Forbidden Zone Rose - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Other Party Probably Isn’t Very Easy to Talk To…

Xie Yi had been in Z-City for three days, but he hadn’t spent all his time investigating Su Zhi.

Screening that Beta researcher was originally a low-priority task. Had it not been for the fact that Su Zhi took experimental samples from the lab during a sensitive period of factional infighting at the Capital Research Institute, he likely wouldn’t have even been on the investigation list.

—He doesn’t look like much of a suspect.

That was the first thought that crossed Xie Yi’s mind when he saw the ID photo of the Beta in his lab uniform, looking indifferent and aloof.

Xie Yi was always a good judge of character, likely thanks to the innate, beast-like intuition of an Enigma.

Others only vaguely knew that Enigmas were a result of a second differentiation of Alphas, but accurately speaking, Enigmas didn’t really have a “differentiation” phase. From the moment they were born, the pheromones in their bodies began to develop; they started fighting unstable pheromones from birth and were different from other Alphas even as children. It only appeared to be a second differentiation because of the high hormone intensity and late maturation time.

That violent factor etched into their genes granted Enigmas superhuman intelligence and physique, but it also brought many beast-like traits. Hypersensitive five senses were just the foundation; from the moment Xie Yi gained independent consciousness, his perception of human hearts was sharper than that of ordinary people, like a supercomputer running 24/7.

After a few days of contact, he had basically cleared Su Zhi of suspicion.

After arriving in Z-City, most of Xie Yi’s energy was spent investigating intelligence on the Forbidden Zone. After his subordinate left, he spent some time looking at the intelligence alone, the dense small text on the computer screen reflecting in his ink-colored pupils.

The situation in the Forbidden Zone was more complex than expected.

This state of affairs was actually somewhat related to Xie Yi. Half a year ago, an abnormal information fluctuation source was detected in the Z-City Forbidden Zone, but at that time, he was stuck in a closed base for nearly half a year due to pheromone disorder. There were no other suitable Enigmas in the capital to take the mission, so it had been shelved until now.

During this half-year, because news of the special fluctuation source leaked out, the forces within the Forbidden Zone had become a mixed bag. The Z-City Forbidden Zone was formerly a military base, containing a large military factory and several rare mineral deposits. It was closed urgently years ago due to an accident, and a large amount of resources hadn’t been transferred in time. The special information fluctuation source was very likely one of the resources left behind back then.

With news that the Forbidden Zone was about to be unsealed, these legacy resources naturally needed a destination. Theoretically, they would be confiscated by the state, but there was a lot of room for maneuver regarding how much, how, and where they would go. Humans are creatures of profit; once an opportunity arises, the scavenging vultures will circle in for the kill.

Currently, on the surface alone, several large companies have their hands in the pie. The deep-seated powers involved behind the scenes are even harder to untangle.

In this situation, using sheer force to suppress everyone is one method. Xie Yi holds a military rank and has the formidable strength of an Enigma to rely on; he could smash a path through using power. However, although Z-City is sparsely populated, it isn’t a deserted land; many ordinary civilians still live outside the Forbidden Zone. Considering the risk and impact on the public, he wouldn’t use such a crude and violent solution.

Before coming to Z-City, out of habitual caution, he had the intelligence department arrange a cover identity that wouldn’t alert the enemy, allowing him to see the actual situation in the Forbidden Zone first. Now, this arrangement seemed perfect. While a straight line is the most efficient way, not everything is suitable for a violent solution. A violent machine that has lost its reason and self-control is no different from a man-eating beast. Xie Yi had understood this truth a long time ago.

Xie Yi closed the screen, the reflected light dying out in his pupils, leaving only a dark, heavy pool of coldness. Recalling something, a thin chill flashed through his eyes.

After a moment of silence.

For some reason, the scene of the Beta slamming into his chest in front of the flower shop suddenly surfaced in his mind—the body that was a size smaller than his own, the black hair tips falling against the snowy white neck, strikingly dark. When the boy looked up at him, those amber pupils were filled with the daze of being startled, and the slightly red nose and cheeks looked quite pitiful.

He wasn’t as cold and prickly as he appeared in the files. Instead, he seemed a bit… dazed in a way that wasn’t immediately obvious.

Xie Yi opened his private communicator. In a contact list that could be counted on one hand, the newly added account hung conspicuously at the top. The profile picture was a plant species not publicly available on the market, likely an experimental result. Concise and cold, very much in line with a researcher’s style.

Aside from the automatic notification of being added as a friend, the chat box was empty; the other party hadn’t sent any messages.

The night grew deep, and the rain outside became heavier, stirring the night into a murky, thick soup, like the eve of a descending storm. Xie Yi suddenly had a premonition that, for whatever reason, this mission wouldn’t end that quickly.

Early that morning, Su Zhi was startled as soon as he entered the greenhouse.

Sample 0409, which had returned to stable growth, suddenly had an unexpected situation. 0409 only had two leaves total, and now the edge of the smaller leaf was showing a slight yellowing. It wasn’t serious yet, but it was a very bad omen. Given 0409’s delicate constitution, if it wasn’t handled, it would likely progress to a critical stage.

