"Om—"
Wen Yu glanced down at his communicator, and his expression suddenly changed.
"What's happening?"
Carl, noticing the shift in Wen Yu's face, walked over curiously and asked, "Is Dr. Mu Rin looking for you again?"
Wen Yu and his team were conducting an inspection in Earl Vale's wealthy district.
Since the murlocs in Xiacheng had already been located and executed, their team had now been dispatched here under orders from their superiors, searching for another escaped murloc.
"Something's gone wrong at the villa."
Wen Yu's expression turned grim. He immediately told Carl to start the car. "Head back."
Carl froze for a second and glanced nervously at the crowd surrounding the vehicle.
"Head back? But the people outside..."
Rose, seated in the front passenger seat, voiced what everyone was thinking. She gestured toward the group outside, her eyes filled with unease.
The wealthy district was home to many affluent families, so naturally, it had more than a few spoiled second-generation rich kids with too much time on their hands.
When word got out that Wen Yu was in the area, unlike the wary or fearful attitudes seen in the slums, these rebellious teens swarmed over, eager to get a look at him in person.
To their parents, Wen Yu had become a symbol. And whenever those parents mentioned him, the complex mix of admiration, fear, and resentment on their faces only fueled the curiosity of their children.
In short, these rich kids were bored and mischievous. The more adults told them not to do something, the more they wanted to do it.
Their parents, being powerful figures, were not easy to offend. As a result, once the car was surrounded, it became almost impossible for Wen Yu's group to move.
This situation had become a daily occurrence.
"Drive through them."
Wen Yu's tone was clipped, his face showing a flicker of impatience.
A few days ago, he wouldn't have minded wasting some time with the crowd outside. After all, it was the murlocs who would eat them, not him.
But today was different. Wen Yu had just received a warning from the villa's barrier system. It reported that an unknown object had breached the perimeter and entered the villa grounds.
He was certain the intruder didn't come from Dr. Mu Rin's side—Mu Rin was too occupied elsewhere.
Which left only one possibility: a murloc.
Wen Yu felt a surge of anxiety for Lansi.
Lansi had been cocooned these past few days, entirely unaware of the outside world. Wen Yu feared what the murloc might do to him.
Would Lansi be forced out of the cocoon prematurely?
Were merfolk vulnerable immediately after emerging?
Could one in that state even fight off a murloc?
Wen Yu had never raised a mermaid through nesting before. Despite his usual calm, he couldn't help but worry.
What frightened him even more was that if the "eggshell" he had carefully built for Lansi broke, then Dr. Mu Rin and his people would descend like flies drawn to rot.
"Alright."
Carl received the quiet command. With a grin, he turned to the crowd outside and slammed on the gas.
Amid a few startled screams, the car shot forward, scattering the group of kids as they sped off toward the villa.
Rose, gripping the handle above her seat, stayed uncharacteristically silent. Her expression had darkened, and for once she didn't lecture Carl about protocol. She simply stared ahead as the vehicle tore down the road.
Wen Yu noticed the change in her and glanced at her sideways.
But despite their rush, they still arrived just in time to see Dr. Mu Rin already waiting at the villa gate.
Mu Rin didn't seem the least bit embarrassed. As Wen Yu stepped out of the vehicle, he raised a hand in greeting, smiling.
"What a coincidence."
Wen Yu's eyes flicked to the group of researchers standing behind Mu Rin. His tone was anything but friendly.
"What are you doing here with so many people?"
Mu Rin remained smooth, lifting his chin slightly as he replied, "We detected that your villa's barrier was damaged. Naturally, I brought some people over to repair it."
He smiled, but there was a subtle threat in his voice.
"Colonel, it's been quite a while. Can I finally have a look at the mermaid you purchased?"
"None of your business!"
Carl exploded the moment he heard that. He didn't hesitate to draw his pistol and press it to Mu Rin's forehead, shouting in defiance of every regulation.
"The mermaid was bought by our boss. The Doomsday Lab didn't spend a single coin. Why should you get to see him?"
