“The faint, hazy glow around you, though very subtle, cannot escape special eyes.”

“You yourself may not have awakened an ability, but the little one in your belly is probably another matter.”

The air in the room instantly tensed, and the temperature seemed to drop by several degrees.

Su Wan’s heart pounded, and her palms were slightly sweaty.

How did he know?! The book didn't introduce Captain Pan as a character. Lei Laohu's confidant? When she read it, there was no such confidant at all. Did she overlook the details?

Lu Shiyan radiated a terrifying chill: “Your eyes are indeed quite sharp.”

Captain Pan immediately raised his hands, adopting a “don’t get excited, I mean no harm” posture, but his face still held that confident expression: “Mr. Lu, don’t get angry yet. My eyes are naturally able to see auras and energy fluctuations that others cannot.”

“The Hyena Squad incident seemed like an accident, but in reality, it was a test Lei Laohu prepared for everyone.”

Captain Pan paused, “The Hyena Squad were indeed Scorpion’s people, but their actions became increasingly arrogant, repeatedly crossing boundaries and violating the base’s rules. Lei Laohu used your hands to clear them out, which was both a test of your strength and a warning to others, while also removing a cancerous growth of Scorpion’s on the periphery.”

“He is very satisfied with your performance.”

Lu Shiyan’s face was grim. He took the small box Captain Pan pushed over, his knuckles slightly white from gripping it, and his gaze, like the sharpest ice blade, scraped inch by inch across Captain Pan’s smiling face: “Captain Pan’s ‘information’ is indeed terrifyingly well-informed.”

“How should we enjoy this ‘generous gift’?”

“We need your decision.” Captain Pan did not back down, his gaze fixed on Lu Shiyan’s deep eyes. “Scorpion will officially make a move within three days. By then, no matter what choice you make, you will inevitably be drawn into the center of this vortex.”

Xiao Han stretched lazily, loosening his muscles and bones, his tone light: “This is truly a sweet burden, to become a popular item that both sides want to snatch.”

“It’s not snatching.” Captain Pan corrected coldly. “The Hyena Squad was originally an important chess piece Scorpion had planted on the outskirts of the base. By eliminating them, you helped Lei Laohu remove a thorn in his side, but because of this, you have completely offended Scorpion to death.”

Su Wan took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, “So, you’ve been monitoring us since we entered the base?”

“It’s protection, not monitoring.” Captain Pan stood up and brushed off non-existent dust from his clothes. “Consider it carefully. I’m giving you 3 days to think it over. I will come back to hear your answer.”

He walked to the door, paused, and then turned back, adding: “Oh, by the way, on the day you picked up the residency mission, you actually already met Scorpion, but you probably don’t know him.”

“Tomorrow, there will be a large-scale material distribution event at the base, and Scorpion will personally supervise it. You can go and see what kind of person he is.”

“Oh, I almost forgot, thank you all for your hospitality. It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten so happily.” Although he wasn't short on food, he lacked ingredients. This meal was truly delicious in color, aroma, and taste.

Captain Pan left with his attendants, and the heavy iron door closed behind them with a thud.

“What do you think?” Su Wan quietly moved closer to Lu Shiyan.

Xiao Han snorted coldly: “This old fox, the olive branch he sent hides a sharp knife. They want to use our strength, but they’re also afraid that we’ll be too powerful and difficult to control.”

He paused, stroking his chin, and added thoughtfully: “However, that Captain Pan really has some tricks. To be able to see Su Wan’s uniqueness at a glance, and also roughly gauge Lu Da Shao’s strength, he’s not simple.”

Lu Shiyan’s eyes were deep, and his voice was low: “Captain Pan didn’t tell us everything. Their eagerness to win us over must have another, deeper purpose.”

“The Hyena Squad were Scorpion’s people, yet they became Lei Laohu’s whetstone to test us. This play is probably not that simple.”

“Whatever their schemes, let’s first go see what this material distribution is about, and then make a plan.”

After everyone finished eating, Li Kui went to clean up.

Su Wan picked up the small box containing nutrients from the table and carefully examined it, wondering what was inside. She opened it and found a sachet.

She felt very comfortable smelling this scent. “Does today’s training plan still count?”

Lu Shiyan stood up: “Of course it counts, let’s start immediately.”

The two soon arrived at the training room. It was the adjacent room converted into a training room. They had rented two more rooms, otherwise, there wouldn’t be enough space for everyone now.

“Ready?” he asked.

Su Wan nodded, taking a deep breath to adjust her state, “Come on.”

Lu Shiyan said no more, his figure suddenly moved, almost without warning, and a punch came directly at Su Wan’s face. Su Wan instinctively leaned back, the wind of the punch brushing past her nose.

Before she could steady herself, Lu Shiyan’s second attack aimed straight for her ribs. Su Wan hurriedly raised her arm to block, but felt a huge force, numbing her arm and causing her to involuntarily retreat two steps.

“Too slow, and not enough power.”

He gave her no chance to breathe. Punches, kicks, elbows, knees—each strike was precise and swift, yet stopped just before touching Su Wan’s body.

Su Wan had to mobilize all her attention to capture his movements and respond with evasion or counter-attacks in the shortest possible time.

She couldn’t keep up with Lu Shiyan’s rhythm at all. Often, his attack would already be upon her before she frantically reacted, her movements appearing sluggish and clumsy.

Sweat quickly soaked her bangs, and her breathing became rapid.

“Focus, use your body to feel, not just your eyes.”

Su Wan gritted her teeth. She tried to stop deliberately analyzing Lu Shiyan’s every move, instead emptying her mind and body, relying on her body’s instincts.

Her body seemed to have its own consciousness, able to predict and evade Lu Shiyan’s attacks before they arrived. A sidestep perfectly dodged a sweeping leg; a duck avoided a swinging elbow.

Her movements became smoother and smoother, from initial disarray to later being barely able to keep up.

A flicker of something crossed Lu Shiyan’s eyes, too quick to catch. His offensive remained unchanged, but Su Wan vaguely felt that his speed seemed to have increased by a notch, and his angles were even more bizarre.

Su Wan’s learning speed even surprised herself. Although it was her first time experiencing such high-intensity close-quarters reaction training, her reaction speed was completely unlike a novice.

She could even feel as if a hidden power within her body was gradually being awakened.

Could she really be a martial arts prodigy?