Chapter 239: Belonging

Anhe City.

The slanted skyscraper loomed like a grotesque tombstone, standing over the ruins washed by the downpour.

The Special Operations Unit of the Federal Weird Investigation Bureau has already set up a long cordon, and the yellow lights reflect dazzling halos on the slick ground.

Workers in white protective suits are clearing the scene; they move swiftly and silently, hoisting two stretchers covered with white cloth onto a black corpse‑transport vehicle.

Xu Cheng'an, Li Juan.

Jiang Hai City.

A private airport closed to the public.

Under the night sky, the Bay Flow G650 glides smoothly and finally stops in front of a row of black Mercedes sedans.

Guo Zixuan has been waiting here for a long time.

He wears a crisp Armani suit, his hair meticulously combed, and behind him stand two rows of bodyguards in matching black suits, exuding a strong aura.

The cabin door opens.

Chen Shao steps down first, having changed into a casual gray home‑wear, a gentle smile on his face as if he had just finished an enjoyable trip.

Guo Zixuan immediately greets him with a ninety‑degree bow.

"Mr. Chen, you're back,"

However, when his gaze passes Chen Shao and lands on the boy trailing behind, a muscle in his face twitches involuntarily.

It is a boy whose whole body exudes the scent of blood and decay.

He is barefoot, his tattered clothing still stained with dark‑red clots of blood and unknown grime.

The most chilling part is his face.

Delicate and pale, yet his lips are crudely stitched together with thick black threads, like a cursed puppet.

Guo Zixuan instinctively feels a pang of anxiety.

That is not a human's gaze.

Hollow, dead‑silent, as if it could draw a person's soul inside.

This boy, nearly ten years younger than him, radiates a dangerous aura even stronger than the one Guo felt when he first saw Chen Shao.

Because Chen Shao at least does not display such blatant sharpness.

"Introduce him,"

Chen Shao pats the boy's shoulder, his tone as relaxed as if introducing a neighbor.

"This is Xu An, our future new member,"

He turns to Guo Zixuan and orders, "Arrange the finest lodging and food for him, then find Jiang Hai City's best tailor to custom‑make a few decent outfits for him."

Chen Shao pauses, glances at the sutures on Xu An's mouth, and adds,

"No doctor is needed,"

"In his normal state, he looks just like this,"

Guo Zixuan's back is instantly drenched with cold sweat.

He suppresses his fear, bows deeply again, this time toward the blood‑stained boy.

"Mr. Xu, welcome to Jiang Hai City,"

He knows well that anyone Chen Shao personally brings back is certainly no good person.

In this new world, appearance and age are the cheapest disguises.

Xu An gives no reply.

He simply watches everything silently.

The black luxury car, spotless leather shoes, the deferential bodyguards, and the man who calls him "Mr. Xu."

In the correction center, he is called "Number 117."

To his parents, he is "that bastard."

The title "Mr. Xu" sounds to him sweeter than any melodious music in the world.

He slides into the implausibly soft rear seat of the Mercedes S Ji.

The car's climate control blows warm air, dispelling the lingering chill of the rainy night from his body.

Guo Zixuan personally closes the door for him.

Through the dark window, Xu An watches the wealthy young master who once filled him with fear and awe, now standing outside the car like a servant.

It is not merely a material indulgence.

It is an unprecedented feeling of being "acknowledged."

Here, the scar on his mouth is not a monster's gruesome mark but a champion's coronation medal.

Here, he is not a "correctable" waste but a respected guest of honor.

A twisted yet intense sense of belonging quietly takes root in his long‑frozen heart.

His parents will betray him.

The world will abandon him.

But this place will not.

Because here is a nest for his kind.

Guo Family Manor, study.

Chen Shao sits alone before a massive floor‑to‑ceiling window, holding a glass of red wine that he gently swirls.

The scarlet liquid leaves streaks on the glass, reflecting the city's dazzling lights outside.

He opens the laptop before him and skillfully logs into a website with a pitch‑black interface and flowing code.

The dark web, "Babel Tower."

He opened an encrypted folder, and inside were several files labeled with different code names.

【Code name: Demon Eye】Chen Shao

Status: Awakened

【Code name: Shadow Ghost】Jiang Yuan

Status: Federation Trickster

【Code name: Symbiosis-001】Lin Fan

Status: Missing

Chen Shao's gaze lingered on the name "Shadow Ghost" for a moment, and a playful smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

That agent, shackled by "humanity," is a very interesting toy, but not mature enough yet.

Then, moving his mouse, he created a new document at the end of the file list.

【Code name: Silent One】Xu An

Status: Recruited

He placed a green checkmark, indicating completion, after the three characters "Recruited."

Having done all this, Chen Shao leaned back in his chair, his long slender fingers lightly tapping the desk, his gaze slowly lowered, finally resting on the file whose code name is "Symbiosis."

The file's photo shows a young man with a resolute gaze; his right eye displays a weird deep blue hue.

"Next......"

Chen Shao lifted his glass, took a sip, and his voice sounded unusually clear in the spacious study.

"Lin Fan."

"Finding you wasn't an easy thing."