However, the initial excited smile on Yuan Da's face faded as he saw Ming Chu Yan return.
His eyes became solemn as he looked at Ming Chu Yan and asked, word by word,
"Save... me?"
It was *me*.
Not *us*.
The other six researchers also understood the meaning of his words.
Their smiles froze on their lips.
The hands holding the iron cage tightened slightly.
They fell silent instantly.
The air seemed to grow heavy.
Ming Chu Yan looked troubled and said urgently, "Every corner of this cruise ship is filled with innate powerhouses of underground forces. Even I cannot guarantee a safe departure from the hands of innate powerhouses."
"I can only take you, Yuan Da, at most."
"And... I only have a single-person inflatable raft."
On this cruise ship, filled with watchful eyes and innate powerhouses everywhere.
Rescuing seven people and bringing them off the ship.
This was simply unrealistic.
The only thing he could do.
Was to save the core figure of this project, Yuan Da.
The other six...
He could only apologize.
It wasn't that he was unwilling to save them.
It was that he *couldn't*.
If he tried to save them.
The chance of being discovered was as high as ninety percent.
Not only would he be unable to save Yuan Da safely.
He would also likely expose himself.
He had finally achieved his current identity and status through careful infiltration.
This identity and status in the future.
Would allow him to save more people.
Allow him to make greater contributions to the country.
He could not take this risk.
The other six fell silent.
Yuan Da shook his head violently, "No! We go together or not at all! I will never abandon my students!"
"Yuan Da!"
Ming Chu Yan quickly unlocked the iron cage and reached out to help Yuan Da, "We have no time to hesitate. If you are taken as an item to be auctioned... our Xia Kingdom will lose such an outstanding researcher as yourself!"
Yuan Da dodged Ming Chu Yan's hand, "If my students don't go, neither will I!"
"If I could save you, why would I not want to save you all?" Ming Chu Yan frowned, watching the minutes tick by. The longer he delayed, the more dangerous his situation became.
He directly grabbed Yuan Da's arm and forcefully pulled him out, "Think of it as doing this for Xia Kingdom, they... sacrificed themselves for Xia Kingdom too, they are heroes!"
Yuan Da trembled as he stumbled out of the cage.
If Ming Chu Yan hadn't caught him in time.
His old bones might have shattered.
"Yuan Da, you should go with this captain!"
"Don't worry about us, as long as you can escape, we will die without regret!"
"That's right, we are sacrificing ourselves for the country, dying with honor, we are not afraid!"
"Dean, hurry and leave, you must not let the results we painstakingly researched day and night fall into the hands of villains!"
"..."
The other six looked resigned to their fate, urging Yuan Da to leave.
They were afraid of death.
But they also understood.
That rescuing all seven of them.
Was a fantasy.
It would be better to...
Sacrifice the six of them.
To protect their teacher.
Yuan Da leaned on Ming Chu Yan, his voice hoarse and choked, "Is there... is there really no way? That is our shared research achievement, we should... take our research achievement home together..."
If he were to leave alone.
To cling to survival alone.
Every night thereafter.
He would be plagued by nightmares.
And would never forgive himself!
"There is no way." Ming Chu Yan supported Yuan Da. If possible, he wished he could be taking younger students, as they would at least be quicker.
But Yuan Da was the core personnel of this research.
Headquarters had also emphasized the need to ensure Yuan Da's safety.
After this mission was completed.
He would receive a commendation and be promoted from Team C to Team B.
He absolutely would not allow any mistakes!
Yuan Da's eyes streamed with tears.
He could not bear to abandon his students, with whom he had spent day and night, and survive alone.
Just then.
A lazy, clear voice came from above—
"Who says there is no way?"
This sudden voice made Ming Chu Yan extremely vigilant.
He supported Yuan Da with one hand and reached for his waist with the other.
"Who's there?"
Had he been exposed?
The six people in the iron cage looked towards the source of the voice.
Ming Chu Yan looked.
Yuan Da also looked.
Even the people from other countries imprisoned in other cages looked over.
A slender figure leaped down lightly from above.
It was a woman.
A woman in black combat attire, with a high ponytail, and peerlessly beautiful.
The combat attire hugged the woman's graceful waistline, making her extremely alluring.
Her face was that of a Xia Kingdom person.
A Xia Kingdom... woman?
Ming Chu Yan narrowed his eyes, "Who are you?"
"A nobody, not worthy of knowing my name." Ming Zheng walked slowly, step by step, towards the iron cage.
She slightly raised her eyebrows and looked at Yuan Da, "Save, of course, not one can be spared."
"Every one of them is a citizen of Xia Kingdom, a hero of Xia Kingdom. Why should they be abandoned because of your incompetence?"
"Xia Kingdom will never abandon any of its citizens."
"Never!"
The woman's cold, beautiful voice carried a firm conviction.
Her eyes were filled with unrestrained confidence.
Although she was heavily made up, not appearing like a proper woman.
Yet her eyes were clean and resolute.
It was as if making eye contact with her.
Brought an inexplicable, immense sense of peace.
For a moment, the six people's eyes felt hot, their noses stung.
Tears of excitement and emotion flowed uncontrollably.
Ming Chu Yan knitted his brows, his eyes beneath his glasses turning gloomy.
Since he could remember.
The voices around him were always of geniuses, scholars, destined for great achievements, and so on.
He was surrounded by praise and envy.
He was a born genius.
Possessing exceptional talent.
Even powerhouses who had already reached the innate realm pursued him to become their disciples.
This was the first time...
Anyone dared to call him a nobody.
To call him... incompetent.
And it was a woman!
Ming Chu Yan's expression immediately turned cold, "Who are you? Why did Xia Kingdom send a woman like you here?"
"So what if I'm a woman?"
Ming Zheng let out a soft scoff, "So what if you're a man? Aren't you still going to abandon your citizens and choose to save the one who offers you the greatest personal benefit?"
Ming Chu Yan's pupils contracted.
His face immediately showed the embarrassment of having his thoughts exposed, turning into angry shame, "What does a woman like you know? Do you know where this place is? If I could save them, of course I wouldn't abandon any citizen! But this is a place controlled by underground forces!"
"Do you know how difficult it is to get people out of here and onto an inflatable raft?"
"Saving even one is a life-threatening risk for me."
"Saving seven? That's certain death!"
"How dare you negate my efforts with your womanly judgment?"