"Isn't it enough to have obtained Gula's research results?" Professor Nangong said excitedly from the side. "Knowledge, science, and technology are humanity's most precious treasures. Acquiring their hard-earned research results is a massive victory for us. Hahaha… These materials will elevate our Jade Country to the next level in neural bridging."

"Professor Nangong, live-subject neural bridging is illegal."

"But we can learn from their research materials. Besides, conducting our own experiments might not be permitted, but when others have already developed the technology and delivered it to our doorstep, how could we refuse it?"

"Congratulations to Suzhou for cracking the Paradise Bird undercover spy case. Reward: 50,000 experience points and 8,000 skill points."

It took just two days to earn 50,000 experience points and 8,000 skill points. This was a big win. However, for someone who had previously received rewards of several million experience points and hundreds of thousands of skill points, Wang Lan barely felt a thing when this recent reward landed in his pocket.

Cracking the case and receiving the reward should have made Wang Lan happy. But… there was a nagging unease deep in his heart.

Supervisor Li, personally and excitedly, shook Wang Lan's hand to express his gratitude. Gaoyu Duch even personally escorted Wang Lan to the Tianjian Bureau. Throughout the journey, Gaoyu Duch's constant praise, stemming from his unceasing admiration, made Wang Lan extremely uncomfortable.

To someone like Wang Lan, who was clearly on the rise, Gaoyu Duch absolutely wouldn't miss the chance to curry favor. If Wang Lan hadn't been consistently lukewarm in his responses, Gaoyu Duch would have definitely proposed becoming sworn brothers on the spot.

"It's over already?" Although Ming Baiye knew Wang Lan worked fast, he never anticipated his efficiency to be this astounding. In the blink of an eye, the job was done.

Although the Tianjian Bureau had also received intel about a violent explosion at the Illusion Demon Zoo, by the time the bureau's special operatives arrived, the case had already been taken over by the police. For the first time, the police had reacted faster than the Tianjian Bureau.

So, even now, Ming Baiye still didn't understand the connection between the Illusion Demon Zoo and the case Wang Lan was investigating.

"Tell me in detail, what exactly happened?"

"It's quite simple. It all starts with Paradise Bird's secret research."

"Wait, Shen Weimin's group being killed is also related to Paradise Bird? And Paradise Bird has already infiltrated Modu City? How did I not know this?"

Wang Lan looked at Ming Baiye with an odd expression. How could he ask such a question? Paradise Bird infiltrated Modu City and secretly set up an underground lab for five whole years—how could he not know? And he has the nerve to say he didn't know?

But Wang Lan dared not voice these thoughts and quickly explained, "Director Ming, please, don't interrupt. Let me finish, then you can ask questions.

Five years ago, Paradise Bird established an underground research facility in Modu City. The Illusion Demon Zoo was merely a front for this facility, where they focused on neuron bridging. In other words, they were conducting inhumane research by replacing animal neurons with human ones, with the ultimate aim of transforming humans into animals.

This is why, for the past five years, they searched all corners of Modu City for child prodigies. Those brilliant children were taken by Paradise Bird for experiments. They operated so covertly and seamlessly that the thirty missing children have yet to be found.

But accidents always happen when least expected. Ten days ago, Mr. and Mrs. Lu Shicheng visited the zoo, as was their custom, to commemorate their abducted child, Lu Xiaoguo. Coincidentally, one of the silverback gorillas there had Lu Xiaoguo's neurons implanted, and the experiment was exceptionally successful.

Although it was a silverback gorilla, she was also Lu Xiaoguo. Upon seeing her parents, it immediately went berserk, smashed the glass wall wanting to reunite with them, and performed the Baba La dance that was very familiar to their family.

After the shock subsided, Mr. and Mrs. Lu Shicheng began to realize just how familiar the silverback gorilla felt, much like their own Lu Xiaoguo. Their suspicion grew stronger, leading them to inform Shen Weimin of their doubts.

Speaking of Shen Weimin, from what I understand, the man was very stubborn. If any normal person heard someone claim their daughter had turned into a silverback gorilla, they'd probably think the couple had lost their minds, right?

Yet Shen Weimin actually took on the case and began an investigation. The underground parking garage where Shen Weimin was murdered might have seemed like an ordinary one. However, I rechecked its location, and it's only eight hundred meters from the Illusion Demon Zoo. Shen Weimin was probably investigating the silverback gorillas.

So, Paradise Bird detected the threat and secretly orchestrated a car accident to kill Mr. and Mrs. Lu Shicheng, and also murdered Shen Weimin and his team. Normally, with all related parties dead and all evidence destroyed, not even the high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Defense could trace it back to the zoo, let alone the Tianjian Bureau.

All clues and evidence were disposed of so cleanly—what could go wrong? But unfortunately… man's plans are no match for heaven's. Paradise Bird could never have imagined that I would be at the scene when the silverback gorilla went berserk.

I was the one who stopped the silverback gorilla's rampage, had a fleeting acquaintance with Lu Shicheng, and personally witnessed the gorilla's remarkable dance. When I learned that one of the thirty missing children was Lu Shicheng's daughter, Lu Xiaoguo, and that Lu Xiaoguo loved to perform that Baba La dance, I understood everything."

After hearing Wang Lan's explanation, Ming Baiye sighed helplessly. "Paradise Bird may be inhuman, but you, Wang Lan, are a real piece of work! How did you even manage to uncover all this? And so quickly, too! Paradise Bird must have had terrible luck for eight generations to cross paths with you."

"Paradise Bird's biggest mistake wasn't crossing me, but choosing to make an enemy of humanity."

