Chapter 249

"Then, Little Undead," Fang Zhiyan put away his pocket watch and, at leisure, looked at Ying Duo.

"How do you plan to carry out this mission? I don't have a ton of Explosives on hand."

Ying Duo's golden eyes stared at him and asked directly, "What are you good at?"

After tonight's consumption, the Explosives and special gear in Ying Duo's backpack were nearly depleted, so the main force for large‑scale physical destruction would have to rely on this newly arrived teammate.

Fang Zhiyan gave a faint smile and offered a vague answer.

"I'm just a research staff member; what I'm relatively good at... probably disguise and mental guidance and soothing."

As he spoke, his long fingers unconsciously traced a few motions in the air, and his fingertips left streaks that resembled viscous liquid.

The liquid glowed with a dim blue light in the gloom, looking like something left by a deep‑sea creature.

Those traces slowly faded into the air, as if they had never existed.

His Mutation Source originates from a certain octopus.

This grants him a strong environmental mimicry ability, and a few flexible tentacles can assist him with precise experimental manipulations.

However, their usefulness in a "terrorist attack" is quite limited.

Ying Duo listened to Fang Zhiyan's introduction; although his face remained expressionless, his disdain for Fang Zhiyan's abilities was practically spilling over the screen.

In response, Fang Zhiyan could only shrug helplessly.

"Who made me just a frail research staff member? Still, I did bring some toys with me."

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At the same time, Lu Mu was perched on a cold metal pipe, tending to a shallow wound on his arm.

Bai Mu Yun stood a short distance away, watching the foul water gurgle in the dark shadows, his expression grim.

Fang Zhiyan arrived in Tianmian City, but they learned of it from an "outsider" in Lei Zhao's Field Operations Department.

The sting of the wound is nothing now, but what irritates Lu Mu more are the images that linger in his mind.

In Fang Zhiyan's lab: specimens soaked in formalin, twisted Mutations on the operating table, and that pair of eyes forever bearing a scrutinizing smile.

"He shouldn't have left that damned lab," Lu Mu whispered, as if afraid someone might hear, "Every time he comes out, it's never good."

"He should stay in those damned labs at the Dome Headquarters, fiddling with his bottles, jars, and experimental materials all day. When will Tianmian City ever need him to step out himself?"

Bai Mu Yun raised his hand irritably, signaling Lu Mu to shut up.

Fang Zhiyan, the head of the Dome Mutation Department, is also their direct superior.

In fact, few have ever seen Fang Zhiyan take action.

His "domain" is research and dissection; when it comes to Mutation study, no one surpasses him.

In recent years, he devoted most of his energy to Mutation research; requests for related samples fluttered to the Field Operations Department and Intelligence Department like snowflakes, yet he himself rarely left the research area of the Dome Headquarters.

Whether Bai Mu Yun or Lu Mu, they first survived Fang Zhiyan's test platform before earning the right to join the Dome.

And this person appeared in Tianmian City so silently that even the news of his arrival came from an "outsider."

Bai Mu Yun's thoughts raced rapidly in his mind.

The recent important affairs of Tianmian City........

Ying Duo's abnormal behavior, the Mutation Department's recent new findings on Undead research, Lin Xin's undercover mission at Mitra Academy.......

As for Luo Jinyou's scheme, they have almost finished preparing, but it is temporarily shelved because other matters remain unresolved.

Could it be that Fang Zhiyan came specifically for Ying Duo?

The "abnormality" on Ying Duo is indeed obvious: memory loss, distorted cognition, and a bizarre pattern of ability growth.

That is enough to pique Fang Zhiyan's interest.

"But merely that shouldn't have justified him coming in person."

Although Ying Duo is special, he is not an irreplaceable test subject or observation target; Fang Zhiyan could simply order them to send Ying Duo back to the Headquarters.

Or perhaps something inside Tianmian City related to Undead or Mutations has occurred that requires Fang Zhiyan himself to handle.

Bai Mu Yun felt a dull ache in his temples.

Fang Zhiyan's actions often come with unpredictable risks; he is like a master chess player, each seemingly casual move already part of a pre‑planned strategy.

Lu Mu, seeing Bai Mu Yun silent for a long while, couldn't help but want to voice a complaint again.

Yet in their field of view, the translucent system window edged with Ying Guang Lu popped up again without warning.

【System Prompt: "Fang Zhiyan" has joined the party.】

【Current party members: Ying Duo, Bai Mu Yun, Lu Mu, Fang Zhiyan.】

Lu Mu: ".......?"

Bai Mu Yun: "!!!"

Without giving them more time to react, another popup immediately appeared, its font slightly larger and bolder.

【System Prompt: You have been removed from the party by leader "Ying Duo".】

Lu Mu: "???"

Bai Mu Yun: "......."

All that remained around them was the faint sound of flowing foul water and the two's increasingly labored breathing.

Lu Mu's face was full of bewilderment; he stared at the still‑visible system prompt announcing they had been "kicked," and opened his mouth.

"........ That kid kicked us out?"

Bai Mu Yun's face turned as black as a pot bottom; being kicked out of the team by a cognitively‑impaired Little Ghost was one thing.

More importantly, Fang Zhiyan joined Ying Duo's party? They're together? Now?!

What on earth does Fang Zhiyan intend to do?

What game is Ying Duo playing now?

"Let's go," Bai Mu Yun gave up thinking.

These ones, they can do whatever they want, right.

He originally was just hiding out at the Church headquarters, staying away from the Dome and idling, but after those troublesome "Undead" appeared, the trouble in Tianmian City kept increasing.

The Field Operations Department, the Undercurrent, and also the Church and the Supervision Bureau.

It was already troublesome enough, but Fang Zhiyan also showed up halfway and stuck his foot in.

Since the immediate superior has already arrived, why does he still do that?

"So what do we do now? Go find them and…? Or—"

"Go home and sleep." Bai Mu Yun turned and left, his boots thudding dully on the damp ground.

"Huh?" Lu Mu looked bewildered.

"Fang Zhiyan is going down in person, what does that have to do with us?" Bai Mu Yun didn't even look back.

Lu Mu stared blankly for a few seconds, then hurried after.

"But Xiao Gui is alone with Fang Zhiyan…"

"That's not a problem we need to worry about."

Bai Mu Yun's steps faltered slightly, but he didn't look back.

"Lu Mu, do you remember how we got out of the laboratory?"

Lu Mu froze.

"Because we're 'useful.'" Bai Mu Yun's voice was soft.

"In Fang Zhiyan's eyes, only 'useful' things have any value of existence. Ying Duo is useful to him now, so he's temporarily safe, and we—"

He twitched the corner of his mouth, which wasn't really a smile.

"Don't become that 'redundant' variable."

Although he truly despised that Ying Guang Lu, he now couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for that kid.

Being singled out by Fang Zhiyan is even scarier than the interrogation chamber.