Swoosh swoosh swoosh!
A group of ard security squad personnel alighted from their vehicle and quickly followed behind the blonde woman, drawing the attention of many survivor caravans at the airport.
The blonde woman cast an indifferent gaze over Lin Xian and the others, then shifted her focus to Ding Junyi, who was dressed in a scientific research uniform. She walked straight up to her, took out a mobile terminal to check the photo, and said in a detached voice,
"I am Taylor Moreno, the federal district director and the leader of the specially appointed investigative team. Was it you who initiated the communication request a mont ago?"
This woman spoke with the tone of a superior, her deanor proud. At this mont, she did not consider Lin Xian and Shi Deyuan among others, keeping her gaze fixed on Ding Junyi throughout.
"It was ," Ding Junyi replied.
Taylor glanced over the group and said, "According to you, there are 3 Biological Research Departnt personnel who escaped from Underground City No. 9. Where are they?"
At this mont, Zhao Yan and Xu Wen inside the vehicle saw the mbers of the Federation Investigation Team appear and hurried down from the car, clutching their laptop bags.
", , ! It’s us!"
Before Ding Junyi could speak, Zhao Yan and Xu Wen couldn’t wait to run down from the vehicle and introduce themselves to Taylor, "I am Zhao Yan, a Ph.D. in molecular biology from the Biological Research Departnt of Underground City No. 9."
"Xu Wen, a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the Biological Research Departnt of Underground City No. 9, and also a formal employee of the Federation Governnt!" Xu Wen also hurriedly added.
Although the high-level officials from Underground City No. 9 did not hesitate to abandon them during the evacuation, the sight of the Federation Investigation Team caused an indescribable sense of excitent to surge on the faces of Zhao Yan and Xu Wen.
That the other party ca especially for them indicated that they, as scientific researchers, still held certain significance for the Federation Organization.
Taylor looked at the three researchers with a scrutinizing gaze, "The flight investigation team we dispatched to Underground City No. 9 yesterday has been out of contact for over 11 hours. Do you know what happened?"
"The place was invaded by underground creatures and has been completely destroyed."
Ding Junyi took out a mobile hard drive from her pocket and handed it over, "This contains the Underground City system logs and research data from our Biological Research Departnt. Inside are the information you want to acquire."
Taylor glanced at it, and an assistant beside her imdiately took it and connected it to a mobile terminal. Soon, a large amount of information was displayed.
"The accident is not much different from headquarters’ expectations. It should be an S-class nocturnal creature," the assistant reported quietly after examining the data.
"If that’s the case, then there’s no value in continuing the investigation. Prepare for evacuation," said Taylor indifferently. She then turned to Ding Junyi and the others: "Take them too. We’ll need them for so follow-up inspections."
"Really? That’s great, thank you, Director Taylor!!" Zhao Yan and Xu Wen were overjoyed, their emotions at the mont indescribable.
From being buried in the terror and despair of the Underground City to escaping to safety, and now receiving official acceptance and protection, it felt as if they had been in a cycle of hell.
"Additionally,"
Taylor operated the mobile terminal for a mont before taking out so docunts. "In addition to investigating Underground City No. 9, the mission of this special investigation team also includes a secret research item from the Biological Research Departnt. During your escape, did you bring it out?
Upon seeing this, Zhao Yan and Xu Wen’s expressions subtly changed.
Because the mobile terminal displayed a certain research code that others couldn’t understand, but Ding Junyi and the others knew very well that the secret item referred to the Blood Calamity Disaster Plant No. 1.
Hell Black Chrysanthemum.
As a Federation Senior Supervisor, Taylor was obviously astute, quickly picking up on the odd expressions of the others and sensing sothing amiss.
Imdiately, she said nothing and began to search through the system logs’ surveillance footage on the mobile terminal.
She quickly saw how Lin Xian and the others managed to rescue Ding Junyi and her team, and also how they moved away the Disaster Plant cultivation chamber.
"I understand now."
Taylor handed the mobile terminal to her deputy and then walked past Ding Junyi and Zhao Yan, directly to Lin Xian.
