At 12 midnight, within a mysterious base.
In a single-person confinement room, Zhang Qi Shan, who was half-asleep, was suddenly awakened by a bucket of cold water.
He wiped the water droplets from his face, opened his eyes and saw that it was the middle-aged man who had awakened him.
"Come out, I have something to ask you!"
As his voice fell, the jailer nearby took out a key, opened the door of the confinement room, and dragged Zhang Qi Shan out.
Soon, Zhang Qi Shan was taken to a closed interrogation room and put on shackles by the jailers.
Zhang Qi Shan raised his eyebrows and said impatiently, "You woke me up in the middle of the night for interrogation. It seems you’ve encountered something urgent."
The middle-aged man took out a box, opened it, and inside was a dark black Corpse Leech Pill.
"We've tested this thing. After taking it, it can indeed maintain the body’s life functions for a short time."
Having said that, the middle-aged man took out a pack of cigarettes.
Then he handed one to Zhang Qi Shan and helped him light it.
Zhang Qi Shan took a deep drag, exhaled a cloud of smoke and asked, "Say it. What do you want me to do?"
The middle-aged man smiled, "He who knows the times is a hero. It seems you know the times well. We need the materials to refine this kind of pill. You should know where to get them, right?"
Zhang Qi Shan scoffed, "There are those materials in the cave we sealed with concrete. Do you have the guts to go and get them?"
"That's why I’m looking for you. I need you to bring your people to find these materials to refine the pill." The middle-aged man said, exhaling a plume of smoke.
"My people have all been purged by you, haven’t they?" Zhang Qi Shan said sarcastically.
The middle-aged man immediately punched him, knocking the cigarette out of his mouth. Blood seeped out from his mouth.
After punching him, the middle-aged man said while smoking, "Don’t push your luck! You have no choice now. You can only do as we say, or you'll face a dead end!"
Zhang Qi Shan sneered, "Alright. I can help you with this, but I have conditions!"
"You’re not in a position to negotiate. If you don’t want your child and mother to die, you can propose conditions!" The middle-aged man said in a cold, emotionless tone.
Zhang Qi Shan was also a tough guy. He was not afraid, but threatened, "You can kill my whole family, but don’t even think about me doing another thing for you!"
Obviously, he was certain that the middle-aged man dared not kill him.
Sure enough, the middle-aged man chose to compromise.
"For the sake of your usefulness, I can give you a chance to propose conditions. But – don’t be too demanding!"
"My condition is simple. Send my mother and child to Hong Kong." Zhang Qi Shan said without hesitation.
"It seems… you’re still delusional!" The middle-aged man pressed the cigarette on his arm. It immediately sizzled.
Everyone knows that cigarette butts are extremely hot, enough to burn through skin! However, Zhang Qi Shan didn’t even frown!
He looked as though a dead pig was unafraid of boiling water, "My child and mother are my weakness. You’re using my weakness to threaten me into doing things for you. I’d rather my whole family be killed than do a single thing for you!"
He knew very well how dangerous that cave was. If someone from the Old Nine Gates didn’t lead the way, ordinary people wouldn’t be able to enter it at all.
Even if they entered, they would suffer heavy casualties, because the Corpse Leech King was no joke!
The middle-aged man knew this too, so he thought of a compromise, "Alright. We can send one of them first. As for which one, you can decide."
Zhang Qi Shan began to calculate. He could send one of them away this time when looking for the Corpse Leech King. Next time, he could send the other one away when looking for the Meteorite Jade.
Once they were sent to Hong Kong, he could contact the overseas Zhang family and have them take care of his mother and child.
Then he would have no worries.
So he nodded readily, "Deal. But before we set off, I need confirmation that my child has arrived safely in Hong Kong."
The middle-aged man didn’t waste any words. He directly picked up the phone and made a call, "Send his child to Hong Kong!"
Then he hung up the phone and said to Zhang Qi Shan, "Your child will arrive safely in Hong Kong in three days. We’ll set off then!"
"Don’t try any tricks!"
He then left the interrogation room with the Corpse Leech Pill.
Leaving the interrogation room, the middle-aged man passed through layers of guards and came to a heavily guarded medical room.
On the bed, lay an elderly man, tubes inserted into his body, barely alive. A doctor stood beside him.
"General Zhao, Old Chen he… he’s dying…" The doctor in a white coat said.
"Little Zhu, you can leave now! I have something to talk to Old Chen about." The middle-aged man commanded in an不容置疑的语气, a tone that brooks no questioning.
"Alright." The doctor nodded.
Then he left the medical room and closed the door behind him.
After the doctor left, the middle-aged man immediately pulled down the curtains and locked the door from the inside before returning to the bedside.
"Old Chen, through extensive testing, we’ve confirmed that this pill can indeed prolong life. How about… you take one first? That way, I can also give the higher-ups an explanation…"
After hearing his words, the old man said weakly, "Little Zhao, are you planning… to use me as your test subject?"
The middle-aged man named Zhao was startled. He immediately stood up straight, his face grave, and said:
"Old Chen, you’ve misunderstood. You’re my old leader. How could I dare use you as a test subject? It's not that our research has made progress, otherwise I wouldn’t dare to give it to you!"
The old man gave a wry smile and then gasped, "You… don’t be nervous. I know you’ve tried your best…"
"Anyway, my days are numbered. Since that’s the case… then I’ll give it a try…"
"Old Chen, rest assured, it’ll definitely bring you back from the brink!" Zhao, the middle-aged man, said, pounding his chest.
The old man nodded, signaling him to proceed.
The middle-aged man didn’t hesitate. He opened the box, took out the Corpse Leech Pill, and carefully fed it to the old man.
He then gave him some water.
The old man immediately started coughing violently.
The middle-aged man quickly helped him up, patted his back, and helped him calm down.
After about half an hour, something strange happened!
The old man suddenly started twitching. His face contorted, he seemed in immense pain, and he made animalistic howls!
Then, a meatball the size of a ping pong ball bulged out of his abdomen and moved up from his belly to his throat!
It looked like a worm moving inside him!
Soon, the worm crawled up his throat and finally burrowed into his brain!
The old man was in such excruciating pain that he grabbed his head. He tore out handfuls of hair and let out a shrill scream.
He quickly fainted.
At the same time, his skin began to change at a visible rate…