Chapter One Hundred and Seventeen: Vehicle Zone Pass

"Where did you get all these people?" Fang Tang ignored the woman's question and asked directly.

Startled by the question, the woman froze for a moment before her face broke into a smile. "These girls, of course, they came to me looking for work. How else would they get here?"

Fang Tang sneered and said nothing more.

Sensing something was amiss, Xu Lin asked in a low voice, "Is there something wrong with them?"

Fang Tang nodded. "A huge problem. I've seen all of them before, at the Grotto Shop."

When he was looking for Liu Xu and Xie Ling, he had seen a large crowd of people tied up by the Octopus at the Grotto Shop, and these women were among them.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that this bar and the Grotto Shop were involved in some shady business.

Hearing this, Xu Lin's face darkened, and he fell into a grim silence.

Ta Meng waved his hand and said, "No need anymore. Take them all away!"

"This..." The woman's expression turned sour.

First you want them, then you don't. Are you playing me for a fool?

Ta Meng glared at her. "Hurry up and take them away already."

"...Fine!"

Intimidated by Ta Meng's formidable strength, the woman had no way to protest. She could only swallow her anger, grit her teeth, and silently lead the girls away.

Ta Meng looked at Xu Lin and Fang Tang. "Should we tell the boss about this?"

"We definitely should," Fang Tang nodded, his brow furrowing. "But we can't rescue them."

"No evidence? Didn't you see their photos?" Ta Meng asked in confusion.

"Word of mouth proves nothing. Who would believe us?" Xu Lin said slowly. "We should leave this to the Captain and Captain Leng. We are Explorers; this isn't something we can interfere with."

"Fine, fine. I thought I'd bring you guys here to relax today, but instead..." Ta Meng sighed helplessly. "Just thinking about it makes me feel disgusted."

"Are there many Red Houses?" Fang Tang asked curiously.

Ta Meng counted on his fingers. "Probably about five in each major sector. They all basically run on this model—a bunch of newcomers without passes suddenly showing up out of nowhere."

"Without passes..." Fang Tang frowned and asked suspiciously, "Aren't passes granted by the rules of the Grotto? How can they be stripped away?"

Xu Lin sneered. "Even Sequence Talents can be stripped away, let alone a mere pass. But passes are crucial; they are our credentials to enter and exit the Gate of Evolution. Without a pass, it means you've been stripped of the right to grow stronger."

Fang Tang realized, took a lackluster sip of his drink, and stood up. "Since there's nothing fun to do here, we might as well go back and sleep."

"Guess so!"

Xu Lin and Ta Meng exchanged a look, shook their heads, and left the bar.

Back at the hotel, Fang Tang and Xu Lin told Liu Yiran about what they had encountered today. Having obtained this new intelligence, Liu Yiran didn't even think about resting and rushed off in a hurry to find Leng Shan.

Fang Tang returned to his room and threw himself onto the bed. Yueyue emerged from his body, yawning repeatedly.

Having stayed inside Fang Tang for thirty hours, the little creature was exhausted. Her two small ears drooped listlessly. She rubbed her tiny face against Fang Tang's cheek and lay down beside him.

***

The L-Sector Branch of the Garrison Army.

Inside the Commander's office, Leng Shan sat with his elbows on the desk and his fingers interlaced in front of his mouth, his face solemn.

Liu Yiran sat opposite him with squinted eyes, sipping his tea idly.

The atmosphere was somewhat tense.

Leng Shan seemed to have reached a conclusion. He lowered his hands and looked calmly at Liu Yiran. "If this information is accurate, we might be facing a brutal battle."

"I trust my team members," Liu Yiran said earnestly, setting down his teacup.

Leng Shan nodded. "Zhao Xiaoxiao has already been planted inside, and the tracking device has located the grotto where the people are being hidden. However..."

"What? Is there a problem?" Liu Yiran asked in surprise.

Leng Shan nodded. "The coordinates of that grotto point to Sector C."

Liu Yiran raised an eyebrow but did not reply.

Even he realized how thorny the situation was.

The Cradle World was divided into thirteen sectors, which were further categorized by rank.

Sector S was in a league of its own; no one knew what lay there, and only a legend existed that it was the path leading to the core of the grottoes.

Aside from Sector S, the prominent figures of the Cradle World, those of high evolutionary levels, and the headquarters of the seven major grotto factions were all located in Sectors A, B, and C.

These three sectors controlled the resources within the grottoes. Ordinary people could not enter, nor did they have the right to, not even elite Explorers like Liu Yiran.

Sectors D, E, and F were residential areas for individuals of status—the gathering grounds for the elites of the grottoes.

As for the six sectors G, H, I, J, K, and L, ordinary Explorers could enter and exit them at will. The Gates of Evolution that led to severe distortions were located in Sectors G, H, and I.

Therefore, hearing that the grotto holding the captives was in Sector C meant that even someone of Leng Shan's rank—a sector Commander—could not enter, let alone conduct a search.

"No wonder the Octopus is so fearless. It turns out the place where he hides people is in his own backyard." Liu Yiran narrowed his eyes, a cold light flashing within them.

"We must enter even if we can't. We will use every means necessary, even if it means defying the rules of the grottoes," Leng Shan said with resolute force.

"Then the price would be too high!" Liu Yiran said with a smile. "But then again, that's just like you, Leng Shan. Call me when you make your move. My team members aren't weak either now."

"Yeah. Since the Explorers are already dragged into this anyway, you'll have to get involved. Being our muscle isn't a bad role for you." Leng Shan managed a rare, faint smile.

Liu Yiran laughed. "Exactly. Smile more. You're a handsome young guy, yet you insist on acting like a block of ice, always keeping people at arm's length."

Leng Shan's smile faded. He gave Liu Yiran a flat look and said nothing.

Liu Yiran waved his hand. "I'm heading back. It's been exhausting lately; I need to get some good rest."

"While you were gone, Boss Bai kept calling me to ask about you. Give her a call when you have time so she stops pestering me all day." Leng Shan's tone held a touch of resentment as he tossed the phone to Liu Yiran in annoyance.

Liu Yiran rubbed his nose, slipped the phone into his pocket with a smile, and sighed, "What did I do to deserve this!"

The corner of Leng Shan's mouth twitched upward. "When you two get married, remember to bring me wedding candy."

"Get lost!" Liu Yiran laughed and cursed, standing up to leave Leng Shan's office.

Once Liu Yiran left, Leng Shan returned to his stern expression. He picked up the desk intercom and pressed a button. "Come to my office."

***

As Liu Yiran walked out of the Garrison Army building, he spotted a tall figure dressed in white standing by his car, and he couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

"How did you find your way here?"

Boss Bai said softly, "You didn't even let me know you were back. Are you that afraid of seeing me?"

Liu Yiran shrugged. "My phone was with Leng Shan. I literally just got it back. Is there something you need?"

"Can't I look for you even if there's nothing?" Boss Bai said with a trace of resentment, tossing a document envelope over. "I couldn't help last time, so take this as compensation."

"What's this?"

"Something that can help you." Boss Bai looked at Liu Yiran with a beaming smile.

Liu Yiran opened the envelope, and a dark object slid out.

"A vehicle sector pass?"