Chapter 46 – Threat
“The world was wonderful. Although humans and nature didn’t coexist particularly harmoniously, it was much better than here. There were green mountains and clear waters, cattle and sheep everywhere, and large tracts of land to grow crops. We didn’t need to eat unpalatable synthetic food. There were no aliens, no Federal Government, and ordinary people had a high sense of happiness.”
As Tu Ran spoke, her memories drifted back to that world, and her expression unconsciously softened.
“Was that world called Earth?”
Tu Ran immediately straightened up.
“You… you…” She was so excited that she was incoherent, “Are you also from Earth?!”
“No.”
Her great expectation fell through, and Tu Ran instantly wilted.
“I know someone who is from there,” Xie Xu said.
“Who?” Tu Ran’s spirits lifted instantly.
Where was her fellow countryman?
“Li Wenchuan.” Xie Xu’s thin lips moved as he uttered the two words.
Tu Ran’s eyes widened. Li Wenchuan? The leader of this mission?
Her fellow countryman was actually so outstanding?!
She suddenly felt that she had a strong backer.
“Don’t think about leaving this post,” Xie Xu said, pouring cold water over her hopes, instantly chilling her to the core.
“Why?” she asked angrily.
“Because Tu Ran signed a ten-year contract with the pioneers. You are now living in her body, and you must fulfill her duties. As for your claim that your soul comes from another world, no one but me would believe it.”
“But I don’t know anything! Dealing with alien species is such a dangerous task. Are you trying to send me to my death?!” Tu Ran gritted her teeth. She thought that with Li Wenchuan as her backer, she could pull some strings to leave the pioneer team and live an ordinary life. She didn’t expect that this dream couldn’t come true either.
“So, I assigned three more assistants to you,” Xie Xu said slowly. “If you still can’t complete the task with their help, then there’s no need for you to return to the Federation Headquarters alive.”
Tu Ran’s body stiffened, and she slammed her fists on the table. “Are you threatening me?”
Xie Xu’s eyes held a hint of disdain. “You’re not worth threatening.”
Tu Ran’s heart sank to the bottom. She had thought Xie Xu was her savior, but he turned out to be the one pushing her into the abyss.
“If I die here without a clear reason, my friend will investigate and find out the truth. You won’t get away with it,” Tu Ran glared at him.
“Friend? Shi Chunzhi? Are you sure she considers ‘you’ a friend?” Xie Xu’s tone was very calm.
Tu Ran started to tremble, realizing something disturbing.
Why did Xie Xu know so much about her? He knew what the original person was like, and he knew about the people around her.
A terrifying thought began to take shape in her mind. “Is my direct superior the Federation… or you?”
“Me.”
“What kind of person are you?”
The original Tu Ran clearly belonged to the Federal Government. Why did she have to listen to him? He was obviously a high-ranking member of the Federal Government Research Institute. Why did he need to set up his own operations?
“You don’t need to know that,” Xie Xu said indifferently as he stood up. “You just need to remember that I want the King Snake alive.”
After saying this, he didn’t look at Tu Ran’s expression. He walked away without any hesitation, his long legs carrying him out the door.
Tu Ran was left sitting alone, her face dark.
She now had only two options before her: First, follow Xie Xu’s orders, find the King Snake, and capture it alive.
The Federal Government had not mandated capturing live aliens. Xie Xu’s demand for a live alien was puzzling. Why did he want a live alien? This was one of the questions plaguing her mind.
The second was to fail Xie Xu’s demand—either not capturing the King Snake or capturing it dead. In that case, Xie Xu would undoubtedly dispose of her.
This was essentially Xie Xu giving her a chance to prove herself. If she could complete the task, it would show she had some value and was worth keeping around. If she failed, it would indicate that she, having already been replaced internally, was dispensable and would save Xie Xu from any unnecessary trouble upon returning to the Federation’s HQ.
Given Xie Xu’s status, it would be easy for him to eliminate her without anyone knowing.
Shi Chunzhi, knowing she was no longer the original Tu Ran, likely wouldn’t seek revenge for her.
Her death would cause no ripple.
Thinking of her tragic end, Tu Ran shivered, and her mind suddenly cleared.
Question two: Why did the original owner have to obey Xie Xu? Was it because he had something on her, or was she bought off with money?
If it was money, it might be easier to escape. The real worry was if Xie Xu had some leverage over her.
But without inheriting the original owner’s memories, she had no idea what it could be.
Taking a deep breath, Tu Ran propped herself up on the table and stood up with difficulty.
She had to find a way to capture the King Snake.
…
Ding Naiqing returned to his room. Just as he lay down on the bed, he received a message from Tu Ran.
“Come to my room.”
Ding Naiqing rubbed his tired eyes and glanced at the time. It was already midnight, and Sister Ran was still awake.
He had just left Tu Ran’s room, where they had been watching the farm’s surveillance footage. Until he left, there had been no movement at the farm’s gate.
Tu Ran calling him at this hour likely meant she had discovered something.
Ding Naiqing quickly put on his clothes. Tu Ran’s room was right across from his. Just as he was about to knock, he heard Tu Ran’s voice in his earpiece.
“Come in.”
Ding Naiqing pushed the door open and entered. Tu Ran was still in the same position as when he left, her back to the door, staring at the three enlarged screens in front of her.
Ding Naiqing quickly noticed something was wrong. All three screens were black, with snowflake-like static occasionally flickering.
“What happened?” Ding Naiqing quickly approached and bent down to adjust the other surveillance feeds on the control panel.
Each one was the same.
Tu Ran’s face was grim.
Someone had deliberately damaged the surveillance in the farm.
“Sister Ran, what do we do now?” Ding Naiqing was a bit anxious.
Without the surveillance, they had no way of knowing what happened on the farm tonight.
“I hid another camera there,” Tu Ran said, staring at the dark screen.
She didn’t trust anyone on the farm, including Tu Bin, so she had secretly removed the camera from the front of her combat suit and, while everyone was distracted, hidden it in the bushes facing the Tibetan mastiff’s corpse.
Because that camera was designed for use by pioneers in the wilderness, it couldn’t connect to the network. To view the footage, she would have to connect it to the communicator tomorrow.
Hearing this, Ding Naiqing was ecstatic. “When did you do that? Sister Ran, you’re amazing. I didn’t even notice.”
Tu Ran didn’t want to explain too much right now. She looked up at him and asked, “Tell me, how smart are the alien species? Can they tell at a glance that the half-corpse of the Tibetan mastiff is a trap?”
From what she understood about the aliens, they were essentially still animals. Their intelligence wasn’t particularly high, and they still followed animal instincts.
