When the door swung fully open, Xin Ye finally saw the "harmless" feline mutant Qiuqiu had mentioned—the owner of those pale blue eyes.
It was a mutant white lion.
The male lion was snow-white from head to toe, the only splash of color being the blue of its eyes. Compared to a normal lion, its mane was exceptionally long, draping over its body like a soft silken rug all the way down to its paws. Even in the dim light, it shimmered with a pearlescent luster, looking like a creature stepped straight out of a fairy tale.
It lay in the center of the room with its forepaws crossed in an elegant, almost aristocratic posture—if one ignored the neck chain peeking out from beneath its thick fur.
Seeing no immediate danger, Tang Qiuqiu stepped forward and knelt beside the white lion, reaching out to gently stroke its long fur while whispering words of comfort.
The lion responded, proactively nuzzling Qiuqiu’s hand with its nose and letting out a low, vibrating purr from its throat.
Xin Ye stood behind him, wary of making any sudden moves.
Rare animals had gone extinct in massive numbers after the apocalypse. The reason was simple: humans barely had the means to save themselves, let alone the inclination to maintain "ornamental" creatures that served no practical purpose. Even years later, when humanity considered conducting a census of surviving animals and mutants on the surface, the goal wasn't restoration or protection, but rather the elimination of safety hazards.
Under such circumstances, for a rare white lion—especially one whose mutation seemed purely aesthetic—to be living peacefully here was nothing short of astonishing.
Qiuqiu finished his initial communication with the lion and turned back to Xin Ye, his face alight with excitement. "Captain! The white lion says it knows where the humans brought here by the mutants are. They should be the missing personnel from the Eighth Branch!"
"Oh? Then ask it for the specific location first."
Xin Ye’s tone was noticeably cold. Tang Qiuqiu blinked in confusion, but he followed the instruction nonetheless.
While Qiuqiu resumed his dialogue with the lion, Xin Ye took the opportunity to circle the room.
Aside from the cleared space in the center where the lion rested, the walls on both sides were lined with shelves. Xin Ye used his flashlight to inspect them closely, discovering that the shelves were filled with small albino animals kept in jars or glass boxes.
Startled by the sudden light, the small creatures huddled in the corners of their containers, trembling. Their most striking feature was the abundance of wounds covering their bodies—they looked like lash marks, the fresh crimson blood stark against their white fur.
*There are too many inconsistencies regarding this white lion. I’ll wait until I’ve confirmed a few things before deciding,* Xin Ye thought.
The pristine appearance of the lion and the room, the fact that it was locked on the second floor yet somehow knew about the captured humans—without knowing the creature's full hand, Xin Ye had no intention of getting too close.
By the time he finished his circuit, Tang Qiuqiu had stood up and run back to his captain’s side. "It won't tell me the location directly... it says it wants to make a deal."
Predicting that the information wouldn't be given freely, Xin Ye’s expression remained unchanged as he jerked his chin toward the lion. "What kind of deal?"
"The white lion wants us to break the chain around its neck and rescue its albino companions in the jars and boxes. In exchange, it will personally lead us to the person and even help us fight if other mutants appear..."
"Sounds like a fair trade," Xin Ye interrupted, "but let's pass. If we have time to kill after we've cleared out all the mutants here, maybe we'll come back and save them."
"This place isn't that big. I don't believe we won't be able to find one person on our own. Qiuqiu, let's go."
Just as Xin Ye moved to step away, he felt as if his soles were glued to the floor with industrial adhesive, unable to budge.
Xin Ye left the room without looking back. Tang Qiuqiu hesitated for a moment but ultimately chased after his captain.
Shortly after they left the room, Xin Ye received a message from Leng Xianye. The three of them had finished searching the first floor and found a functional computer connected to a backup power supply, along with a USB drive that required Xin Ye to crack the password. They left the computer where it was and headed down to explore the basement first.
The captain, who knew a bit of everything, headed to the first floor carrying the high hopes of his three teammates. Meanwhile, inside the room they had just closed, the white lion, which had maintained an elegant posture until now, slowly stood up.
The iron chain it had claimed was impossible to destroy despite multiple attempts simply fell to the floor, shattering into several segments.
***
Xin Ye found the computer Leng Xianye had mentioned in a room on the left side of the first floor.
The password was a simple string of digits, easy enough to crack. Once unlocked, Xin Ye didn't rush to plug in the USB drive. Instead, he checked the files stored on the hard drive. He unearthed several hidden folders named simply "a," "b," "c," and "d." He clicked on folder "a" first; it contained over a dozen video files.
He picked the first video. Five seconds in, he closed the window.
Standing beside him, Tang Qiuqiu had watched for even less time—only three seconds before he instinctively covered his eyes.