Tension exploded instantly. The guards with Mu Rin drew their weapons in response, aiming their black muzzles at Wen Yu and his team.
Wen Yu frowned.
Rose, standing on the other side, instinctively moved to draw her own gun. But catching Wen Yu's expression from the corner of her eye, she hesitated. After a moment's internal struggle, she bit her lip and slowly lowered her hand from her holster.
The air was thick with tension, on the verge of combusting.
But Mu Rin simply chuckled. He raised a hand to signal his guards to stand down, then looked back at Wen Yu and asked casually:
"To repair a barrier, don't we need to go inside?"
Silence followed.
Wen Yu raised his hand and rested it on Carl's shoulder.
Carl understood the gesture. It meant to lower his weapon, though he was clearly reluctant.
"But..."
"It's fine. Since Dr. Mu Rin is so eager to see it, let him."
Wen Yu's voice was low and steady. After speaking, he turned to look at the villa barrier.
Even though the system had been damaged by the murloc, it was still functioning, working hard to protect what lay within.
From Wen Yu and his group's perspective, all they could see was a virtual scene of green grass and blooming flowers.
However, Wen Yu seemed particularly tense, as if he could see through the barrier and glimpse what was really happening inside.
After a moment, he withdrew his gaze and said to Dr. Mu Rin, "Remember, you're only here to help me repair the barrier."
"Of course."
Seeing that Wen Yu had compromised, Dr. Mu Rin readily agreed.
Led by Wen Yu, the group made their way into the villa.
Once inside, without waiting for further instructions, Dr. Mu Rin headed straight for the backyard with his team.
Carl and Rose exchanged anxious looks, their eyes drifting toward Dr. Mu Rin's researchers.
"Boss, what if they find Lansi…"
Despite frequently complaining about the trouble Lansi caused while Carl was looking after him, he still genuinely liked him. Faced with the possibility that Dr. Mu Rin might discover Lansi, Carl couldn't bring himself to imagine the consequences.
Rose stood restlessly nearby, glancing at Wen Yu from time to time as if waiting for some sort of reassurance.
"It's fine."
Wen Yu's gaze swept across the living room, lingering especially long on the carpet. A faint smile touched his pure black eyes.
"He's not in the pool."
Rose: ??
Carl was confused at first but quickly understood.
After all, he had once seen Lansi dragging his fish tail through the villa, slipping and flopping across the floor.
"There's… something in the pool…"
A scream from the backyard interrupted them. Dr. Mu Rin stood frozen beside the swimming pool, his face pale as he stared into the water.
Hearing the cry, Wen Yu and the others finally walked toward the pool. As they approached, the researchers automatically stepped aside to make way for them.
Then, Wen Yu saw what had caused the commotion.
The water, which should have been clear and pristine, was now stained dark blue by a thick stream of blood.
The source of the color was floating on the surface: a corpse face-up in the water.
At first glance, the upper half looked like a beautiful woman. Her figure was graceful, her face delicate. Long black hair spread out in the water like seaweed. She seemed both ethereal and haunting.
Her pale gray eyes were wide open but clouded, completely lifeless. She had clearly been dead for some time.
What stood out most was the vicious wound on her slender neck. It looked as though something had bitten deeply into her throat, and she had bled out.
The scene was tragic. Her elegant head floating in the water was like a rosebud on the verge of withering.
But the blue blood leaking from her neck, and the long, blue-gray tail trailing from her waist, made one thing clear: she wasn't human.
This was the first time many of the researchers had seen something like this up close. The stark contrast between the upper body's beauty and the grotesque snake-like tail below left a deep impression. A few people even turned away to vomit.
Dr. Mu Rin remained silent for a while, frowning deeply as he examined the corpse.
He pointed at the body and asked Wen Yu, who was standing nearby, "Is this a mermaid, or a murloc?"
Last time a murloc was captured, Dr. Mu Rin hadn't been present. And because Wen Yu had destroyed the creature's face during that incident, Mu Rin had no idea how evolved the murlocs had become.
In his mind, murlocs were still the grotesque, humanoid-like creatures he had experimented on in the early days. He had never imagined they could simulate human appearance this closely.