"Sir, on behalf of the Federation Governnt, I thank you for your rescue of our research employees. Now, please return the assets that belong to the Federation Governnt to us, and I will provide so survival supplies as compensation."
As soon as these words were spoken, Chen Sixuan’s and the others’ expressions instantly changed, and even Shu Qin and her group began to frown; they were unclear about what assets Taylor was referring to.
However, Lin Xian knew right away—it was that pot of black flowers.
What surprised him sowhat was, according to what this supervisor Taylor had just said, it seed that the flower was one of the targets of their special investigation team’s mission, which was much more valuable than he had anticipated.
"What if I refuse?"
Just as everyone was guessing the contents of the conversation between the Federation supervisor and Lin Xian, Lin Xian’s response took everyone by surprise.
"You refuse?" Taylor frowned imdiately.
"I refuse," Lin Xian said with a slight smile and nodded. "I am neither your employee nor have I accepted any commission from you. Rescue was only a secondary objective for us. Therefore, all items obtained from Underground City No. 9 belong to the assets of our team. Can’t I refuse?"
"Sorry, but all items from Underground City No. 9 belong to the assets of the Federation Governnt," Taylor retorted with a cold laugh, her gaze sweeping toward the train behind Lin Xian, her tone starting to carry a hint of threat, "Including that Gemini 11R Nuclear Power Electric Locomotive."
Hearing this, Lin Xian’s face changed. The very things he took great risks to salvage were now claid as the Federation’s assets, quite shalessly.
His expression turned cold, and eting her gaze, he defiantly said, "So, Ms. Taylor, how do you plan to take them from ?"
At these words, Taylor’s expression subtly shifted. She looked squarely at Lin Xian, then took a step back and called out sharply: "Guard Corps!"
Click, click, click!
Instantly, several dozen fully ard Guard Corps mbers behind her raised their guns, aiming squarely at Lin Xian and his few people.
Shi Deyuan and the others furrowed their brows at this scene, puzzled as to how the situation had suddenly beco so tense.
anwhile, Zhao Yan and Xu Wen were even more frightened. Standing on the side of the investigation team, they were in a dilemma—neither speaking nor remaining silent felt right.
At that mont, Ding Junyi suddenly stepped forward, hands in her pockets, and stood beside Lin Xian without uttering a word.
Taylor’s gaze intensified, "Director Ding, what do you an by this?"
"Just now, the research data I provided included all my work as a Federation employee within the Biological Research Departnt. Strictly speaking, my personal achievents, including myself, have already been considered abandoned assets of the Federation Governnt. By retrieving them now, it indicates that I have fulfilled my Federation employee agreent. Therefore, I’m formally submitting my resignation to you; effective this mont, I’m no longer an employee of the Federation."
"Director Ding, have you gone mad?!" Zhao Yan, on the opposite side, was shocked by these words. It was beyond belief that Ding Junyi would choose to defect to the opposing side when they were under gunpoint. Zhao Yan lowered her voice urgently, "We can take the airship to leave soon; if you resign here, where will you go? Could it be..."
She glanced at Lin Xian with a complex look and held back her next words, "Don’t you know how dangerous that is?"
Fundantally speaking, she and Xu Wen felt a certain superiority over those survivors; after all, they were intellectual employees. Even in a post-apocalyptic world, they were considered valuable assets who didn’t need to die on the front lines and were protected within the research facilities.
Although they had been rescued by Lin Xian, anywhere on the train was hardly as safe as a laboratory. In less than a day’s journey, they spent half the ti in fear, worried they could die at any mont.
Hence, she couldn’t understand why Ding Junyi would suddenly make such a decision.
"Yeah, Director Ding, what are you thinking!" Xu Wen also chid in at this ti.
At this mont, Taylor felt extrely displeased. Although in her view, these few research employees like Ding Junyi weren’t much more valuable than any first-class citizens, her actions were undoubtedly a slap in the face for Taylor as a Federation Senior Supervisor.
She found it intolerable.
Ding Junyi’s actions also startled KIKI, Chen Sixuan, and others, leaving everyone sowhat perplexed.
Only Lin Xian understood what Ding Junyi was thinking, but even then, he glanced at the woman beside him, never expecting her to be so brave...
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