Su Zhi didn’t dare take it lightly. He simply closed the flower shop and spent the entire morning carefully studying the plant in the inner room. He finally determined that the likely cause of this condition was the lack of a special nutrient, Red Stone Extract No. 173.

This reagent wasn’t a mass-produced one available on the market; it was something Su Zhi had self-made and extracted in a laboratory environment. The Capital Research Institute has strict controls; Su Zhi had left in such a hurry that being able to bring Sample 0409 out was already the result of his mentor’s extreme maneuvering. He couldn’t bring out anything else. Fortunately, aside from the Red Stone extract, the other reagents needed to cultivate 0409 were accessible.

Only Red Stone Extract No. 173 was difficult to obtain from sources outside the lab. This reagent is extracted from Red Stone, and there are requirements for the quality of the raw material. Red Stone mines are rare and sparsely distributed; only the Capital Research Institute, with the top-tier resource supply, could have high-quality Red Stone on hand.

When he first arrived in Z-City, Su Zhi had searched for the whereabouts of Red Stone, even checking the dark web, but couldn’t find any for sale. Over the past month, Su Zhi had been using another reagent as a substitute for Red Stone Extract No. 173, and the effect had been stable enough. But a problem had occurred after all, and he still needed the Red Stone extract.

Su Zhi searched for Red Stone again, this time expanding the search range to include raw ores from mining areas and luxury goods made of Red Stone. —The flower shop had a set of extraction equipment; though basic, it was barely usable. The most important thing was finding the Red Stone itself.

After filtering out options that took too long or had low-quality Red Stone, Su Zhi searched for an entire day before finally finding a lead. Perhaps it was divine luck, but Su Zhi received exciting news: right there in Z-City, in the Forbidden Zone less than ten kilometers away from him, there was a small Red Stone mine. Moreover, this mine was located at the edge of the Forbidden Zone, not in the high-security closed center. Four months ago, a technical company in official partnership with the government obtained a permit for exploratory surveying of the peripheral mining area.

But the bad news was: even the peripheral areas of the Z-City Forbidden Zone were not open to ordinary citizens.

If Su Zhi were still at the Capital Research Institute, he might be able to apply for entry on the grounds of research needs. But currently, he was on vacation and was just an ordinary person with no authority. Furthermore, considering the sensitive reasons for his vacation, it was best not to leak the news of 0409’s problems. Su Zhi could not enter the Forbidden Zone through his own channels.

After careful verification, Su Zhi confirmed that the Red Stone mine in the Z-City Forbidden Zone had Red Stone that met his quality requirements. Now the biggest problem was that he couldn’t get in.

Su Zhi thought quickly, opened his communicator, and contacted Senior Brother Wu from his list. When Su Zhi left the institute, his mentor had pushed Senior Brother Wu’s business card to him. This senior’s name was Wu Yong; he was a former graduate of the mentor. Unlike Su Zhi, who stayed at the institute after graduation, Wu Yong chose to work in relevant companies and was now quite successful with a wide network.

After adding him, Su Zhi hadn’t chatted with him much. The senior had sent a few messages asking if he needed help, and Su Zhi had replied that he didn’t, so there was no further follow-up. Su Zhi wasn’t being aloof; he just truly didn’t have anything to trouble others with. Now that the situation was urgent, Su Zhi thought about it and sent a message. Within five minutes, the other party called.

Wu Yong did indeed have some connections. The tech company he worked for was recently in close cooperation with another company—the very technical company that had obtained official approval to survey the raw ore in the Forbidden Zone.

The next day, he gave Su Zhi a definitive reply, telling him to prepare to enter the Forbidden Zone. For this matter, Wu Yong seemed to have gotten very little sleep all night. The Alpha’s voice on the other end of the line carried an unmistakable fatigue: “Luckily I made it in time. A survey team is just about to enter the field; we got lucky this time.”

It was indeed lucky. A team of experts from the capital was just preparing to enter the Forbidden Zone to start a new round of exploration. Otherwise, even with connections, it would have been impossible to just stuff Su Zhi into the Forbidden Zone alone; that would have been far too abrupt.

Su Zhi was very grateful: “Thank you, Senior. If you have any research needs in the future that I can help with, I definitely will.”

Wu Yong laughed: “It’s a small matter, don’t take it to heart. Since the mentor entrusted you to me, as your senior, I naturally have to take care of you. No need to talk about repayment; just do me the honor of having a meal with me later.”

Huh? Why have a meal? Does it have to do with research?

Su Zhi didn’t quite understand; he had always been bad at handling interpersonal relationships. But that was a worry for later. Currently, Su Zhi’s mind was entirely on the Red Stone mine. He felt this senior talked a bit too much and didn’t want to waste time on pleasantries, so he gave a vague response, said a polite goodbye, and went to get busy with the task at hand.

That afternoon, after changing into a specialized radiation isolation suit and being met by a contact, Su Zhi entered the Forbidden Zone. The survey team had entered in the morning; because of the time taken for the paperwork process, Su Zhi arrived a bit late and didn’t catch up with the main group. After entering the Forbidden Zone, he rode in a transport vehicle for two hours before finally arriving at the camp where the survey team was stationed at 3:00 PM.

