The Avengers having been formed, Ye Lan also handed a specially modified mobile phone to him.
"Since Yuan Hao calls you Big Brother, I'll follow suit," Ye Lan said, acting like a devoted wife. This made Ren Yuan Hao blush slightly, feeling somewhat shy.
"Alright, Sister-in-law, what is this thing?" Liu Yu, intrigued by high-tech gadgets, had no idea of its purpose.
"This is my modified mobile phone. When the signal is normal, we can monitor and track, making things convenient for everyone."
Ye Lan explained briefly, and Liu Yu suddenly clapped his hands as if discovering something significant.
"So, Sister-in-law, you found this place by tracking through this device. Look at how advanced technology is now; I feel like an ignorant bumpkin." Liu Yu finally understood.
Ye Lan added, "With this, we can easily stay in contact, and if anything happens, we can look out for each other."
"Sister-in-law is so thoughtful. So, what's the plan next?" Liu Yu was eager. His body had recovered, and the burning desire for revenge seemed to have been fully ignited by the recollection just now.
Ren Yuan Hao knew it wasn't the opportune moment yet. He glanced at Shen Lan Ni, who was anxious beside him, and after a moment's thought, said, "We still have very little information. Before we have absolute certainty, it's best not to alert the enemy."
"That's right. I can try to steal some information through the email address. Then, we can formulate a plan based on the data."
The four sat down and discussed. Although Shen Lan Ni and Liu Yu were impatient, for safety's sake, Ye Lan's method was the most prudent. Besides, after so many years, it was impossible to imagine the terrifying strength of the Lionheart Group without a thorough investigation; mere speculation would be useless.
At this time, the moon was high in the sky, casting a thin mist-like glow over the bustling metropolis. Traffic had thinned out, but the summer heat remained unabated.
After bidding farewell to Liu Yu, Ren Yuan Hao couldn't resist the 'threats' from the two women and ended up following Shen Lan Ni back to her apartment.
That night, dreams plagued him. Ren Yuan Hao repeatedly dreamt of the basement Liu Yu had mentioned. Inside, dim lights flickered. As soon as he pushed the door open, a腥气 rushed out like a tidal wave. The dim light cut through like sharp swords. Looking up, he saw that the snow-white walls were covered with dark red filth, and dense threads hung down like a spiderweb. But when he reached out to brush them away, he realized they weren't threads at all, but hair matted with sticky blood!
When he was jolted awake by the dream for the third time, he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep anymore.
He got up and went to the mirror. His reflection had a mummified appearance, with ugly gauze wrapped tightly around him.
"Didi, can't sleep?"
"Hmm, since when did System Miss like to chat with me? Can't you sleep either?"
"As a system, my world has no night or day, nor the concept of 'sleeping'."
"Then, has an order come down?"
"No. I saw you couldn't sleep, so I wanted to apologize."
Ren Yuan Hao was taken aback and then smiled, "Apologize for what? You didn't do it on purpose."
"But~"
"No 'buts.' I'll still need your help in the future. I have a feeling that the days ahead won't be as carefree and comfortable as before."
Ren Yuan Hao was never a crisis-oriented person. When someone senses a crisis, it's often not out of worry for themselves, but because they have someone they want to protect, which makes them particularly concerned.
The threats from Jiangcheng in the US, the missing Zhang Liang, the mysterious Lionheart Building, and even the ability users who were already targeting him without his knowledge—these threats meant he couldn't live a comfortable and carefree life anymore.
"You don't need to worry too much. If you use the Azure Tide Breathing Technique properly, you can actively suppress the specific frequency within your body that belongs to ability users. However, sometimes you need to curb your impulsive behavior. When your blood boils, you act recklessly, which isn't good."
Ren Yuan Hao didn't want to dwell on this heavy topic. He suddenly wondered if the ability that had transformed into Qi within him had also integrated into his blood and bones now that the Qi had subsided.
He told the system his thoughts.
"Abilities that are plundered aren't easily awakened. In essence, it's like a person leaving home and going to a strange environment; they need time to adapt. Abilities are the same. Only after adapting can they suddenly awaken at a certain moment."
"I see. Then what's the point of ability users devouring each other? Even if they gain more abilities, if they don't awaken, isn't it like having countless bombs planted inside their bodies?"
"You're right. This world is a place where risks and opportunities coexist. This is also an ancient principle. Ability users have been fighting for a very long time. Those who hoped to break this law were swallowed by the torrent of history. I hope you are the one who can break the law."
The system's tone became unusually dominant, giving the impression of someone who had bathed and performed sacrifices, then donned imperial robes and ascended the throne.
"For someone like me, Miss, it's best not to have too high hopes. Besides, my lifespan, perhaps..."
The system and Ren Yuan Hao fell silent at the same time. Meanwhile, the lights in Ye Lan's room were still on.
The code on the screen scrolled upwards like countless ants, reminiscent of desert army ants that leave nothing but barren ground and skeletons in their wake.
Ye Lan, with a face mask on, her fingers danced lightly on the keyboard.
The difficulty of breaching the Lionheart Group's internal network was greater than she had imagined. Furthermore, the data processing power of the computer she was using indirectly increased the challenge.
However, Ye Lan was an exceptionally intelligent woman. While Liu Yu was recounting his story, Shen Lan Ni's face had turned pale and flushed, likely her mind filled with thoughts of her sister lost in the shipwreck.
Her brow furrowed as if she had encountered another problem. The screen frantically flashed 'locked' and 'warning.' Every time these red subtitles appeared, she had to type in an uncountable number of lines of code at an even faster speed, like a game of cat and mouse where capture by the cat would have unthinkable consequences.
After an unknown amount of time, Ye Lan, enduring high-intensity mental pressure, with bloodshot lines appearing in her pupils, finally saw the red subtitles on the screen instantly turn into flashing green 'pass'!
The internal network of the Lionheart Group had finally been breached by Ye Lan.