Chapter Forty-Five: Selfless Contribution

The headquarters sprawled over a vast area, and after another jolting ride, they finally arrived at the research facility. Jiang An and the others removed their blindfolds and gazed curiously at the unremarkable three-story gray-and-white building before them. Despite its modest appearance, the security here was even tighter than at the command building—guards stationed every few steps, each armed soldier sharp and disciplined, eyes fixed straight ahead.

"Show your entry permits!" the gate guard demanded.

Unfazed, Colonel Luo calmly produced a stack of entry permits from the briefcase that never left his side, distributing them to the doctors. Once everyone had affixed their permits to their chests, they were allowed inside.

Some among them quietly wondered what was so special about the place, for nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Colonel Luo, however, did not act as a tour guide. He silently led them to an elevator, where he pressed his fingerprint to the panel. The elevator began its slow descent to the third basement level.

Ding!

As soon as the elevator doors slid open, the group was captivated by the scene before them. White, bright, and spacious—these three simple adjectives sufficed to describe their first impression of the research base. The elevator opened into a semicircular area, from which three gleaming corridors extended. Brilliant lights shone down on walls of some unknown material, connecting floor and ceiling into a seamless expanse, making one feel as if they had stepped into a scene from science fiction.

Swish, swish, swish!

There were no visible soldiers standing guard; everything here was electronic. The moment somebody stepped into the semicircular area, the system detected their presence. Three cameras swiveled toward them, and at the same time, a faint sound came from the ceiling as a series of black apertures appeared. Cold gun barrels emerged, aiming unerringly at the group.

Moments later, the system identified them and quickly withdrew the weapons, yet the brief ordeal was enough to leave palms slick with sweat.

“Let me explain the rules,” Colonel Luo announced. “This is a research base. Every project here is of immense value, so security is at its highest. The entire facility is monitored twenty-four hours a day with no blind spots, except, of course, for private quarters in the living area. Here, every action you take must be approved, especially in the research zones. Do your own work and nothing else. As you’ve just seen, there may be few guards, but a powerful automated defense system is in place. One careless step and you could be riddled with bullets—no one could save you then!”

Having made this solemn declaration, Colonel Luo led them down the central corridor.

At the end of the passage was another iron door. After another round of verification, they entered the research zone—an indoor hall at least the size of a soccer field, surrounded by sealed rooms and filled with all manner of equipment. Researchers in white coats bustled to and fro, working industriously like ants.

“Please follow me!” Colonel Luo said.

He took a white lab coat from a hook on the wall and draped it over his shoulders, then led them through a side corridor to Laboratory Three.

Laboratory Three had clearly been specially prepared for their arrival. It was divided into two main sections: the first was a communal area with three walls lined with floor-to-ceiling cabinets, each cubby filled with every kind of medicinal herb—rare and common, valuable and ordinary—causing the eyes of the veteran herbalists to light up with excitement. The second section consisted of a series of small private rooms; once the doors were closed, it was impossible to see inside.

“Allow me to outline the arrangements. As you can see, all the herbs you’ll need are here. The small rooms are equipped with various tools. Apart from Doctor Jiang, each of you will select a room. Each room has a connected panel with five indicator lights. Inside, a sensor will display a green light when occupied and red when empty. After entering, you’ll come out in turn to collect the herbs required for your elixir preparation, then return to work. For instance, if the occupant of Room 1 is selecting materials, the others will see Room 1's indicator turn red. Once it switches back to green, the next may exit, and so on. This is to ensure the confidentiality of your formulas.

“And I assure you,” Colonel Luo added, glancing pointedly at Lu Mingjie, “there are no cameras in these rooms. You may proceed with full confidence. Each room is equipped with an alarm system; if you need anything, simply use it to contact me. Any questions?”

“Are we to begin work immediately?” someone asked.

“No, formal work will commence this afternoon. Some of you arrived late last night, others early this morning—after such a journey, you need rest. I've arranged a welcoming banquet. After lunch and a short rest, we’ll start in the afternoon.”

“One more question,” Jiang An inquired. “Will this mission really take as long as a week?”

“Yes. Two of the elixirs require two to three days to settle, and we need an additional three days for extraction experiments. A week should suffice,” Colonel Luo replied patiently. After a moment, seeing no further questions, he smiled, “Very well, let’s eat. I’m sure you’re all hungry. This way, please!”

Soon after, Colonel Luo led them to the living quarters, where at last the colors were more cheerful. They enjoyed a generous lunch and then retired to their assigned rooms for an hour’s rest.

When they gathered again, three master herbalists from the military district, including Old Qian, had arrived.

“Haha! This afternoon, I must trouble you all. Once the five major elixirs are prepared, with the three from us, the Eight Gates Elixir will be reborn—it’s only a matter of time. I’m counting on you,” Old Qian said sincerely.

Everyone exchanged polite words, but Jiang An was soon pulled aside by Colonel Luo, who led him into a separate room, closing the door behind them.

With a sharp sound, Colonel Luo abruptly set a small glass vial on the table. The pale green, crystalline liquid inside rippled gently from the impact.

“Doctor Jiang, do you recognize this?” Colonel Luo asked.

“I do,” Jiang An nodded. “This should be ‘Qingyuan Elixir,’ recently appearing in Lin City. I’ve heard it can accelerate martial artists’ cultivation.”

“Haha, you’re being modest, Doctor Jiang—or perhaps underestimating our military’s intelligence capabilities.” Colonel Luo shook his head with a smile. “This substance first spread from the Divine Blade Sect in Lin City, right after you joined them. Given your remarkable medical skills, we have reason to believe you developed it!”

“But don’t worry, Doctor Jiang,” he added, his tone softening. “I mean you no harm; I just wish to make a deal.”

Jiang An understood that with a powerful institution like this, his secrets were probably already known. This mission was growing ever more interesting.

“A deal? Colonel Luo, does my background not concern you?”

“If you mean your status as the Divine Blade Sect’s heir, then you underestimate our perspective. Where there is light, there is shadow; the existence of certain sects does not trouble us. Besides, the Divine Blade Sect has a good reputation. The military’s duty is external defense, not internal coercion. We have no intention of using this against you. This is simply a matter of exchange—we need this elixir.”

“You’re refreshingly straightforward, Colonel. In that case, I have nothing to hide. Yes, I created the Qingyuan Elixir. What are your terms?”

“There are two options. First, you could give us the formula outright—in return, we’ll grant you one request. Second, you could withhold the formula, but supply the elixir exclusively to us in future. As a soldier, I prefer the first option.”

It was clear Colonel Luo was an upright man, skilled at strategy. He never resorted to brute force; instead, he always left his counterpart with options, gently guiding them into his rhythm.

Jiang An, however, broke his rhythm at once. “I choose the first option: I will contribute the formula to the military—freely, without compensation.”

Without compensation?

For the first time, Colonel Luo frowned. This answer had clearly exceeded his expectations. “If I understand correctly, Doctor Jiang, you’re willing to give us this extremely valuable formula without any reward?”

“That’s right, not a single reward,” Jiang An replied with a smile. The Qingyuan Elixir had already become expendable to him. Since that was the case, he might as well offer it directly to the military, which fit perfectly with his plans.