281: That's not how it works with the mole.

Lu Jianchuan and the other three had just finished their secret meeting and were about to return to their respective rooms to wait for further instructions when the encrypted channel simultaneously received an emergency arrest order issued by Golden Bone.

"The order is here. Arrest him immediately," Lu Jianchuan said succinctly.

"Then let's do it," Shen Mingyuan replied.

The operation commenced instantly. Cynthia deftly equipped her Mechanical Gauntlets. Lu Jianchuan, Shen Mingyuan, and Wei Ziqing simultaneously completed their transformations—silver skeleton, shadow, and Hero Shadow. The three armor figures, along with Cynthia, formed a tactical squad.

"Target location?" Wei Ziqing asked.

"Still in the B-District Core Analysis Room," Cynthia confirmed.

The four of them set off immediately, using their clearance to enter the B-District Analysis Room silently. The lighting inside was soft, instruments were flickering, and no one was there.

Lu Jianchuan's gaze immediately locked onto the entrance of the secret room disguised as a wall. Just as he was about to move—

The wall suddenly slid open.

Dr. Chen Ruian walked out from inside, holding an empty sample tray. When he looked up and saw the three sets of armor standing tall in the analysis room along with the fully armed Cynthia, his footsteps faltered. A trace of extremely subtle shock flashed across his face, but it was immediately replaced by a deliberate look of bewilderment and concern.

"You... why are you transformed here?" His tone was full of confusion, even carrying a hint of perfectly timed tension. "Has some emergency occurred in the lab? Do you need my assistance?"

Seeing this, Shen Mingyuan felt a sudden urge to play along. He took a step forward and said in a businesslike yet slightly mysterious tone, "Ah, yes, it is indeed quite 'coincidental.' Dr. Chen, we received intelligence that there might be 'mole' activity near here. Did you know about that?"

Dr. Chen Ruian frowned slightly, looking innocent and surprised. "A mole? This... I certainly didn't know. Security here is so tight, how could that be possible?"

"Is that so?" Shen Mingyuan nodded, but his gaze drifted toward the gap of the secret room behind him that hadn't fully closed. "Then this thing behind you... doesn't look like an ordinary storage room. As far as we know, these kinds of privately established hidden spaces often hide... dangerous, unreported biochemical items. This is a major violation of regulations and very dangerous."

Dr. Chen Ruian's expression changed slightly as he forced a smile. "This is just a private... small sample observation room. It's perfectly safe, and there are no prohibited items."

"Oh? Words are cheap." Shen Mingyuan turned to Wei Ziqing with mock seriousness. "It just so happens that our teammate here has an extremely high tolerance for various biological toxins and abnormal microorganisms; he's something of an expert. Let him go in and check to ensure safety. No problem, right?"

Wei Ziqing took a step forward cooperatively, silent but exuding a heavy sense of pressure.

"This... might not be convenient. There are some unorganized personal research notes inside..." Dr. Chen Ruian tried to stop them, his tone becoming a bit urgent.

"Inconvenient?" The smile on Shen Mingyuan's face faded. "I think it's more like you 'don't dare'."

At this point, Cynthia could no longer stand it. She stepped forward, her Mechanical Gauntlets emitting a faint charging hum. Her eyes were as cold as knives as she tore through all pretenses. "Enough, stop wasting words with him. Chen Ruian, or should I call you something else? We already know your identity—a core member of Prometheus, a mole lurking within GUPA."

Her words were like ice picks, piercing the false peace of the laboratory.

"Now, you only have two choices." Cynthia's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear. "One, be subdued on the spot, escorted back, and then tell us who the person in GUPA's high-level management is who directed you and created Prometheus. Two, surrender now and cooperate with the investigation. Perhaps you can still gain some leniency."

All the disguises on Dr. Chen Ruian's face completely vanished the moment the word "mole" was spoken. Now, he looked at Cynthia expressionlessly, then scanned the three sets of armor standing ready. He suddenly let out a light chuckle. There was no longer any of his usual friendliness in that laugh, only cold mockery.

"Hmph... two choices? Why isn't there a third?" he said slowly, slightly adjusting his center of gravity. "For example... I escape, or even... leave all of you here?"

His finger quietly pressed toward the seemingly ordinary bracelet on his wrist.

"However, before we start, I am indeed curious." Dr. Chen Ruian's sharp gaze swept over the four of them, finally stopping on Lu Jianchuan. "How exactly did you discover me? And block me here so precisely. I believe I left no flaws."

Lu Jianchuan didn't answer, only glancing at Shen Mingyuan.

Shen Mingyuan understood, pulled out his phone, performed a few quick operations, and then turned the screen directly toward Dr. Chen Ruian. Playing on the screen was exactly the clear video clip provided by The Forger, recording him mixing potions late at night, answering encrypted communications, and entering the secret room.

Dr. Chen Ruian's pupils suddenly constricted to pinpoints the moment he saw the video's content! The calm and mockery on his face were broken for the first time by a nearly absurd shock. He subconsciously leaned forward, as if wanting to see more clearly, his voice full of disbelief:

"This... what is this? How is this possible?! I clearly... the surveillance System here... How did this video get here?! Who filmed it?! Why are you arresting me with such conclusive evidence right away?! It's not supposed to be like this when the mole gets busted!

You should have first narrowed down a list of suspects and had me pretend to cooperate with the investigation during a meeting.

Occasionally 'unintentionally' leaking some misleading information to create a perfect alibi at a critical time.

Finally, during an encrypted communication, you should have been lured abroad by a fake IP I set up. Only when I was preparing to erase all data and evacuate—that's when you should have burst through the door for a confrontation. After I sneered 'Didn't expect that, did you?', you'd then show me the complete chain of evidence!"

Shen Mingyuan took a step forward, his voice coming through the armor, clear and frigid:

"Enough talk. The only thing you should do now is give up resistance and prepare to be arrested." His sharp gaze cast toward the depths of the secret room. "That person inside—if you release them now, it might count as a bit of cooperation."

Dr. Chen Ruian leaned against the secret room door, the last trace of pretense on his face falling away, leaving only cold derision:

"Hmph, at this stage, why are you still saying such naive things?" While speaking, his right hand quickly pressed a specific sequence on the bracelet on his left wrist.

Immediately following that, he turned sideways and performed a few quick operations on the hidden control panel next to the secret room door.

The airtight door slid open again.

Accompanied by the wet, sticky sound of churning slime and heavy footsteps, an extremely bloated, massive figure covered in an unformed silver-white biological carapace stumbled out from the shadows of the secret room, stepping heavily onto the bright floor of the analysis room.

Viscous, translucent nutrient solution continuously seeped and dripped from the gaps in its rough carapace, emitting a strong smell of biological culture medium. Its cloudy compound eyes turned vacantly, and its massive body blocked the doorway, swaying slightly.