"This case is closed then," Ming Baiye said, letting out a long sigh while leaning back in his chair.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple."

"Why do you say that?"

"Is that Paradise Bird's only underground research base? And why would Paradise Bird want to study neural bridging technology?"

"Obviously, they have some ulterior motive. The Tianjian Bureau will definitely follow up on this, especially since the person behind the Illusion Demon Zoo hasn't been caught yet…" Suddenly, Ming Baiye, his expression turning stern as he fixed his gaze on Wang Lan, paused mid-sentence. "Do you have a theory?"

"Mm!" Wang Lan nodded gravely. "Mr. Ming, do you still remember the Biochemical Demon Soldiers?"

At the mention of this, Ming Baiye's face immediately darkened. A hundred years ago, during the Demon Clan invasion, the Demon Clan launched the first generation of Biochemical Demon Soldiers. Although their strength was only at the Starlight Stage, they were numerous, and these Biochemical Demon Soldiers caused considerable trouble for the human warriors.

Afterward, when the Demon Clan retreated, the Biochemical Demon Soldiers vanished without a trace. If Wang Lan hadn't accidentally stumbled upon the Demon Clan spies' plan in the junior trial field, no one would have known that the Biochemical Demon Soldiers had been developed to the fifth generation.

The issue is, the fifth-generation Biochemical Demon Soldiers have already reached the peak of the Star Shine Stage, just shy of the Star Cloud Stage. The strength of the Star Shine Stage might not sound like much, but don't forget, Biochemical Demon Soldiers can be mass-produced. If needed, they can produce as many Biochemical Demon Soldiers as required.

"You mean to say…"

"The fifth-generation Biochemical Demon Soldiers are pure war machines. They are synthesized using the genes of various Exotic Beasts, but they have a significant, unavoidable flaw: they are difficult to control. That's precisely why the Demon Clan developed the Demon Generals.

But while the Biochemical Demon Generals can control the Demon Soldiers, who controls the Demon Generals? Previously, the Demon Clan seemed to have found a way to control the Demon Generals, but ultimately, they failed. What if Paradise Bird's research on neural bridging is aimed at controlling the Demon Generals?

Does that mean… if the Biochemical Demon Generals and Biochemical Demon Soldiers become controllable, then without the Demon Clan even needing to descend, a single Paradise Bird could inflict a devastating blow on humanity…?"

"Stop!" Ming Baiye suddenly cut Wang Lan off. When Wang Lan looked at Ming Baiye's expression again, he was slightly taken aback.

At that moment, Ming Baiye was pale, his face devoid of blood, and large beads of cold sweat clung to his face. The scenario Wang Lan described was terrifying. Isn't he just trying to make us not take things lightly? Did he have to paint such a horrifying picture?

"We will take it seriously, very seriously. Don't worry, I will report this to Chief Cheng. Even if we have to search to the ends of the earth, we must dig them all out."

"Oh, if there's nothing else, I'll head back."

"Go on, go on… Oh, wait, hold on."

"Yes?"

"Come to the bureau tomorrow. Your performance in the Kingdom of Ice and Snow was excellent, and their evaluation of you is sky-high. So, the Ministry of Defense has decided to promote you ahead of schedule."

"Promotion? General?" Wang Lan asked, his eyes suddenly lighting up.

"Dream on! You're only eighteen, okay? Have you ever seen an eighteen-year-old general?"

"Yes, I have. The Tang King started his campaign at sixteen and was already a commander. Haven't there been many eighteen-year-old generals in Huaxia's history?"

"Then why don't you mention all the infant emperors there have been? This time, you're being promoted to Colonel."

Wang Lan pursed his lips slightly. "Fine. What time tomorrow?"

"Seven in the evening. But come early; you can't make the dignitaries from the Ministry of Defense wait for you, can you? Also, what's with that expression? Are you not satisfied with being a Colonel? Do you know what rank a Colonel holds in the army? That's the rank of a legion commander.

You're only eighteen years old, for heaven's sake. In peacetime, a Colonel your age is unprecedented. What more could you be dissatisfied with?"

"It's not that I'm dissatisfied with being a Colonel; it's just that the skill points for Colonel are a bit low."

"What?"

"Ah, it's nothing. Didn't you say it would be an exceptional promotion? It doesn't feel all that exceptional to me."

"Nonsense! You were promoted to Lieutenant Colonel less than six months ago, and now you're being promoted again—isn't that exceptional? Under normal circumstances, you wouldn't even think about a promotion without serving at a rank for three full years. Although, based on your merits, making you a General wouldn't be excessive. But many capable people exist. No matter how many achievements you've made or how great your contributions, can they surpass those of the Five Emperors?

Your mother's military rank is only Lieutenant General. Among the Five Emperors, only the Xuan Emperor is a General."

"Why?" Wang Lan didn't understand. In terms of capability, could the Five Emperors really not compare to those generals in the Ministry of Defense who climbed the ranks based on seniority alone? Forget General; even Marshal would be within their reach.

"Because of balance. State affairs are complicated. Sometimes it's not about whether you have the ability or the qualifications, but whether the state *needs* you to *hold* that particular status.

For the country's sake, you should maintain a low profile right now. Over the past year, you've accomplished so many unprecedented feats, yet the state has been downplaying them. This isn't to suppress you, but because you need to avoid drawing too much attention.

The state wants you to be its hidden blade—kept in its sheath, only to be drawn to spill enemy blood. And there are others whom the state needs to keep unsheathed constantly, to deter those lurking in the shadows. Do you understand the difference?"

"I understand! That's also why my promotion orders are mostly issued discreetly."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.