310: A new organization.

The tremors in the ground and the muffled roars had long since subsided, replaced by the piercing sirens of the city's emergency System, the wailing of ambulances, and the faint clamor of crowds.

The collapse occurred deep underground, but its impact was widespread, causing cracks or partial subsidence in several old buildings on the surface and splitting a section of the road. Fortunately, it was late at night and foot traffic in the area was sparse; most of the injured were startled by the vibrations and fell or were trapped in damaged buildings, suffering mostly minor injuries.

When Shen Mingyuan and Lu Jianchuan walked out of the ruined entrance area covered in dust and grime, they were immediately surrounded and questioned by police and rescue workers who had rushed to the scene.

The two didn't explain much, simply flashing their special GUPA identification.

The officer in charge's expression shifted slightly upon seeing the IDs. He raised a hand to stop his colleagues from further questioning, simply recorded their names and department codes, and signaled that they could leave. The remaining scene investigation and accident categorization would be handled by "relevant departments."

The two didn't linger and quickly returned to GUPA Headquarters.

At this moment, on the screen wall in the lounge area, the local news channel was scrolling through reports about last night's "sudden ground subsidence accident." The screen showed the collapsed area cordoned off with caution tape, the damaged building exteriors, and the lightly injured being carried out on stretchers.

"...The specific cause of the accident is still under investigation. Initial assessments suggest it may be related to aging underground pipelines and local geological instability."

The news anchor spoke with perfect articulation, "It is worth noting that the person in charge of 'Longsheng Construction,' the relevant contractor for the involved plot of land, was taken into custody by relevant authorities this morning."

"According to insiders, the unit is suspected of failing to strictly follow design specifications and using substandard building materials during relevant construction projects years ago. The case is currently undergoing further trial..."

The screen cut to footage of the dejected construction company head being led into a police car in handcuffs.

Sitting on the sofa, Shen Mingyuan picked up the remote and lowered the volume.

"A 'tofu-dreg' project... that's certainly a convenient explanation." Lu Jianchuan leaned back in his chair and took a swig of an energy drink, his tone unreadable—somewhere between mockery and exhaustion.

"Blaming all the unusual activity, structural damage, and even any traces that might remain of that underground lab on a ready-made, genuinely problematic contractor. Public attention is diverted, the investigation has a clear direction, and the traces of our actions last night are perfectly covered up."

"The most ironic part is," Shen Mingyuan added, his gaze still fixed on the face of the man being taken away on the screen.

"This 'Longsheng Construction' really isn't being framed. Their project here back then truly cut corners and embezzled some of the funds."

"They probably never dreamed that the hidden dangers they buried years ago would be triggered on such a... well, special night, for a 'special' reason, and then naturally become the explanation and scapegoat for everything."

"This way, that 'thing' that escaped and the mess it left behind are considered 'closed'—at least at the public level."

Lu Jianchuan set down the drink can and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "What's left is our internal report, and... tracking that guy down."

Shen Mingyuan leaned back against the sofa cushions and rubbed his temples, where a slight throbbing sensation lingered, as if from the fragments of memory reassembling themselves.

"...It's fine. My memories have mostly returned." He paused, his tone carrying a calmness that suggested the dust had settled, though there was a hint of indiscernible complexity.

"As for that 'thing' that escaped... it won't get far. In the face of modern society's surveillance networks and tracking methods, how long can a newly born individual—one that has lost its massive biological computing power and must rely on a crude body—possibly hide? Besides, it's likely very weak right now."

Lu Jianchuan put down the drink can and looked at him. "What exactly happened? That child..."

"His name is Xiao Hui." Shen Mingyuan's gaze drifted toward the Void Realm, as if seeing a summer afternoon through time. "He was my childhood neighbor and... my best friend. We were together all the time back then, until... until his body showed signs of 'evolution.' It was faint, but he was targeted by 'Prometheus'."

He narrated briefly, his tone flat yet revealing the weight of the past. "I remember that day, he and I were playing near the old warehouse when we suddenly ran into people from Prometheus. Then, the predecessor units of GUPA arrived, and a conflict broke out between the two sides. In the chaos... he was snatched away by Prometheus. As for me, perhaps because I witnessed supernatural combat and my friend being abducted, the shock was too great, and I was subjected to 'Memory Suspension' by the arriving officials. For all these years, I only vaguely remembered that I had lost a very important friend, but I couldn't recall who it was or what had happened at all."

He let out a soft breath. "...I never expected that when I saw him again—or rather, when I saw the 'husk' he once used—he had already... become that way, a part of someone else's experiment, and finally, even his consciousness dissipated."

Lu Jianchuan fell silent for a moment. Finally, he just gave a heavy sigh and patted Shen Mingyuan on the shoulder, saying nothing more. Some pains and regrets make words seem hollow.

Just then, the automatic door of the lounge area slid open. Wei Ziqing walked in briskly, holding a tablet, his face filled with the wonder of someone who had discovered a new world. "Hey, you two! Did you see the news? There was a massive collapse over in the west of the city last night. It made quite a stir! They're saying it was a tofu-dreg project?"

Lu Jianchuan and Shen Mingyuan exchanged a glance. Lu Jianchuan's lips quirked. "We saw it. And... that 'stir' was our doing."

"Huh?" Wei Ziqing was taken aback, then realization dawned. "Oh—! That was your mission last night? No wonder the news was so vague and they arrested a construction company owner as a scapegoat." He leaned in closer and lowered his voice. "Is it resolved? Was it tricky?"

Shen Mingyuan nodded, then shook his head. "The base was destroyed, but the primary culprit... or rather, a very special 'thing,' escaped. The specifics will be in the report."

"Escaped, huh... that is indeed troublesome." Wei Ziqing scratched his head, then remembered something. He placed the tablet on the coffee table and pulled up a few summaries of encrypted briefings. "Right, never mind that for now. Have you heard? Internationally, it seems a fourth organization has emerged!"

"A fourth organization?" Lu Jianchuan frowned. "Didn't they say that governments worldwide were starting to push forward with the 'Cognitive Opening' plan? How did another one pop up?"

"It's precisely because cognition is gradually opening that all sorts of characters are finding it easier to surface." Wei Ziqing pointed to the information on the briefing. "This newly emerged organization hasn't been officially named yet, but their core slogan and philosophy have already spread. It's just four words—'Humanity First'."

"'Humanity First'?" Shen Mingyuan chewed on the words.

"Yes, Humanity First. Their proclaimed philosophy is that animals will always just be animals, and they can only ever be animals."

"No matter how they evolve or how high their intelligence becomes, they can never escape the essence of being human pets, being observed by humans, or serving as food."

"The essence of nature is the law of the jungle, and we humans are the most powerful existence in the natural world. Therefore, no matter how they evolve, they can never escape these destinies."

"We cannot tolerate things that should have been food or pets dreaming of having equal or even higher status than us, or trying to speak to us."

"To enslave them, or to destroy them—that is the proper goal for us humans."