"But the heart's operation is not without conditions. We've tried for a long time to transport common energies like petroleum into the heart by filtering it through the heart itself."
"Through the heart's conversion, a new type of energy is formed, which is the blue-glowing liquid you see."
"The lighthouse is able to hover in the air because of this raw material. For ease of reference, we call it Blue Blood."
"So what? What do you want us to do?"
Clearly, not everyone present was in the mood to listen to these people tell stories.
Zhou Hao directly interrupted Tang Xiuwei's lengthy narration.
"Let's be blunt. We worked hard and risked our lives in the competition to get here. We're not here to listen to your stories, especially since your story doesn't seem like something our class should be privy to." Zhou Hao's attitude was firm.
Behind him stood Zhou Qian, another girl, and the thin man known as Thief.
Their expressions were not good.
Zhou Hao and his group's goal was clear: they were risking their lives in this competition solely for money.
However, after excitedly winning the competition, they were brought to this bizarre place. These seemingly high-status individuals were leading them in circles, refusing to get to the point.
This had worn down everyone's patience.
"I need you to help me find the mutant!"
The voice came from near the glass vessel. Weng Quan didn't even turn around, his gaze still fixed on the heart before him. Beside him was the expressionless Xia Jin.
Zhou Hao asked, "Mutant? What is that?"
Weng Quan replied, "Half a year ago, a mutant appeared on the land. It was a mutated zombie rabbit combined with a mutated zombie. It was a valuable sample, but due to its extreme aggression, we were ultimately unable to capture it."
"A rabbit and a human? And a zombie? What is this all about?" Zhou Hao questioned.
Soft murmurs of disbelief spread through the crowd. They all thought Weng Quan might have become addled from his research. Even Zhou Haimei looked skeptical.
The only one present who remained quiet throughout was Xu An.
She, of course, believed Weng Quan's words. Not only did she believe him, but she also suspected that the mutant he spoke of was the rabbit-headed monster she encountered before coming to the lighthouse, the one she met with Qin Chuan.
The corpse of that rabbit-headed monster was still safely stored in Xu An's spatial dimension, so why wouldn't she believe him?
A subtle thread began to connect all the events in her mind.
Xu An recalled that for nearly two months before the competition, every time she encountered Qin Chuan in the training hall, he seemed not to recognize her. An epiphany dawned upon her.
Someone had already set their sights on her.
Before Xu An could ponder further, Weng Quan continued, "You don't believe me?" As he spoke, he took out a screen about the size of a mobile phone from his pocket.
"This is satellite imaging technology. Inside is the mutant I was telling you about."
On the screen, a monster with a rabbit's head but a human-shaped lower body appeared. It was clear that the creature before them could no longer be described as human.
The rabbit-headed monster's eyes were red, and rotten scraps of flesh and fur continuously fell from its mouth.
In the video, this rabbit-headed monster was feeding. Clutched in its mouth was a human arm.
"So you brought us here just to deal with these monsters?" Zhou Hao asked again, his expression darkening.
"No, this rabbit-headed monster might already be dead. We can't detect its life signs. But I need you to find me a mutant to serve as an experimental sample."
"The lighthouse has so many troops. Why didn't you send them instead of going through all this trouble to hold a competition for us, only to find this monster?"
Xu An hadn't wanted to step forward, but seeing that no one else was reacting, she spoke up. She knew that standing there already drew considerable attention, and saying more would surely make her a target. However, some things needed to be clarified by someone.
There was also a question she kept hidden in her heart: what was the relationship between the mutant and the heart before them?
Or rather, what did Weng Quan truly desire – the mutant, or the strange luminous mushrooms hidden within the mutant's brain?
The question Xu An asked was also on the minds of many present. Everyone stared intently at Weng Quan, as if demanding an answer.
However, what they received was not the answer they sought, but a sweet "temptation."
"Why do you need to know so much? In the end, don't you just want a stable life? I can guarantee you that as long as you complete the mission and bring me the sample, I will promise each of you permanent residency in a Level 2 housing unit and one million transaction coins."
Contrasting Weng Quan's harmless face were his ambitious eyes.
"If I could explain everything to you, why wouldn't I use official channels?"
Weng Quan walked over, completely ignoring Xu An, and headed straight for Zhou Hao.
"You are the first-place winner this time, correct?"
"Yes."
"If you do this for me, regardless of life or death, your family will receive guarantees for a stable life. Isn't that good?"
"But we don't want to risk our lives for you without understanding what's going on. At the very least, we should know what we're doing!" Zhou Qian, standing beside her brother, looked at his wavering expression with a hint of impatience.
Many people were still bewildered, but they were all drawn by the "sweet talk" Weng Quan offered.
Yes, what did it matter if they knew what they were doing? As long as they had money and a place to live, it was undoubtedly better than their current lives.
Quite a few people began to change their minds, unconsciously leaning towards Weng Quan.
But only Xu An remained clear-headed.
The temptation Weng Quan offered was too great. If she didn't have her spatial dimension, she might have agreed without hesitation. But now, the "benefits" Weng Quan spoke of seemed like a trap wrapped in a sweet shell.
"Qianqian!" Zhou Hao interrupted his sister upon hearing her questioning.
Weng Quan smiled, watching the siblings without a word.
At this moment, Xia Jin, who had remained silent, suddenly spoke.
"If I must give a reason, perhaps it's for the survival of humanity?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Xia Jin couldn't help but lower his head and chuckle. His laughter was very low, almost imperceptible if one wasn't paying attention. If anyone could have seen his face at that moment, they would have known his smile never reached his eyes.
He slowly raised his head, a curve forming on his lips, his gaze fixed firmly on Chu Yu.