CHAPTER 47: CHAPTER 47: BIOMEMBRANE

Ruan Li’s gaze fell on the sky outside the window. Due to the refraction of sunlight, a vague glass cover seemed to have enveloped the sky.

"What is that?"

Xi Han lifted his eyes and walked to Ruan Li’s side.

As a Beastman with High Star Superpowers, his senses were exceptionally sharp, allowing him to clearly hear the sounds of fighting outside the house.

Bai He noticed he only shifted his position, entirely uninterested in what was happening outside.

His gaze paused on him for a second, meeting those cold blue eyes that harbored no hostility, only indifference, as if he were a mere ant easily crushed.

Bai He lowered his eyes, glancing sideways to see Ruan Li and Xi Han standing very close, almost embracing, while he was the outsider.

"...I’ll go outside and take a look, something seems off outside."

With these words, he slightly lowered his head, retracting his gaze secretly fixed on Ruan Li.

Seeing him head out, Ruan Li wanted to follow, but Xi Han held her back, shaking his head, "Let him check the situation outside first, only go out if it’s safe."

"Okay."

Silver strands of hair paused invisibly in the air for a moment.

Looking out from the window, besides a noticeable abnormal thin layer in the air, the male Beastmen were releasing their superpowers into the air.

However, all the superpowers dissipated completely upon contact with the invisible barrier in the air, as if absorbed entirely, without any ripple or reaction.

"Is there something strange in the sky?"

Xi Han gazed at the peculiar membrane in the air, feeling it vaguely familiar.

"The entire residential area is surrounded by an invisible membrane, not only cutting off all communicator signals but also rendering superpowers ineffective against it."

"It’s a diversion tactic."

The Beastmen, who dared not blink while watching the monitors, realized the same issue.

Zhe Ye, having successfully reached the residential area, led two teams to halt outside the neighborhood.

He raised his hand to signal the group to stop. Wearing protective gloves, he attempted to touch the invisible barrier, feeling its hardness through the gloves.

"It’s safe." He gestured "OK" to the team behind, as the technicians began analyzing what this membrane was.

In a few minutes, the technicians came with the analyzed data, looking unwell: "Colonel, after precise data analysis and comparison, we can roughly confirm that this invisible membrane is a biological mimicry based on deep-sea animals, but..."

He hesitated to continue, frowning deeply, eyes full of frustration: "We haven’t found any breakthrough point... This membrane can’t be opened from the outside, forcing it apart might trigger its defensive mechanism."

Zhe Ye took a deep look at the Beastmen separated by a mere membrane, trapped inside as if isolated in two worlds, even sound and breath unable to pass through.

"Is there any way to contact people inside?"

"We can attempt to find a weak point, apply short-term material pressure, allowing information and sound to pass through briefly, though the duration might be extremely short," the technicians explained, "to use an analogy, the external membrane around the residential area is akin to an extremely compressed and delicate sponge; we can intervene briefly with external force, but any damage to its delicate structure over time or intensity will cause severe consequences, steel wires at micron levels slicing at near-sonic speeds, all living and non-living things inside will be... torn apart."

Zhe Ye understood the danger, intending to report remotely to the higher-ups but received the response to wait for support.

Even if the officer before him remained silent, the deep pressure from his icy demeanor could still be felt.

The technicians awaited his command, "Colonel, are we really to await orders here?"

"...Wait for half an hour, if headquarters still doesn’t issue orders after that, prepare to transmit information inside the membrane."

Inside the membrane, the Beastmen, having tried countless methods all ending in failure, could only temporarily give up action.

Zhe Ye’s Smart Brain rang with an unknown call, which he cautiously answered.

From the other end came a clearly disguised voice, languidly disapproving of the military’s passive stance, "This biological membrane, the switch must be inside; people from the military can’t even see that?"

As the voice finished, the technicians behind him joyfully raised the analyzer, "I’ve found the location of the membrane’s switch."

Deep meaning flashed in Zhe Ye’s eyes, "How do you know the switch’s location?"

"Stop being suspicious and go save people, don’t think it was me who did this?" The other end snorted before quickly hanging up.

After confirming the switch location in a green park within the residential area, the technicians compiled all information and projected it into the air.

Upon seeing the message, the Beastmen inside immediately ran to the location, but faced with a password door, could only halt.

The information relayed back to Zhe Ye, yet no one could accurately deduce the password.

"How’s the situation?" Shi Jue arrived hurriedly from the battlefield on Central Street, witnessing the military personnel at a loss and the membrane intact, heart sinking to the bottom.

"The membrane can only be opened from inside, with the switch inside a password door of a green park," Zhe Ye briefly explained to Shi Jue, who anxiously asked, "Can’t force the door open?"

"We’re worried it might have a self-destruct mechanism..."

"Colonel! The monitor has changed!" A Beastman watching the monitor noticed something quickly reported.

Zhe Ye and Shi Jue went to verify.

"This is our living room!"

Shi Jue exclaimed.

"Is there a way to find the Smart Brain source controlling the monitors?"

"The opponent is very cunning, using S Star’s central controller, hard to trace..."

Zhe Ye murmured, looking at familiar figures on the monitor, "What’s their ultimate goal?"

Is the target Bai He, Xi Han, Ruan Xi?

Zhe Ye couldn’t eliminate Bai He’s suspicion, considering his behavior and appearance matched the wanted criminal’s profile.

However, Zhe Ye soon realized he was mistaken.

The real target was Ruan Li!

As she moved, the surveillance footage shifted from the living room to the neighborhood path, until Ruan Li approached the door.

The monitors suddenly went black!

"What’s going on? Where’s the footage?"

"It seems... the footage was hacked."

"Deploy all aerial surveillance, target the recent location for full monitoring."

Elsewhere, Ruan Li’s curiosity led her to join the crowd in the green park, squeezing to the front with Xi Han adeptly following behind.