The survey team members were mostly Alphas, with only a small portion being Betas. Surveying ore is not an easy job; an Alpha’s physical constitution is better suited for the physical intensity of such travels. Due to the existence of pheromones, Alphas are naturally sensitive to energy, making them suited for search work.

The radiation suit had poor breathability, and after two hours in the transport vehicle, his brain felt scrambled by the shaking. When Su Zhi arrived at the camp and took off the protective suit, he was already a bit dizzy from being stifled. Actually, the radiation levels at the edge of the Forbidden Zone aren’t strong; after all, the area had been surveyed for four months and hazards had been cleared. But for safety’s sake, Betas had to wear specialized radiation suits.

Alphas with strong enough constitutions didn’t need them; they could move around the low-radiation zone in casual clothes, which was more flexible and convenient. The Alpha who met Su Zhi at the entrance wasn’t wearing a radiation suit and looked very relaxed; Su Zhi was very envious. The survey team was out and hadn’t returned yet, so the camp was empty. Su Zhi sat to the side to rest. After being stifled for so long, his breathing was slightly ragged, he was sweating, and the color had drained from his face.

The Alpha who brought him in had briefly explained the survey team’s situation on the transport vehicle, and now he emphasized it again: “Although Mr. Wu added you in temporarily, in principle, survey team members aren’t allowed to pull any tricks. No matter what you want to do, you have to find your own way; I can’t help you. You only have two days. Including today, you have to leave the day after tomorrow in the morning.”

Su Zhi nodded and said: “Okay, I understand. Thank you.”

The connection Senior Brother Wu found was only responsible for getting him in; they couldn’t help with what happened afterward. Su Zhi wasn’t too disappointed; he had expected it wouldn’t be particularly smooth before he came. A place like the Forbidden Zone is indeed not that easy to manipulate. Being able to get an opportunity to enter was already very good.

The Alpha looked at his somewhat pale face and felt a bit of pity, adding a few more words: “Mainly, there’s a specially appointed technical consultant who isn’t very easy to get along with. You should be careful. If you offend him, things might not go very smoothly.”

The words were tactful, but the meaning was clear. This technical consultant was likely the one in charge of the survey team. If he wasn’t willing to turn a blind eye, Su Zhi would likely find it hard to obtain Red Stone on this trip. From the tone, the other party seemed to be the type who wasn’t very easy to talk to.

—Though Su Zhi wasn’t very good at handling these kinds of scenarios that required a bit of skill in reading people’s minds anyway.

Well, there was nothing for it. Su Zhi felt a bit helpless, but not particularly depressed. If he didn’t get the Red Stone this time, he would have to quickly try other plans. Su Zhi carefully prioritized his remaining options in his mind. He was so deep in thought that he didn’t notice the sweat rolling past his brow.

Su Zhi blinked as a drop of sweat fell onto his eyelashes, making him a bit uncomfortable. He lowered his lashes to ease the discomfort.

“When the technical consultant comes back in a bit, you’ll see him. The most conspicuous Alpha is the one, very easy to recognize…”

Seeing him silently bowing his head, the Alpha thought he was dejected by the bad news and softened his voice, asking with concern: “Are you okay? You’re sweating. Do you want to go rest first? I have a spare portable tent.”

Su Zhi wanted to refuse. Two days was very short, and he wanted to see if there was a chance to go out later; resting now was too early and a waste of time. He said he had two days, but it was already the afternoon of the first day; the actual effective time was less than a day and a half.

Before the refusal could leave his mouth, there was a sudden commotion at the camp entrance. Su Zhi looked toward the sound and saw a line of people filing in from outside. It was a group of Alphas, flooding in with an intense presence. As a Beta, Su Zhi couldn’t smell pheromones, but the tension—the way even the dust seemed to swirl in the air—was visible to the naked eye.

Su Zhi immediately saw the man walking at the very front. Not only was he taller and broader than the other Alphas, but his aura was also especially handsome and sharp. The man was wearing the same dark blue survey uniform as the others—a plain, standardized uniform with some mine dust on the hem—yet it didn’t look shabby or cold on him at all. His broad shoulders filled out the frame, making his figure look long and upright.

As he walked with long strides, one could vaguely glimpse the beautiful and powerful muscular contours beneath the clothes. He said something to the person beside him, his dark eyes heavy. Even with just a cold, reserved glance, there was a shuddering chill that made one’s blood run cold. He was surrounded by an unquestionable air of a superior, and a heavy sense of aggression rushed toward Su Zhi. Even among a group of Alphas, he was particularly conspicuous, as if he were another species entirely, capable of crushing other Alphas.

He looked quite different from the version Su Zhi had seen in the flower shop.

The Alpha whispered: “There, the tallest one is the technical consultant. You’d better stay out of his way. His surname is—”

Su Zhi was a bit dazed and instinctively followed up: “Surname Xie.”

The Alpha: “?” I haven’t said it yet, how did this guy know?

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