Chapter 192 – Underground Laboratory (2)
Tu Ran paid special attention to the note Xu Bingli had made for the contact: “Z.”
Although Tu Ran didn’t know exactly who this “Z” was, she was certain it was someone from the Wells family.
The reason was simple—Xu Bingli worked for the Wells family.
Xu Bingli had graduated from a prestigious university in the Federation, a school so expensive that it was said only those with a million-dollar fortune could afford to attend.
However, Xu Bingli himself was just an ordinary citizen from a family that wasn’t wealthy. He had only been able to attend the elite school because of the Wells family’s financial support.
As for why the Wells family had sponsored him, it seemed, from a fleeting memory of Xu Bingli’s, that they had recognized his talent in medicine.
After graduating from the elite university, Xu Bingli joined the Medical Department. With the Wells family backing him, he quickly rose from an intern to his current position as the Deputy Director and Chief Physician of the Medical Department, becoming a prime example of an ordinary person’s rise to success.
For the past few years, Xu Bingli had been working for the Wells family.
The Wells family, although controlling 90% of the pharmaceutical market, had to contend with the Medical Department being a government institution under the control of the Xie family.
Xu Bingli was, in fact, the Wells family’s plant in the heart of the Medical Department.
This situation was not uncommon across the entire Federal Government framework.
The three major families outwardly appeared united, working together to oppose resistance groups and maintain the Federation’s order. But internally, competition was fierce, with political machinations and power struggles happening daily. Each family strived to place their own people within the Federal Government to maximize their family’s interests.
However, due to the overwhelming power of the Xie family, the Wells and Pang families could only temporarily stay in second place.
But whether they were truly submissive was obvious—they weren’t.
In the past, competition between the three major families was limited to the commercial and political arenas, with each side vying for dominance, creating an almost balanced struggle.
But with the arrival of the Threshold, the sudden appearance of inner cores, and the overwhelming power of supernatural abilities, the balance was shattered.
The three major families, in unspoken agreement, abandoned traditional competition. They began to use their full family power to compete for inner cores.
The Wells family, through some unknown method, identified those who possessed inner cores. They located four pioneers, including Xi Chunzhi, and precisely extracted an inner core from the back of each person’s neck.
Where the inner cores ultimately went was not revealed in Xu Bingli’s memories. His only role was to provide the location, and the inner core was then taken away by members of the Wells family.
Even after losing their inner cores, the pioneers were not spared. Their bodies still held research value.
Xi Chunzhi, however, escaped this fate because Zero had determined that her only friend posed an uncertainty.
From Tu Ran’s understanding, this “uncertainty” meant that she could go mad at any moment. If her close friend went missing, she would undoubtedly do everything in her power to find her. If she couldn’t find her, she would escalate the situation, drawing the attention of the Xie and Pang families.
At this time, all three families were closely monitoring each other’s actions.
While Tu Ran, as a pioneer, might not be a significant threat, the Xie and Pang families were. If they were to investigate and discover that the Wells family had secretly killed pioneers to obtain inner cores, it would be a problem that couldn’t be easily resolved.
To avoid any risk, the Wells family planned to first use Xi Chunzhi to appease Tu Ran, and then find an opportunity to eliminate both of them, ensuring they would disappear completely from the Federation.
The wind outside continued to blow, and Tu Ran caught a faint smell of burning in the air.
She refocused her thoughts.
This scent was common in this world—whether from chemical plant leaks, bomb attacks by resistance organizations, or large-scale wars nearby, it always smelled like this.
Tu Ran glanced at the distant mushroom cloud rising in the sky and silently put on her helmet.
Xu Bingli also paused his actions.
The window automatically closed.
“Has Dr. Xu found anything?” Tu Ran asked, knowing full well the answer.
“Her condition is very stable. It won’t be long before she recovers,” Xu Bingli replied calmly.
“Really?”
“Yes.” Xu Bingli nodded.
Tu Ran sneered inwardly. Of course, he could be so confident because in a few days, she would be dealt with by the Wells family.
“Thank you, Dr. Xu.” Tu Ran stared at him, the corners of her lips slightly curling behind her mask.
‘Oh, Dr. Xu, you’d better be careful on your way home these days.
‘The Wells family may want to deal with me, but I won’t just sit here and wait.’
‘I may not be able to reach the Wells family right now, but I can start with you.’
“No trouble at all.” Xu Bingli’s usual warm and polite smile became somewhat stiff.
He inexplicably felt a chill, wrapping around him from head to toe.
Tu Ran left with Xu Bingli.
It was already 6:40, and she needed to hurry back to the Pandalin District.
They took the elevator up. Tu Ran’s destination was the 48th floor, while Xu Bingli was headed to a higher level.
There were only the two of them in the elevator. When they reached the 30th floor, the elevator doors opened, and Meng Fancheng and his companions stood outside.
Tu Ran met their gaze and closed her eyes briefly. ‘Why do I keep running into them everywhere? Aren’t they doctors? Why do they seem so idle all the time?’
When they came face to face with Xu Bingli and Tu Ran, the expressions on Meng Fancheng and his friends were nothing short of extraordinary.
Their gazes lingered on Tu Ran and Xu Bingli’s faces, unable to believe that the two of them were standing so calmly together in the same elevator.
“Are you getting in or not?” Tu Ran asked impatiently when they hesitated, as she was in a hurry.
“Yes, yes,” Meng Fancheng quickly replied, grabbing one of his companions and squeezing inside.
The others followed suit.
The elevator in the Medical Department was spacious enough to accommodate nearly ten people without feeling crowded.
Tu Ran and Xu Bingli stood in the center, about a step apart.
Meng Fancheng and his group clung to the elevator walls, heads bowed, not daring to make a sound, barely even breathing.
The elevator ascended smoothly.
Xu Bingli broke the silence, “You seem to be surgical interns, correct?”
“Yes,” Meng Fancheng responded excitedly, “I can’t believe you remember us, Dr. Xu! I’m in mechanical surgery, he’s in neurosurgery, he’s also in mechanical surgery, and he’s in cardiology…”
Tu Ran listened quietly, realizing that the surgical departments in this world were different from those in her previous world.
“The surgical departments are on the 11th to 25th floors. Is there something specific that brought you up here?” Xu Bingli inquired.
“Zero notified us,” Meng Fancheng explained. “A military factory in the Eden District was attacked by a genetic monster, which triggered an explosion of semi-finished products, injuring many people. Since the factory is near the suspension railway station, the injured were transported onto the trains and are on their way here. We’re going to assist with the response.”
Xu Bingli nodded.
When they reached the 48th floor, the elevator doors opened, and Tu Ran stepped out alone.
