Villain Boss Chapter 218
Translated by Digitalian (ko-fi)
Chapter 218: The Puppet And The Little Girl
A black BMW sped through the night, emerging from Xiling Snow Mountain and heading in the opposite direction of Xiling base.
Inside the car, Qin Huai sat in the passenger seat, his gaze fixed on the view outside the window. In the distance, he could still see the flames of Xiling base.
"Good job." In the driver's seat, the woman's gaze was focused on the road ahead, a smile playing on her lips. "The laboratory was blown to smithereens. Xiling base won't be able to resume research operations anytime soon."
Qin Huai didn’t respond.
The woman glanced at his profile and asked, "Was that puppet dealt with?"
"Probably."
The lazy reply clearly showed a lack of sincerity.
"It's such a pity today. If Si Xu hadn't intervened at the last minute, the Shen family would probably be finished." The woman sighed regretfully. "I didn't expect Si Xu's ability to evolve to this extent. I can only say that he’s indeed Jiang Yize's experimental subject."
Qin Huai remained silent.
Si Xu used spatial teleportation to reach Xiling Snow Mountain. The moment Si Xu sensed Shen Yao's presence, Qin Huai pushed her off the steep cliff—in order to buy time.
"Don't worry, with Si Xu around, that girl won't die." The woman said meaningfully, "You've already done it, so why are you looking so worried—Qin Huai, this isn't like you."
Qin Huai absentmindedly hummed in agreement, then suddenly asked, "Why are you so determined to get rid of that puppet?"
The woman remained silent.
"Is it because of Jiang Yize?" Qin Huai asked, answering his own question.
The woman licked her lips and gave a cold, smirking look. "That explosion wasn't an accident."
"I guessed it," Qin Huai said. "Was it done by 117?"
Since it wasn't an accident, it must have been deliberate—at that time, only the Shen family wanted Jiang Yize dead.
The Shen family's sharpest weapon was either him or those puppets.
"I don’t know."
"You don’t know?"
"At that time, the Shen family had many puppets, but I don't know which one actually carried out the operation."
Oh. Since she didn't know who did it, she might as well just kill all the puppets, right?
"It’s better to kill a thousand innocent people than let one guilty person go free? Hah." Qin Huai sneered. "No wonder you became my partner, S."
The woman stepped on the gas, retorting, "Should I thank you for your compliment, Qin Huai?"
……
On the ground floor of the laboratory building, firefighters tried their best to control the fire and prevent it from spreading. However, due to the height of the building and the water supply equipment, the fire on the top floor was completely out of control.
Seeing that the fire couldn't be extinguished and the people inside hadn't come out yet, the superhuman guarding Shen Yang almost shed tears.
"What should we do? What should we do? Deputy Captain hasn't come down yet..." Could he be dead?
The moment the idea surfaced, the youth immediately shook his head, trying not to dwell on it.
"Huh? That's..."
A gasp suddenly rose from the crowd. The youth looked up and saw a white figure vanish in an instant, disappearing into the flames.
……
Shen Bai didn’t manage to find Shen Youyou.
As soon as he stepped onto the top floor, his path was blocked by falling debris.
It was unclear what Qin Huai did on the top floor, but his superpower disappeared, and his body seemed to have returned to the state before he awakened his superpower.
He couldn’t afford to linger there. He must find Shen Youyou as soon as possible.
"Youyou! Youyou!"
He walked forward close to the wall, his throat hoarse from the thick smoke.
"Youyou!"
A name was the soul of a person. Since he chose to give a name to her, he must bear the corresponding responsibility.
Yes, he gave her a name, brought her back to the base from the snow-capped mountains, kept her by his side, and taught her how to be a person... He wanted to take responsibility for her, just like his father had done for her years ago.
……
Blocked by smoke and fire, he couldn't see her, but she could see him clearly, as well as the precarious slab of stone above his head.
She glanced back at the beam pressing against her waist, then dug her fingers into the floorboards and slowly moved herself away.
She heard the sound of her body being torn apart, and the excruciating pain that stimulated her brain caused her fingers, which were stuck in the floor, to curl up involuntarily.
"Crack".
She clutched the floorboards until they cracked.
She kept her eyes on him.
She didn't understand.
She was merely a puppet protecting the Shen family. She belonged to the Shen family, regardless of her life or death.
But even without her, the Shen family could create countless puppets just like her, countless 117s.
If that was the case, why did he rush into the fire?
Like that person, even if he saved her, he wouldn't receive any praise.
They'd just say he was stupid and that it wasn’t worth it that he risked his life for a puppet.
"Why..." she murmured, her vision blurred by the uncontrollable tears welling up in her eyes.
She could no longer see him.
Why?
Why did he go to this extent?
This outcome would be good for her. She woke up in the fire and would fall asleep in the fire.
That would be a good outcome.
But why were you here? Why were you calling my name? Why... were you so persistent?
"Youyou!"
That hoarse voice, accompanied by the sound of burning, surrounded her.
She finally broke free from her shackles.
……
Just as the stone slab above fell, a figure lunged forward and knocked Shen Bai, who was already disoriented by the thick smoke, aside.
"Bang!"
The stone slab pressed against metal, producing a harsh sound.
Shen Bai staggered two steps and fell to the ground.
He turned around, but there was no one behind him, only the gleaming metal finger bones protruding from the huge stone slab.
……
As the sun broke through the clouds and a spring breeze caressed her face, the young man stood behind her in a garden filled with the fragrance of gardenias, waiting for her to turn around.
"What's your name?" His voice was gentle, like a fine, aged wine, mild and intoxicating.
She looked into his eyes, smiled slightly, and replied, "Shen Youyou."
Youyou, that was my name.
The person who gave me my name was willing to barge into a dangerous place alone to protect me.
The person who gave me my name, I was also willing to immerse myself in darkness alone for him.
That person was very important to me.
……
When Shen Yang woke up, the first thing he felt was a dull pain in the back of his neck.
He rubbed the back of his neck, looking somewhat bewildered.
"Captain! You're awake!" The teammate waiting beside him looked pitiful, almost in tears, and sniffled.
As his memories gradually returned, Shen Yang sat up, tugged at his collar, and asked irritably, "Where's Shen Bai?"
That fool knocked him out. He was just courting death by going in by himself.
"He's already been taken to the emergency room." The team member patted his chest, relieved. "Luckily, Professor Si returned in time, otherwise, Deputy Captain might have..."
Si Xu? That fellow was back?
"Oh, Professor Si also asked me to give this to you."
As the team member spoke, he took something out of his pocket and handed it to Shen Yang.
The metallic chip lay quietly in Shen Yang's pale palm.
Shen Yang looked at it for a moment, then closed his palms and said, "I got it."
This chip belonged to 117—the puppet created by the Shen family’s laboratory.
It also belonged to Shen Youyou—the little girl named and raised by Shen Bai himself.
