Chapter 123: The Darkness Within the Inner City Begins to Unfold

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Ye Chen had never contemplated this question before. It turned out that the mutated beasts he had long taken for granted might actually be the ancestors of the Awakened. Had it not been for You Zhi, an expert in the field, proposing this insight, Ye Chen would never have considered such a possibility.

Could it be that humanity’s awakening—or becoming extraordinary—truly began only after the beasts started mutating?

At that moment, the sound of high heels tapping on the wooden floor interrupted his thoughts. You Ya took another volume from the bookshelf and handed it to Ye Chen, explaining:

“But the Number One Serum didn’t turn out as perfect as initially designed. In the end, it failed.”

“The price... was devastating!”

As she spoke of the outcome, Ye Chen noticed an unprecedented gravity in the cold goddess’s expression. Even the document she handed over was tinged with a sorrowful aura.

You Ya sighed deeply in regret:

“Alas... those who were injected with it began to age rapidly and die shortly after—without exception.”

“This document records the late-stage adverse reactions of the test subjects.”

“So many volunteers sacrificed themselves in vain.”

“Therefore, after deliberation, the Supernatural Bureau Headquarters decided to temporarily suspend the project until a method to completely eliminate the side effects is found before resuming.”

Hearing this, Ye Chen silently felt a surge of relief:

The Supernatural Bureau still has a conscience; otherwise, I would have torn up my researcher ID and parted ways on the spot.

But now, his feelings were different. It was as if someone he deeply respected had chosen a path aligned with his values when facing a major decision—he was not disappointed.

“So how did the research on corporeal Awakened end up back under the Bureau’s jurisdiction?” Ye Chen asked again, puzzled.

You Zhi looked ashamed and sighed softly, “Because the Bureau solved a problem that had long plagued us.”

Ah? The Research Bureau of Energy City is really that formidable—taking on the entire continent’s Supernatural Bureaus alone and succeeding?

In the past, the naive Ye Chen would have felt proud of Energy City.

Just as Jin Yinghui once said, Energy City’s energy core supply was unmatched across the continent.

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But now, considering that the Research Bureau might be the enemy he will face in the future, Ye Chen couldn’t help but worry about their strength.

“How did they manage it?”

The siblings exchanged glances, then both shook their heads in embarrassment. The sister said:

“One of my main reasons for coming here from Steel City was to investigate this news.”

“So far, apart from knowing they developed a serum labeled ‘Zero,’ we have found nothing else.”

“The irony is, they deliberately named the serum ‘Zero’ as if to mock the Supernatural Bureau, implying their serum is actually the foundation of the Number One Serum.”

The brother added:

“The injection timing of the Zero Serum is roughly around the same period as the Number One Serum. It can counteract the side effects of the Number One Serum.”

“Thanks to the successful development of this serum, the City Lord’s Office stepped in and took over the research data of the Number One Serum.”

“They also declared that further improvements will be made, using only death row inmates as test subjects.”

It all made sense now: the Research Bureau is openly conducting live experiments.

With a successful precedent and the use of condemned criminals as subjects, their actions are defensible both scientifically and ethically.

Behind them stands the City Lord’s Office for support.

If there aren’t enough test subjects, ordinary prisoners will be used.

If that’s still insufficient, they will secretly abduct innocents, framing them with fabricated charges—this is their truly filthy tactic.

The prison, in this context, undoubtedly acts as an accomplice; it is one of the incubators of evil.

“What about the mutated synthetic beasts?” Ye Chen clenched his teeth and asked fiercely.

You Zhi looked at his sister in surprise; he did not know about Ye Chen’s battles with the mutated synthetic beasts.

You Ya explained for her brother:

“That is the result of another cruel experiment. They attempted to graft human bodies directly onto mutated creatures.”

“To create monsters that possess both human intelligence and beastly strength.”

“I originally came to Energy City to participate in the Zero Serum research, but they proposed I join the mutated synthetic beasts project instead.”

“At the same time, they refused to disclose the secrets of the Zero Serum, which I can understand—after all, the Research Bureau in Steel City also has its own classified technologies.”

“From what I’ve gathered indirectly, the production of the Zero Serum is probably still very limited.”

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“As for the mutated synthetic beasts, I believe their goal can be summed up in two words.”

“Mass production!!!”

Mass production? How many of these beasts do they want? What is Energy City planning to do with so many mutated synthetic beasts?

Ye Chen thought actively... If the prison has been providing test subjects all along and the Research Bureau is the one wielding the scalpel, then the ultimate beneficiary or mastermind behind it all is becoming clear—the Inner City Lord’s Office.

The tacit approval of the City Lord has acted as a catalyst.

The enemy’s strength has instantly climbed to a new level.

This trip to the Supernatural Bureau has only served to clarify the true nature of the Inner City and to identify the enemy.

But... no solution has yet been found.

To be fair, Ye Chen is still too weak. Even if he has guessed that the Big Boss is the Inner City Lord’s Office, he lacks the power to overthrow it.

If he hopes to rely on the masses to topple the City Lord’s rule—tell me, can this be accomplished overnight?

Moreover, everything so far remains mere speculation without solid evidence—how many would truly be convinced?

Therefore, the urgent task is not to think about how to overthrow the Big Boss but to rescue the missing children as soon as possible.

You Zhi added finally:

“As for the Research Bureau’s experimental projects, aside from those publicly disclosed, this is all we know about the human experiments.”

“However, it’s quite possible they have already begun developing the Number Two and Number Three Serums.”

“So, whether it’s me or the Supernatural Bureau behind me, we will find ways to gather more intelligence.”

...

Ye Chen left with his head bowed, burdened with heavy thoughts, so much so that Miss Yuanzi’s greeting behind him went unnoticed.

You Ya did not try to detain him, knowing this was not the time, but she earnestly warned him to act with caution.

If danger arises, he must not bear it alone. Even if he loses his identity as a patrol bureau member, he remains one of the Supernatural Bureau.

After Ye Chen left, she hurriedly pulled her brother back to the office to discuss more pressing matters.