Chapter Twenty-Four: Intelligence Exchange! The Woman of the Eagle!

In his previous life, Chen Yi had known well that Madman was indiscriminate in his tastes, with an appetite that spared neither man nor woman. Yet at least he had never witnessed such a scene firsthand. This particular perversion was one of the reasons Madman was deemed truly insane; for apart from Madman, no one else possessed such a proclivity or such an unbearable sense of aesthetics.

The visual shock before him made Chen Yi feel as if his stomach were churning violently. Fortunately, thanks to his unyielding willpower, he managed to endure. Looking at Scorpion and the others, he saw that they were utterly unaffected, as if this were the most ordinary of circumstances. Chen Yi could not help but sigh inwardly: as expected, no one around Madman could be called normal.

At that moment, Madman smiled and introduced his two spouses, saying, “This is Little Chen, our newest brother, the new commander of our base. Don’t be fooled by his handsome looks; he’s no pretty boy. His abilities are second only to mine.”

The man and woman nodded and smiled at Chen Yi. “He is indeed quite handsome,” said one. “If my husband praises you, Little Chen, you must be impressive. Do your best~” “Why aren’t you speaking? Are you shy?”

Chen Yi swallowed instinctively. Though he appeared calm on the surface, sweat poured from him beneath his clothes. “Hahaha!” Madman laughed. “Little Chen might just be exhausted. Let him rest first; there will be plenty of time to get acquainted.”

“I am indeed a bit tired. I’ll go rest and regain my strength,” Chen Yi agreed, turning and leaving at once. Even a second longer and he feared he might not hold out; he felt as if he might vomit up last week’s food.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Hu Sanhan sent someone to New City Base. The guards went to notify Chu Yunxi and Lu Kai, informing them that Chen Yi had not been seen. Upon hearing this, Chu Yunxi’s brows furrowed, sensing something amiss. Lu Kai felt likewise; he suspected the visitor was up to no good and intended to use Chen Yi as leverage against their base. He even guessed that Chen Yi must now be in considerable danger.

“What should we do? Chen Yi might be under their control!”

“Damn it! We really shouldn’t have trusted them!” Chu Yunxi was furious, itching to charge out then and there. Lu Kai shook his head, advising, “Don’t be hasty; let’s first hear what this person has to say. If the people from Bright Base really have captured Chen Yi, we won’t let them off, not even if it means mutual destruction—I’ll rescue Chen Yi no matter what!”

Chu Yunxi nodded and followed Lu Kai outside. Beyond the gates, they saw only one person, driving an old pickup truck, weapon in hand but not drawn. “Chen Yi truly isn’t here,” Chu Yunxi murmured quietly behind Lu Kai.

Lu Kai nodded, recognizing the messenger as the same face from before. He sensed the visitor was not here to intimidate them—there must be some misunderstanding. Still, Chu Yunxi questioned sharply, “Where is Chen Yi? Why didn’t he return with you? Don’t tell me your people have detained him?”

As she spoke, Chu Yunxi kept her eyes fixed on the messenger. Any sign of trouble would prompt her to order the guards to act immediately. Hu Sanhan’s subordinate, however, remained calm and smiled, replying, “Not at all. How could we possibly lay a hand on Boss Chen? He’s entered into a cooperative arrangement with our boss, but he has business to attend to and couldn’t return, so I was sent to deliver the news.”

Halfway through his explanation, the messenger glanced around cautiously, even lowering his voice. “This matter is quite important. Could we discuss it inside?”

Lu Kai sized him up and joked, “What, are you worried the zombies will overhear your secrets and pass them along?”

The messenger’s face showed embarrassment; he knew he wasn’t trusted. But he had steeled himself for ridicule to complete his task. Without irritation, he explained patiently, “This was all arranged by Boss Chen himself, so we must be cautious. If anything goes wrong, not just your boss, but ours too, will be finished. This concerns the survival of both our bases.”

Hearing the gravity of the situation—and knowing it was Chen Yi’s initiative—Lu Kai and Chu Yunxi exchanged glances, filled with doubt and unable to fully trust the visitor. Yet there was no other way; without his information, they would be left in the dark.

“What do you think?” Lu Kai asked Chu Yunxi. Though he was Chen Yi’s close brother, in Chen Yi’s absence, most people placed greater faith in Chu Yunxi.

After all, everyone knew Chu Yunxi was Chen Yi’s woman. Who would dare disobey the boss’s woman?

“In that case, let's hear what he has to say. If it’s true, we’ll follow Chen Yi’s instructions—which will prove he’s safe. But if he’s lying, we’ll take his head and show them what we're capable of!” Chu Yunxi’s demeanor was icy, her manner domineering. She carried something of Chen Yi’s presence, and Lu Kai could not help but admire her silently. She had truly become akin to an eagle, even her temperament growing similar.

They informed the visitor of their willingness to talk and allowed him into the base, assigning two guards to accompany him, weapons ready at all times, giving him no chance to resist. They led him to a private space within the base, and Chu Yunxi waved her hand to send the others outside.

Lu Kai spoke first, “Brother, how should we address you?”

The visitor smiled. “My real name is Zhang Liu. My boss calls me Little Liu.”

“Brother Liu, letting you in is a sign of our sincerity,” said Lu Kai, his expressi