"I think Director Liang, your most important task now should be to give Ya Ya and her mother an explanation!" Xiao Wenqiang said coldly.
"This is an internal matter of our Heng Ai Base, and there is no need to explain it in front of outsiders like you." Liang Yunchong's expression was unpleasant. "But what are your intentions in sneaking into our laboratory without a word?"
"We don't have any hidden motives! We just feel sorry for Ya Ya and her mother and want to help her find her father," Lu Feiguang said displeased.
"Stop the nonsense, Director Liang, we need an explanation!" Ya Ya's mother said seriously.
"Sister-in-law, please don't overthink it. I just said a well-intentioned lie because I was afraid this result would be too cruel for you to bear," Liang Yunchong appeased her.
Ya Ya's mother did not believe him. "But you said you burned the child's father to ashes, which isn't much better!"
"Sister-in-law, your husband suddenly attacked us just now, so he accidentally broke his head. Brother Liang also said this well-intentioned lie because he was afraid you would be sad," said Hu Xueyan, a girl from Liang Yunchong's team.
Hu Xueyan also had a significant role in the original novel. She also liked the male protagonist, Liang Yunchong. However, she was destined to be a supporting character, unrequitedly in love for many years. In the end, she was moved by the heroine's great love and silently retreated to a sisterly position, sincerely wishing the male and female leads well.
In this life, Ye Yao had already met her end early. Hu Xueyan and the male protagonist Liang Yunchong's romantic relationship had progressed rapidly. Most people in the base now assumed these two were a couple.
"You, stay quiet. You are all birds of a feather. Liang Yunchong, I want you to tell me the truth!" Ya Ya's mother stared directly at him.
"Sister-in-law, I told you, I really had good intentions and didn't want to make you sad..." Liang Yunchong looked as if she was being unreasonable.
"It's for the crystal core in his head, isn't it!" Xiao Wenqiang interrupted him.
Liang Yunchong and the people who had entered the laboratory instantly changed their expressions.
The surrounding people began to clamor again.
"Crystal core? What crystal core?"
"I don't know, I've never heard of it?"
"Who is this woman? Is she just talking nonsense!"
"I seem to know a little. The zombies nowadays seem to have a crystal in their heads."
"I've heard of that too, but what's the use of this thing?"
"Don't know? Haven't heard of it."
...
"You woman, are you from another base, trying to deliberately disrupt the internal harmony of our Heng Ai Base?" Before Liang Yunchong could speak, Hu Xueyan was already defending her beloved.
"You, be quiet!" Ya Ya's mother reprimanded Hu Xueyan, then anxiously asked Xiao Wenqiang, "Miss, what is this crystal core you just mentioned?"
"Sister-in-law, don't listen to this woman spreading falsehoods! They must be spies sent by another base!" Liang Yunchong said.
Before Liang Yunchong's voice had even finished, Yu Yang from his team suddenly made a move. Yu Yang was originally just a driver who had recently awakened fire abilities. At this moment, he unleashed a fireball towards the members of the "Sunshine Squad."
Seeing the approaching fireball, Lu Feiguang raised his hand to block it with water waves, but was stopped by Zhu Yan beside him.
Zhu Yan extended her fair and tender hand and faced Liang Yunchong's fireball directly.
Then, everyone watched as the fierce and scorching flames suddenly disappeared into thin air, absorbed by the girl in front of them!
Zhu Yan smiled slightly and provocatively said, "Give me more, it's not enough yet!"
Yu Yang was so angry that he wanted to attack again, but Xiao Wenqiang took the initiative. "It seems your Heng Ai Base is not living up to its name! We heard before that the director was kind-hearted, but in reality, you intended to watch your subordinates kill witnesses!"
At this moment, the surrounding crowd had already formed three layers, and most of them were ability users. Everyone was now staring at Liang Yunchong and his group with watchful eyes.
Yu Yang was held back by Liang Yunchong beside him. "Xiao Yang, don't be impulsive! The situation is not in our favor right now, let's wait and see!"
Then he forced a difficult smile. "Young lady, you are joking. Our Heng Ai Base has always been democratic and harmonious, with everyone equal. Since you are not spies sent by another base, feel free to speak your mind. This way, we can clarify things for everyone. I'm sure there must be some misunderstanding."
Xiao Wenqiang ignored Liang Yunchong's nonsense and said to the crowd, "Some time ago, we discovered that the zombies' heads have started forming crystal cores. Moreover, after several stages of experiments, some crystal cores, when ground into powder and consumed, can grant humans new abilities."
This statement struck like thunder, and everyone around erupted.
"Is this true?" someone asked.
"Absolutely true, we have already had people try it. After eating the crystal cores, an ordinary person can randomly gain an ability."
These were all confirmed by the members of the "Sunshine Squad" during their journey.
"So... did the base director and the others extract the crystal core from that girl's father?" the onlookers began to whisper again.
"Since he has already turned into a zombie, extracting the crystal core can give more hope to the living. The base director is not wrong to do this!" a bystander expressed their opinion.
"Although it's not good for the little girl and her mother, there's no other way. So I can understand why the base director kept it from them..."
Seeing more and more bystanders on his side, Liang Yunchong smiled with satisfaction. "Sister-in-law, I admit, after Brother Zhang turned into a zombie, we did extract his crystal core. But I didn't intend to keep it all to myself."
Liang Yunchong turned and signaled Hu Xueyan to take out the crystal core. "We originally planned to hold an internal meeting of the base to distribute the extracted crystal cores."
Upon hearing this, Ya Ya's mother's expression also softened slightly. "So that's how it is. I'm sorry, Base Director, I thought you..."
"You are not wrong!" At this moment, a man's voice came from the crowd. "Liang Yunchong is just a hypocrite."
"Brother! You're alive? That's great!" Ya Ya's mother turned around and found that the speaker was actually her own brother, Zhou Jiexiong.
Ya Ya's mother's name was Zhou Jieying. She was the first to awaken water abilities. Then, along the way, Ya Ya also awakened strength abilities.
A total of four people had escaped from this family. The other two were Ya Ya's father, Zhang Xing, and Ya Ya's maternal uncle, Zhou Jiexiong.
Unfortunately, these two originally strong men could only rely on the protection of the two women to enter the "Heng Ai Base" to survive.
Because of this, after arriving at the base, Zhang Xing and Zhou Jiexiong were very eager to perform well. At least they didn't want to continue living by relying on their wives and children.
Therefore, they jointly joined the "Pathfinder Team."