In those first five seconds, the scene was a desolate backyard. Piles of red and white matter were heaped to the side. The ground was crowded with emaciated stray cats and dogs, their weak whimpering quickly escalating into shrill, agonizing screams.
A tall man wearing a black mask that completely obscured his face walked into the center of the frame. Ignoring the animals he stepped on, he casually snatched up a calico cat. With a swift motion of the meat cleaver in his right hand, a long streak of blood splattered across his green rubber apron.
The rest of the content didn't need to be seen to be understood.
The other videos were much the same. Xin Ye checked the remaining folders. Folder "b" contained clearer photos, while "c" held a single document filled with massive blocks of text—hyperbolic scripts used for animal abuse videos to attract viewers.
Folder "d," however, was different.
It also contained videos and photos of animal abuse, but every single subject was an albino animal.
Xin Ye recognized the animals in these files; he had just seen them in the hidden room on the second floor.
Tang Qiuqiu, who possessed a higher level of empathy for animals, looked pained. He tentatively tapped Xin Ye’s shoulder. "Captain, can we really not save the animals in that room? They’re clearly the victims here."
Xin Ye pointed to the file creation dates on the screen. "They are victims, but this happened before the apocalypse. I can't guarantee they won't attack us out of hatred for humans now, Qiuqiu."
After finishing with the folders, Xin Ye plugged in the USB drive. He had expected the contents to be similar to the hidden folders, but after opening the first document, he changed his mind.
Screen recordings of the upload process for the abuse videos, detailed records of transactions selling stray animals to others... these twenty-odd videos, spreadsheets, and documents were all evidence of the shelter's atrocities. He had a vague idea of who the owner of the USB drive was, so he asked Xun Yin: "Is this stuff from the person you mentioned who protected the strays here?"
Following Xun Yin's guidance, Xin Ye found a specific document.
After seeing the contents, there was another heavy silence.
Tang Qiuqiu softly read the title aloud: "New Mutation Direction... Phenotype Assimilation?"
"...No wonder. Albino animals are so rare; how could they appear in such a concentration? It turns out the animals in that room were all assimilated by one of them?"
"Most likely the white lion. Having that lion is like having a cornucopia," Xin Ye analyzed, picking up where Qiuqiu left off. "Animal traffickers could use the white lion to assimilate other ordinary animals, then film videos under the gimmick of abusing rare albino creatures to reap massive profits..."
He was halfway through his sentence when the multi-function watch on his wrist began to beep. Tang Qiuqiu asked if the others had found something new, watching curiously as Xin Ye hooked the earpiece over his ear.
Leng Xianye maintained his usual no-nonsense style, getting straight to the point. "The basement is just a single corridor. Most of the rooms hold large albino animals, but one room is locked. Xing Yue is picking the lock now. You two should come down and join us... ugh."
Xin Ye was listening intently when Leng Xianye was suddenly cut off, followed by the sound of gunfire. He tensed up instantly. "Are you okay?!"
"We have a problem," Leng Xianye replied quickly, having clearly adjusted his stance. "...There are actually vents in the ceiling. Mutants are jumping out, and there are a lot of them. I'll need you and Qiuqiu for support."
"On it. We're coming now."
Xin Ye’s voice was calm, but he was desperate to save his teammates. He and Tang Qiuqiu immediately sprinted toward the stairs leading down.
When Leng Xianye said "a lot," it usually meant a massive swarm. At the landing of the stairs, Xin Ye saw several mutants crowding their way down. He expertly flipped his dagger, catching the rear mutants off guard.
His focus during combat was far more intense than usual; he didn't notice that Tang Qiuqiu, upon reaching the stairwell, had turned around and left.
Qiuqiu ran all the way back to the room with the computer. He pulled out the USB drive, tucked it away, and then extended his claws, slashing directly at the computer.
After easily destroying the machine, Qiuqiu seemed to lose all his strength, collapsing onto the floor.
"Luckily, the Captain didn't have time to take photos... otherwise, if any information officer back at headquarters checked, they would definitely find that the person who uploaded those videos... was my father." His chest heaved violently as he muttered to himself. "It's not a big deal for the mission anyway. It just means we lose the backstory of this shelter. I just need to keep killing mutants, right?"
He stood up unsteadily, his eyes vacant.
"There's no need for everyone to know about the past. It would only foul their ears..."
At the doorway, a white figure appeared, letting out two gentle roars.
Tang Qiuqiu’s shoulders tensed and then slowly relaxed. He turned to look at the white lion. "You came down? Is there anything else here related to my father? Lead me to it so I can destroy it."
***
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Promoted to Protagonist: Persecuted by the Meta-Narrative | Chapter 24 | The White Lion's Secret | Novela.app | Novela.app
