Thrive in Catastrophe

 100. Side Story: The Builders (Part II) Unlike when they had first entered this warship on a mission, every node was now fully activated; pristine white light flooded the corridors, reflecting off the walls with the distinct sheen characteristic of metal. Upon reaching the specific node that Casey had once shut down, Xiao Yan instinctively let out a soft sigh. "You don't need to feel sad." Xiao Yan turned his head to see Casey leaning against the wall, arms folded across his chest. "I wagered my legs on the bet that you would defeat Valentine—and I won, securing the life I’d always wanted. Besides, artificial prosthetics aren't nearly as hard to accept as one might think. My legs feel exactly the same as they used to—and as a bonus, I don't have to worry about phantom limb pain." Xiao Yan lowered his head and smiled; Casey’s objectives were always crystal clear, and he understood—profoundly so—that achieving any goal inevitably demands a price. "Le...

 Chapter 99: Side Story — The Architect (Part I) When the sleeping Xiao Yan suddenly awoke, he gasped heavily for breath; opening his eyes wide, he saw nothing but pristine, brightly lit walls. Where was this? Valentine’s prison cell? “Hein—Hein—” Xiao Yan abruptly sat upright. Someone grasped his hand and pressed down on his shoulder; the sheer force and tactile sensation of that instant made his anxious heart feel as though it were plummeting from an altitude of ten thousand meters. “I’m here.” A simple sentence—cold, yet firmly quelling every trace of unease. Xiao Yan turned his face, his eyes locking onto Hein’s stern, chiseled features. “What happened to me? I feel like I just had a dream... dreaming that we were tracking Valentine Sheen... and then we were on a destroyer...” Xiao Yan pressed his hands against his head. “Or maybe I’m still dreaming right now...” Suddenly, his lips were captured by the other man’s. A firm, powerful tongue thrust inward with absolute directness,...

 Chapter 98: Conclusion Imperceptibly, a warship’s presence enveloped the surrounding darkness. Amidst the intricate circuitry and advanced fire-control systems, Valentine’s thoughts hesitated for a fleeting moment. Xiao Yan knew he had successfully beguiled his adversary; without a shred of hesitation, he withdrew his consciousness from the system. The instant his vision snapped back into focus, he gasped sharply—only to be frozen in shock by the blood-red scene unfolding before his eyes. “What... happened?” Before him stood the tightly sealed bulkhead door. Casey leaned against the wall, head tilted slightly upward, while Wynn and Mark wore expressions of utter bewilderment. When Xiao Yan realized that both of Casey’s legs had been severed completely below the knees, his heart seized up abruptly, throbbing with a searing, agonizing pain. His breath caught in his throat, and his eyes stung until his vision blurred. “Casey—where are your legs?!” Xiao Yan rushed to Casey’s side, gra...

 Chapter 97 “To save you, you idiot!” Lauren flipped Wen En the middle finger. They had no time for pleasantries; Xiao Yan and Hein leaped simultaneously, vaulting into the cabin, with Wen En following close behind. Just as everyone had made it inside, several more assassins arrived in hot pursuit. Desperate and reckless, they threw themselves at Xiao Yan’s craft, clinging to its engines. “Holy hell—” Lauren was just about to hit the button to seal the hatch when an assassin grabbed his arm. Wen En seized his other wrist, and Liv—without a shred of mercy—hacked off the assassin’s arm. Only then was Lauren yanked back inside. The hatch slammed shut. Lauren patted his chest, still shaken by the close call. “God... are they all Jane Wallis?” Lauren pressed his face against the cabin glass, watching the horde of assassins—heedless of the danger—leap from the flight corridor in wave after wave, attempting to board the craft. Casey, whose face had remained stony throughout, finally spoke...