Ch. 33: Death

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"Welcome back. The base is always here, waiting for you."

The gentle announcement made Xiao Xiang lift his eyes to look outside for a moment, then he shrank back when he made eye contact with the guards.

The eldest of the triplets patted him to comfort him as they got off the car, and the second sister took the registration form for him.

During the return journey, Xiao Xiang finally let go of his guard against them. He no longer stayed huddled by Ji Jiu's side like a cat and occasionally responded to the triplets' words.

Another S-class mission had been successfully completed, but unlike the last time when they were surrounded by crowds due to deliberate publicity, this time there was no change in the people on the road. However, when the car passed by, they all showed grateful smiles.

After the incident with the escort team stepping down, the relationship between hunters and ordinary people had eased considerably, slowly returning to the state when the Hunter's Association was first established.

Ji Jiu still leaned his head out of the window, but this time it was not out of curiosity about the crowd but because he smelled the fragrance coming from the street vendors.

Xiao Xiang, imitating him, also stuck his head out of the car window. The two of them, one big and one small, were completely synchronized.

Si Yin Yuan was separated from them.

Ever since Ji Jiu gained a little tail, there had been few moments of solitude during their return journey. The man's possessiveness was causing him to subtly resent the current situation. However, since the other party was just a child, Si Yin Yuan didn't say anything. He just silently increased the speed of the car.

After bringing them to the Association, Si Yin Yuan directly handed Xiao Xiang over to the triplets, instructing them to take good care of him.

Just like that, Si Yin Yuan didn't realize that his feelings had shifted from what he called "friends."

Upon hearing that they had returned, Hu Yan, who was usually obsessed with mutants, changed his usual demeanor. He appeared at the laboratory to visit them. Unlike his usual well-dressed appearance, this time he looked haggard.

Si Yin Yuan tossed a cube containing Peace Lily to him. "Didn't catch any good samples, but this Peace Lily is special. It seems to have memories from before the apocalypse. I've already had Guan Yin write a report about the 'Vanished Enclave.' Soon, you'll know the reason behind the enclave's creation."

Normally enthusiastic about mutants, Hu Yan behaved differently this time. Even when he heard about the special Peace Lily, he only showed a bit of interest as he looked at the cube.

Si Yin Yuan frowned, realizing that something was wrong. "What happened?"

"While you were away, the Research Institute held a change of director ceremony," Hu Yan said casually, subconsciously reaching for a cigarette, but only finding a mint candy. "Now, I'm the director of the Research Institute."

He self-mockingly tugged at the corner of his mouth and stuffed the mint candy into his mouth. The person who once said he would indulge in smoking after the apocalypse had given away all his cigarettes that day.

Ji Jiu, who looked up at the candy in disappointment, continued playing with his own things on the side.

"What about the former director?"

Hu Yan chewed on the candy and said, "He's lying in a hospital bed, waiting to see you one last time."

That was also his purpose for coming here.

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