Looking at the scene now, with an upper body that so perfectly mimicked a human woman, Dr. Mu Rin's thoughts were in turmoil.
Wen Yu stared at the dead creature for a long time before finally replying in a solemn tone, "Mermaid."
Carl, standing to the side, widened his eyes in disbelief.
Wait a minute. Isn't Lansi male? And doesn't he have a white tail?
Carl mentally reviewed what he remembered and was sure Lansi was flat-chested. He was just about to speak up when Rose suddenly kicked him into the pool.
Carl: ??
As Carl splashed and flailed in the water, Rose calmly explained, "Carl said he wanted to pay his respects to the mermaid. He was deeply moved and wanted a closer look before we laid her to rest."
Carl, now soaked and stunned, realized maybe he should have kept quiet.
Wen Yu gave Rose an approving nod.
Dr. Mu Rin: "…"
Given their explanation, the strange corpse almost made sense.
Dr. Mu Rin stared at Wen Yu's group suspiciously, then turned and gave his team orders.
Some researchers were tasked with handling the corpse, while others were sent to repair the villa's barrier.
After issuing his instructions, Dr. Mu Rin looked back toward the villa and casually said to Wen Yu, "By the way, ever since you bought this place, you've never invited anyone over. You could've at least let me come by to congratulate you."
Wen Yu responded bluntly, "It's better that you didn't."
"That's a bit rude, isn't it?"
Dr. Mu Rin seemed unfazed by the cold response and brushed past Wen Yu toward the villa.
"I've been meaning to buy a place like this myself. Why don't you give me a little tour so I can see the layout?"
Wen Yu immediately stepped in front of him. "No. It's private property."
"Colonel Wen Yu, you're a soldier."
Dr. Mu Rin raised his voice slightly. "This is a special period. Everything we do is for the sake of the alliance."
"There's nothing suspicious in my villa."
Wen Yu's expression turned hard. "Don't force me to take actions I don't want to."
Dr. Mu Rin narrowed his eyes and looked toward the second floor. His expression suddenly shifted, and he pointed upward.
"What was that just now?"
He was sure he had seen a white figure flash by.
Wen Yu followed his gaze but saw nothing.
"I definitely saw something."
Mu Rin's voice was sharp. He turned to his men and ordered, "Escort Colonel Wen Yu outside."
Guards stepped forward slowly, surrounding Wen Yu.
Wen Yu's dark pupils grew even darker as he watched them approach.
"Colonel Wen Yu, please cooperate."
Mu Rin adjusted his collar and strode into the villa without hesitation.
Rose and Wen Yu exchanged a glance. Both of their expressions were grim, but they followed Mu Rin inside.
Without a guard to stop him, Mu Rin was convinced the white figure he had seen was a mermaid. His excitement overcame his caution, and he rushed upstairs, trying to find the room where he had spotted the movement.
"Dr. Mu Rin!"
Just as he was about to open the bedroom door, Wen Yu spoke in a low voice behind him.
"You understand what it means to open that door."
Mu Rin's hand froze on the doorknob.
Of course he understood.
For years, the Doomsday Lab and Wen Yu had maintained a fragile, uneasy alliance.
Though the political struggles within the lab were fierce, Wen Yu had always remained neutral, like a silent ghost. He was a blade that only moved when ordered, and many people appreciated that reliability.
Crossing him now would be incredibly foolish.
Mu Rin's glasses glinted as he hesitated, then clenched his jaw and said, "Sorry, Wen Yu. I have to see the mermaid."
With that, he flung open the door.
But there was no mermaid inside.
Only a man sat on the bed, with white hair and a loosely worn bathrobe.
His exposed skin was pink and soft, like he had just stepped out of the shower. Startled by the sudden crowd, the man flushed red and quickly pulled the blanket over his lower half. When he saw Wen Yu enter, he pouted and grumbled,
"I didn't even get a chance to put on pants."
Mu Rin's entire group stared at the man on the bed, then turned in unison to stare at Wen Yu.
So the rumors that Wen Yu wasn't into men or women were… false?