12. ST-012
Did Ye Feng faint? The answer is no.
Ye Feng had anticipated he would be beaten; he just hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly! Over the past years, he had been training his body. Though he wasn’t a fighter, he certainly wasn’t so weak as to be knocked out after a couple of blows. The reason Ye Feng pretended to be unconscious was partly to avoid further beatings—after all, with all the layers of winter clothing, a couple of kicks mattered little, except for those two that landed on his face, which hurt terribly! The other reason was that Ye Feng didn’t believe that the person watching him from behind would let him die.
Ye Feng waited and waited; lying on the cold winter road felt interminable.
He didn’t know how much time had passed, but he felt his body growing numb from the cold, unable to move even if he wanted to. As time dragged on, his consciousness grew increasingly hazy, and before he lost it completely, only one thought remained in his mind: "Am I really going to die like this?"
...
What Ye Feng didn’t know was that not long after he lost consciousness, two figures in black appeared beside him, hoisted him up, and vanished into the darkness.
In a subterranean chamber, Ye Feng was fixed to a chair. Beside him stood a woman in a crimson robe, her silver hair cascading like a waterfall. Her entire form was enveloped in the vivid red fabric; her face was strikingly beautiful, but her jet-black eyes gave off an uncanny, almost supernatural air.
The woman in red held a syringe filled with some unknown liquid. She tore open Ye Feng’s left sleeve, exposing his arm, and drove the needle in, slowly injecting the substance.
The sting of the needle roused Ye Feng. He opened his eyes but saw nothing; a cloth had been tied around them.
At that moment, he heard a man’s voice: “How effective is this truth serum?”
A woman replied, “This latest ST-012 truth serum is extremely potent. Thirty seconds after injection, it completely paralyzes the central nervous system. Afterwards, there’s no trace of it ever having been used. The only drawback is its severe side effects.”
“What side effects?” the man asked.
“It’s very damaging to the brain. It depends on individual constitution, but in clinical trials, it generally reduces intelligence, and in severe cases, causes permanent idiocy.”
Ye Feng shivered inwardly at this. Would he become an imbecile? But, being in their hands, he decided it was best not to move.
“How long does it last?” the man pressed.
“About half an hour. Depends on the person,” the woman replied.
“Is it time?” asked the man.
“Yes, you can begin questioning,” she confirmed.
Ye Feng was puzzled; he felt no difference at all. Had they injected him incorrectly?
The man gave him no time to think, probing, “What’s your name?”
Ye Feng had seen this scenario many times in espionage dramas, never imagining it would happen to him. He could only mimic what he’d seen in those films, responding in a flat, emotionless tone, “Ye Feng…”
The man continued, “How old are you?”
“Fifteen…”
“Any family left?”
“No…”
“Your parents?”
“They died in a car accident…”
At this point, Ye Feng heard the man speak to someone else, “Seems to be working well.”
“Yes, the ST-012 truth serum has a 100% success rate in test subjects,” the woman responded.
“Well done,” the man said, then turned back to Ye Feng, “What did your parents leave you?”
“They left some money and… an old family house…” Ye Feng deliberately answered hesitantly, now certain these people were linked to his parents’ deaths.
“What’s in the old house?”
“Only some shabby antiques…”
“Anything besides the house?” the man asked, skeptical.
“No…” Ye Feng replied, shaking his head for added effect.
“Are you sure? Think carefully!” the man insisted.
“Uh… uh… there’s also…” Ye Feng dragged out his words.
“What else?” the man demanded, gripping Ye Feng’s shoulders in agitation.
The pressure made Ye Feng frown and murmur unconsciously, “It hurts…”
The man quickly let go, “Hurry up, what else?”
“There are some imported luxury furniture… but…”
“But what?”
“But my relatives took them all!”
A sharp crash sounded—glass shattering, Ye Feng guessed.
“I told them years ago, we should've reclaimed everything from the Ye family. The higher-ups refused, citing waste of funds. Now, if something really was hidden in those pieces, who’ll take responsibility?” the man’s voice was filled with anger.
“Calm down. Should we send the kid back, or just kill him?” the woman interjected.
The man fell silent for a long time. Ye Feng counted to forty-two before he finally spoke, “Send him back. The order from above is not to kill unless absolutely necessary. Since he’s not a suspect, there’s no need to monitor his associates constantly—just keep an eye on his movements.”
“Anything else you want to ask? It’s been nearly ten minutes. If not, let’s send him home—it’s already been a day.”
“Alright, send him back. Also, check where those furniture pieces are now. And investigate the old house!”
Ye Feng heard no more; the restraints on his hands and feet were loosened, and two people lifted him, moving swiftly.
