Developing Superpowers in Another World

Chapter 216 – Killing Two Birds with One Stone

 

“Smart,” Tu Ran praised without hesitation.

Xie Xu remained silent for a moment on the other end.

Tu Ran crouched low, slipping under the legs of an alien.

Shen Yunhe and Min Tao, following behind her, were shocked by her maneuver. Though they instinctively resisted the idea, they couldn’t deny that it was the best route and resigned themselves to following her.

“Are you planning to abandon the Songwu Research Base? It looks like a lot of the equipment in these rooms has been moved out,” Tu Ran commented casually as she pushed open a laboratory door. Inside, there was nothing but a giant bed and a few white metal cabinets.

She pushed open several more doors, and each room looked the same.

In such a short time, moving all the valuable equipment was no easy task.

An idea flashed through Tu Ran’s mind.

“You’ve been planning to abandon the Songwu Research Base for a while, haven’t you?”

It seemed like there was a delay on Xie Xu’s end. After two or three seconds, he responded, “Yes.”

Tu Ran frowned, puzzled. “Why?”

“The Songwu Research Base had been infiltrated by external forces. Classified research projects were leaked repeatedly, causing significant losses for the Federation. To remedy the situation, the base initiated an emergency plan—relocating the base, dismissing non-family researchers, and obtaining private management approval. From now on, the Songwu Research Base will no longer be under the Federation’s control but will be a private institute belonging to the Xie family.”

“What about the aliens up there? You’re just going to leave them behind?” Tu Ran asked, her eyes scanning the aliens around her as she skillfully dodged them, not forgetting to press Xie Xu for answers.

“We still need them. We just didn’t have time to transfer them before everything went wrong.”

He spoke so casually that Tu Ran couldn’t detect any hint of regret.

But she knew the reality. The diverse array of aliens up there, all acquired through large amounts of money, represented a significant loss. The damage was no less severe than if other families had stolen their research data.

“I suddenly feel like the ones who shut off the anesthetic spray weren’t targeting me, but you,” Tu Ran remarked.

Their losses were far greater than hers.

“Both,” Xie Xu replied. “They had their sights set on the research base and on you. By sending you here, they could kill you and destroy all the aliens in the base, dealing a severe blow to the Xie family—killing two birds with one stone.”

Tu Ran stepped over a creature knocked out by the gas. “So, it was the Wells family that sent people?”

“Yes. The reason we decided to implement this emergency plan was that the Wells family had stolen confidential documents on the research related to human inner cores.”

Tu Ran cursed, calling the Wells family cunning.

“Did you know the Wells family has been harvesting inner cores from pioneers?” she asked.

“We know,” Xie Xu answered calmly.

“Did you also know they have a secret laboratory under the Medical Department?” Tu Ran pressed.

Xie Xu paused for a moment, clearly unaware of that detail.

The Medical Department was under the jurisdiction of the Federal Government, which was controlled by the Xie family. The audacity of the Wells family to build a lab right under their noses was beyond anyone’s expectations.

“I’ll handle the matter with the laboratory. For now, you need to get out of there as quickly as possible,” Xie Xu’s voice took on an urgent tone.

“What’s going on?” Tu Ran asked, sensing his unusual distress.

“A massive bomb has been planted beneath the base. If it goes off, the entire base will be leveled,” Xie Xu quickly explained.

Tu Ran quickened her pace. “When will it explode?”

“We’re not sure. It can’t be detected.”

Tu Ran bit back a curse. “Who planted it?”

“Not the Xie family. The aliens killed by the poison still hold some research value. If everything is blown up, there will be nothing left,” Xie Xu clarified, fearing she might misunderstand. “I’ve detected a fifteen-person team moving toward your location. They’re likely the ones who planted the bomb. Since they haven’t left yet, the bomb won’t go off immediately. You have enough time to escape.”

So, for the time being, she was safe.

“Send me their location,” Tu Ran ordered.

“What are you planning to do? You should leave first,” Xie Xu advised.

“I know what I’m doing,” Tu Ran replied impatiently.

She didn’t want to explain any further. Right now, all she wanted was to confront those people face-to-face.

She would make sure there was enough time before the explosion; she wasn’t going to risk her life recklessly.

Xie Xu didn’t press the matter and sent her the location of the group. The path was displayed in her visor, guiding Tu Ran forward.

Min Tao and Shen Yunhe, unaware that Tu Ran had stopped looking for an exit and was now hunting for revenge, followed her without question.

As they got closer to their target, Tu Ran halted. Min Tao and Shen Yunhe also stopped, waiting for her next instructions.

“There’s a group ahead, likely the ones who shut off the anesthetic spray and trapped us here,” Tu Ran communicated through her helmet. “I’m not planning on letting them go. This is a good opportunity for revenge. Once they leave, we might not get another chance. You can choose to leave, or you can come with me.”

“We’re coming with you,” they both replied, almost in unison.

Ever since they had been trapped in the base, tormented by Diao Hongzhi’s provocations, they had been holding in their frustration. Now that they finally had the chance to confront the culprits, there was no way they would let it slip by.

Tu Ran had Xie Xu share the group’s location with Min Tao and Shen Yunhe, and the three of them split up to approach.

The aliens were either dead, collapsed, or too dazed to pose any threat. The trio focused solely on the fifteen-person team.

Tu Ran circled around to the front, Min Tao took the rear, and Shen Yunhe positioned himself in the middle. Together, they prepared to attack from three sides.

The squad captain was the first to notice something was wrong. His visor displayed three red dots moving toward a cluster of green dots, which represented his squad members. The red dots indicated other life forms.

Initially, he assumed it was just some creatures, thinking nothing of it. In these conditions, the creatures couldn’t see anything and were likely wandering through by chance.

However, he soon realized something was off. The movement of the three red dots wasn’t random or erratic. Instead, they were systematically surrounding his squad from three sides.

“Alert!” he shouted immediately.

But it was too late.

Tu Ran calmly pulled the trigger, shooting him in the thigh.

He stumbled and fell to one knee. His teammates rushed forward to shield him, firing blindly in the direction the bullet had come from, unable to pinpoint the enemy’s exact location.

From the rear, Shen Yunhe and Min Tao opened fire, taking down two more of the squad members.

Tu Ran shifted her position and fired three consecutive shots from the side, killing three more.

Her plan was simple—leave the captain alive, but eliminate everyone else.

In an instant, five of the fifteen squad members were dead, and the captain was wounded. The remaining survivors were on edge, their hands trembling as they gripped their guns, nervously scanning the area and firing at the red dots on their visors.

“She’s over there!” the captain, grimacing in pain, kept his eyes glued to the red dot representing Tu Ran. He aimed his gun in her direction, shouting as he squeezed the trigger.

 

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