Chapter 257: The Reason for Sending Away

In the underground cell of the Western Hills Safe Zone, only a single dim lightbulb hung from the ceiling,

its light barely covering the small space. Lin Hao sat on the cold concrete floor, his back against the wall, arms wrapped around his knees. His gaze rested on the opposite wall, the arrogance and hostility of the past gone from his eyes, leaving only a sense of calm.

The cell door was pushed open, and a team member walked in carrying a steaming bowl of food, placing it on the stone slab by the door: "Time to eat."

Lin Hao did not look up, merely nodding slightly. The team member put down the food, turned, and left. The iron door was shut with a loud "clang," echoing through the empty cell.

Lin Hao slowly stood up, walked to the stone slab, picked up the bowl and chopsticks, and ate in small bites. The meal was simple: a bowl of brown rice, a dish of pickled vegetables, and a piece of mutant beast meat. In the past, he wouldn't have touched such things, but now, he ate with extraordinary focus.

A month had passed since Lin Chen locked him here. In the early days, he roared and cursed every day, calling Lin Chen cold-blooded and ruthless, cursing the Starfire Group for being ungrateful, and cursing the world for being unfair. He felt he was not wrong; he only wanted to make the Starfire Group stronger and wanted to survive in his own way.

But as the days went by, he was the only one in the cell. No one listened to his curses, no one argued with him; there was only endless silence. He began to reflect, reflecting on the things he had done in the past, reflecting on the differences between himself and Lin Chen, and reflecting on the future of the Starfire Group.

He remembered taking people on unauthorized missions, leading to the tragic deaths of three team members under the claws of mutants; he remembered clashing with other squads to seize resources,

nearly triggering internal strife in the safe zone; he remembered Lin Chen advising him time and time again, yet he turned a deaf ear, even contradicting him in public.

A trace of regret gradually rose in his heart. He finally understood that Lin Chen was not cold-blooded, but rational; the Starfire Group was not weak, but united. In this doomsday, one could not survive on passion alone; only when everyone worked together was there a possibility of survival.

His mindset, amidst the day-after-day imprisonment and reflection,

underwent a subtle change. He no longer cursed or roared; he began to actively exercise his body and started thinking about how to make up for his past mistakes if he could get out.

He did not know if Lin Chen would forgive him, nor did he know if he still had a chance to walk out of this cell.

But he knew he could no longer live as he had before.

Just then, the cell door was pushed open again, and Lin Chen walked in.

He held a document in his hand, his gaze falling on Lin Hao. The disappointment of the past was gone from his eyes, leaving only a hint of scrutiny.

"Finished eating?" Lin Chen asked.

Lin Hao put down the bowl and chopsticks and nodded: "Finished."

"I came to discuss something with you." Lin Chen walked up to Lin Hao and handed over the document. "The Black Scorpion organization's headquarters is in the Eastern Ruins. We set out in three days to wipe out their nest."

Lin Hao took the document, his gaze falling upon it, his pupils contracting sharply. On the document was the troop deployment map of the Black Scorpion organization, along with a detailed combat plan.

"What do you want me to do?" Lin Hao looked up at Lin Chen, his voice calm.

"I want you to make up for your crimes through service." Lin Chen's gaze met Lin Hao's directly. "You are very familiar with the terrain of the Eastern Ruins. I need you to act as the vanguard, lead a squad, infiltrate the Black Scorpion organization's headquarters, and destroy their virus laboratory."

Lin Hao's heart trembled violently. He looked at Lin Chen, his eyes filled with disbelief. He had not expected that Lin Chen would still trust him and still give him a chance to redeem himself.

"I won't let you down." Lin Hao's voice trembled slightly as he gripped the document tightly.

Lin Chen nodded and turned to walk toward the door: "Prepare well. In three days, gather at the safe zone gate."

The iron door was shut once more. Lin Hao watched Lin Chen's back disappear at the doorway, and tears finally couldn't help but flow down. He knew this was his only chance, and he had to grasp it firmly.

Meanwhile, at the temporary camp in the Icefield Mountains, the air in the tent was still filled with a faint medicinal scent. A Nian lay on the cold-proof mat, her face still pale, and the black veins on her right lower leg, under the effect of the inhibitor, were temporarily not spreading further.

Lu Ran stood guard nearby, holding a piece of compressed biscuit, but he had no appetite. His gaze fell on A Nian's face, his eyes filled with anxiety. He had already sent out three batches of team members to scout for the location of the Human Alliance headquarters, but there had been no news yet.

Sister Chu Yao Yao sat to one side, holding the medical database terminal, her fingertips sliding rapidly across the screen. Her brows were tightly furrowed, her eyes filled with struggle. She knew the effect of the inhibitor was getting weaker, and the virus in A Nian's body could erupt again at any time. She also knew that the only way to completely clear the virus was to fully release the healing ability core, but if she did that, she would surely die.

She looked up at Lu Ran's weary profile, her heart aching. Lu Ran had been guarding A Nian for two days and two nights without closing his eyes, his eyes bloodshot. She couldn't let Lu Ran worry anymore; she had to make a decision as soon as possible.

Sister Chu Yao Yao took a deep breath, slowly stood up, and walked to Lu Ran's side. She reached out and gently patted Lu Ran's shoulder.

Lu Ran turned back, looked at Sister Chu Yao Yao, and managed to squeeze out a smile: "Captain Chu, is something the matter?"

Sister Chu Yao Yao looked at Lu Ran, revealing a gentle smile, her eyes carrying a hint of pleading: "I need an absolutely quiet environment to treat A Nian. You go and set up the outer defense line, okay?" ===== CHAPTER 258 =====