Soon, he felt himself placed on a seat—likely the backseat of a car. His blindfold remained. He sensed another person beside him, so he dared not move.
The car drove for about twenty minutes before stopping. Ye Feng was hauled out and dumped onto the ground.
The vehicle sped away. Ye Feng didn’t move—not that he could, whether because of the truth serum or his own condition. His body refused to obey, utterly drained of strength.
From the feel of his skin, it was still night; Ye Feng detected no sunlight.
After a while, he heard a woman’s scream, then his blindfold was removed. The sudden glare made him wince. He saw a girl calling on her phone—likely for an ambulance. Then he blacked out again.
Shortly after she hung up, the ambulance arrived. Two medics placed Ye Feng on a stretcher and took him to the hospital.
...
Ye Feng’s disappearance that night went unnoticed by the three boisterous animals in his dormitory, who assumed he’d spent the night with one of the three beauties.
The first to realize Ye Feng was missing was Ouyang Lanlan. With her family’s status, how could she not have a few retired soldiers as bodyguards? Returning to the dorm after the ball, she’d instructed them to keep an eye on Ye Feng. She knew Murong Fu’s temperament—he would destroy any enemy lacking family background at the first opportunity. What she hadn’t expected was that her usually capable bodyguards were all neutralized, and Ye Feng was taken away. This frightened Ouyang Lanlan; she thought Murong Fu had captured him, which would certainly mean death.
...
The second to know was Nan Jing. On the morning of the 26th, Nan Jing, for some inexplicable reason, attended class. She looked around but found no sign of Ye Feng, who never missed a class. Instead, she saw his three dorm mates sleeping in a corner, likely trying to boost their attendance rate before the end of term.
Nan Jing plopped down beside them, slapping the table and startling them all awake.
“Was that an earthquake?” the third roommate asked, confused.
“What’s up?” the second muttered irritably.
“Why are you here?” The first, the calmest of the three, recognized Nan Jing before speaking.
“Where’s your fourth?” Nan Jing demanded.
“No idea, didn’t come back last night. Wasn’t he with you?” the third replied bluntly.
“What?! He really didn’t return?” Nan Jing exclaimed, so loudly that the entire classroom stared at her.
“Yes, he really didn’t come back. Is something wrong?” The first roommate, seeing Nan Jing’s pale face, asked cautiously.
Nan Jing didn’t answer, instead rushing out, leaving the lecturer embarrassed on the podium. She ignored him and left.
...
Amy was the last to know. Nan Jing called her to ask if Ye Feng had been with her that night. Upon learning he hadn’t, Amy frantically called her own bodyguards to search for him, but to no avail.
It wasn’t until evening that Ouyang Lanlan and the others were notified by their bodyguards that Ye Feng had been taken to the hospital and was temporarily out of danger.
When Ye Feng awoke, he found himself in a hospital. Instinctively, he tried to sit up, but his body remained limp. So he lay on the bed, gazing at the white walls that felt strangely familiar.
A young nurse entered, “Oh, you’re awake?”
Ye Feng looked at her. “Where am I?”
“In the hospital, of course,” she replied matter-of-factly, making Ye Feng want to bang his head against the wall.
“I know, but which hospital?”
“Haifeng City Central Hospital.”
“So it is here. Seems I’m really destined for this place,” Ye Feng muttered to himself.
“Huh, what did you say?”
“Nothing. Why can’t I move?”
“The doctor said it’s nothing serious—you just depleted all your energy. A few days’ rest and you’ll be fine.”
“Depleted energy? What does that mean?”
“Like a car running out of fuel—you’re down to your last bit. So you can talk, but moving is out of the question. Just stay put for a couple days,” the nurse said playfully before leaving.
Ye Feng lay quietly, thinking. Honestly, what he feared most in that chamber was being killed, but thankfully, they refrained.
The deeper he became involved with this mysterious organization, the more bewildered and apprehensive he felt; their inner workings were far too complex.
His parents had money, but not enough to influence the global economy. What could they possess that others coveted so much? Money? Clearly not. Antiques? Unlikely. What else could he have that they desired?
Ye Feng had considered this before, but never imagined the organization’s power would be so vast; unknowingly, he had been drawn into a whirlpool.
Try as he might, Ye Feng couldn’t fathom what they truly wanted. The things hidden in the ancestral house’s secret chamber must be extraordinary. Yet, after his return, he had briefly searched but found no such chamber. It seemed he would need a thorough investigation during the winter break.
Staring at the white ceiling, Ye Feng was seized by a sudden notion—that dying, just like that, wouldn’t be so bad.
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