Chapter 56 – Project X Unsealed
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The effects of the gas wore off just as the emergency ventilation system—triggered by Mo Chen's backdoor code—kicked in.
He coughed and pulled a small oxygen capsule from his coat, handing one to Xueqing. "Just in case he left a surprise in the air."
"I'm starting to hate surprises," she muttered, activating the filter and taking a slow breath. "He knew we were coming."
Mo Chen tapped his earcom. "Lin Nuo, did you track the voice?"
"Already on it," Lin Nuo replied. "The signal bounced off five different ghost relays before ending at an encrypted server. It's not commercial… it's military."
Xueqing and Mo Chen exchanged a glance.
"Project X," they said in unison.
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Back at Bai Corp's underground archive room…
Documents dating back nearly two decades lay scattered across the table. Mo Chen held a faded black dossier with the symbol of a phoenix, half-burned.
"This is the old Division Seven logo," he said. "The same team rumored to be involved with Project X."
Xueqing scanned a list of operatives. "Most of these names are blacked out."
"Not all," he replied, flipping a page. "Here—Agent Z-9. No real name, just a profile. Last seen...City A. Disappeared after a botched assassination mission."
"And we're dealing with someone who uses military-grade tech, knows our moves, and speaks in riddles." Xueqing looked up. "This has to be Agent Z-9."
"Who now calls himself 'Mr. Zhen.'"
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In a private corner of the archive room, Mo Chen leaned over the table, watching her.
"Xueqing," he said softly, "you've already gone further than most. This isn't just corporate sabotage anymore—it's intelligence warfare."
She met his gaze steadily. "I didn't transmigrate just to be average. If this is what it takes to protect what's mine, so be it."
He looked at her for a long moment before saying, "Then I'll be your sword. Just promise me something."
"What?"
"Don't walk into danger without me again."
She smirked. "And deprive you of your hero complex?"
He stepped closer. "No, deprive me of the chance to fight alongside the woman I—"
A loud ping interrupted them.
Lin Nuo's voice buzzed through the room. "Sorry to break the moment, lovebirds, but I cracked the signal's third layer."
Mo Chen exhaled through his nose. "Of course you did."
"There's an old bunker under District F, flagged in Project X's redacted files. Hidden in plain sight. I think that's where he's operating from."
Xueqing's eyes sharpened. "Then it's time we pay him a visit."
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Meanwhile, at the bunker…
Mr. Zhen sat before a wall of monitors. Dozens of feeds displayed Xueqing's every move over the past week. From training her staff to laughing with Mo Chen, to standing over a boardroom like a queen on her battlefield.
"She grows bolder," he mused, tracing her figure on the screen with a gloved finger. "Just like before…"
He leaned back, gaze dark and wistful.
"I wonder if she remembers me yet."