middle-aged man in a suit, looking dashing, walked in from outside.
"Mr. Ling."
Seeing the visitor, the delicate girl working in front of the computer immediately stood up to greet him.
"No need for formalities, take a seat," the middle-aged man said as he walked behind the girl. Looking at the content displayed on the computer screen, he asked, "Tell me about the situation over there."
"Just as we predicted, Ling Chen and He Ziyun were both captured by the people of the God Organization."
"That’s good," the middle-aged man said, relieved, and nodded with a smile.
"Mr. Ling..." The girl hesitated, looking as though she had something to say but stopping herself.
"Speak your mind, there’s no need to hold back in front of me."
"Mr. Ling, is it really good to do this to Ling Chen? You didn’t even give him a heads up, and directly let him fall into the most dangerous situation. What if... what if something bad happens to him? No matter what, he’s still your..."
"There’s no need to worry about him," the middle-aged man interrupted the girl, saying, "I’ve already made arrangements; the God Organization won’t just kill them offhand. Moreover, everything that is happening now is within my plan. As long as there are no deviations, their lives won’t be in danger."
The girl, still visibly anxious, said, "But... if he finds out that it was you who did this, I’m afraid..."
The middle-aged man smiled slightly, "Do you think I’m too cruel, or perhaps too scheming, to even calculate against my own son? I’ve always wanted to let him live an ordinary life, but unfortunately, things haven’t turned out as I wished. Many matters are not under my control. Since he has already gotten involved in this, let him lend me a hand. I believe he won’t refuse. Now let’s not talk about this; keep a close watch on the moves of the God Organization and report to me at all times. I have someone to meet."
"Yes, I understand."
...
In the blink of an eye, two days passed, and Ling Chen and He Ziyun were still locked in their cells. Apart from the regular meals delivered thrice a day, no one else came to see them.
"Mr. He, do you think they’ve forgotten about us? It’s been two days, and not a single person has come to interrogate us."
"Who knows what they are plotting." He Ziyun sat cross-legged on the ground, meditating with his eyes closed, not at all worried about what might happen next. At his age, he had learned to let go of many things. His only concern was the safety of Little Hua.
Seeing that He Ziyun was reluctant to talk further, Ling Chen didn’t speak either, sitting alone against the wall, quietly awaiting the unknown.
At that moment, a young man came to the front of the cell and slid a tray of food through the slot at the bottom of the cell door.
Ling Chen picked up the plate and saw black pepper steak, spaghetti, and a cup of juice on it. He couldn’t help feeling sentimental. Though a prisoner, the treatment was pretty good: different dishes for every meal, and the taste was excellent, comparable to a star chef’s cooking skills.
Taking the knife and fork, Ling Chen cut off a piece of the black pepper beef and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly, savoring the tenderness and flavor of the steak. This might be his last meal. If he could enjoy it, he would—the point wasn’t to die hungry.
When the black pepper steak was half-eaten, Ling Chen’s gaze was suddenly drawn to something in the steak.
"What is this?"
Curious, Ling Chen quickly set down his knife and fork and pulled out the thing hidden inside the steak.
A key!
This... Ling Chen was momentarily taken aback, his eyes inevitably shifting to the cell door. Could this be... the key to the cell door?
Thinking this, Ling Chen immediately stood up, walked to the door, reached his hand through the small window of the cell door, and inserted the key into the keyhole on the outside.
Click!
With a light sound, the cell door unlocked.
It really was!
Ling Chen’s heart leaped with joy, and he ran to the next cell to release He Ziyun.
Looking at the cell door key in Ling Chen’s hand, He Ziyun asked with a mix of surprise and doubt, "Where did you get this key?"
"Found it inside the steak; it seems someone wants to help us escape secretly."
"Who? This base is full of people from the God Organization. We know no one here; who would take such a big risk to help us?"
"Could it be General’s men?"
"Impossible, Ghost and Lonely Wolf haven’t infiltrated this deep; they don’t even know about the existence of this base." After pondering for a moment, He Ziyun spoke gravely, "Regardless, we need to be cautious, in case it’s a trap."
"Understood."
Leaving the cell, Ling Chen, using his memory of the route from that day, cautiously made his way out, ready to find an opportunity to escape the base with He Ziyun.
However, they had not gone far when they stopped and dared not proceed any further.
Around the corner in front, within a stretch of corridor less than twenty meters long, there were three 360-degree surveillance cameras installed. Approaching them would surely alert the God Organization.
Ling Chen frowned slightly. Besides this route, there was no other path unless they turned back. But that would only lead them deeper into the heart of the base, with no chance of escape.
"Ling Chen."
"What is it?"
"When we came in, you saw it too; the guards outside are strict. We can’t possibly sneak past the God Organization’s surveillance. The only way to leave here is one method."
"What method?"
"Capture the leader first."
Hearing this, Ling Chen’s eyes lit up, instantly grasping He Ziyun’s idea. They would capture the one in charge here and then use that as leverage against the others. Though risky, it was still a plan. Besides, they didn’t have any other choice now.