American comics: I am full of martial virtues and I love to be kind to others.

Kane chuckled, a cold glint in his eyes. "You think you can threaten me? Who do you think you are?"

“We are the only ones who can uncover your secret,” Lynn said calmly. “You know your secret is about to be exposed. If you are unwilling to cooperate, then everything will spiral out of control.”

Kane frowned, seemingly weighing the weight of their words. His gaze suddenly sharpened, almost piercing through Lynn and Mark. "What exactly do you want?" he finally asked coldly.

Lynn didn't answer directly. Instead, he glanced around the room again and said calmly, "Mr. Kane, at this point, we don't need to negotiate with you any further. We just want to understand the bigger secret hidden behind your deal. We hope you can reveal some key information to us."

Kane seemed lost in thought. He didn't answer immediately, but stood by the window, gazing silently at the city outside, a complex emotion in his eyes. After a while, he slowly turned and looked at Lynn. "Alright, you win." His tone was calm, but tinged with helplessness. "I'll tell you what you want to know, but that's only part of our deal. I won't tell you everything."

Lynn's eyes lit up, and Mark breathed a sigh of relief. "Mr. Kane, thank you."

Kane looked at them, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "You'll be happy to learn some things this time, but you'd better be prepared to accept the consequences."

Lynn nodded. "We're ready."

Kane paused for a moment, seemingly considering whether he should continue. He took a deep breath and then slowly began, “My collaboration with Charlie is far beyond your imagination. Did you think we were just doing some simple money laundering? No, the real secret is that there is a global force controlling this flow of funds.”

“Globally?” Mark said in a low voice in surprise. “Who is that?”

Kane smiled slightly, a mysterious smile playing on his lips. "I'm not going to tell you now. But you've touched a nerve. Your next actions may lead you down a path of no return."

Lynn stared intently at Kane, his mind filled with questions. "You mean, this force is powerful enough to control everything?"

“Yes.” Kane nodded. “This force has ulterior motives, and its influence has permeated every corner of the globe. Now that you know this, you can no longer easily withdraw.”

Lynn and Mark exchanged a glance, realizing that the situation had drastically changed. Every step from now on was fraught with danger.

“Mr. Kane, thank you for the information,” Lynn finally spoke, his tone calm. “However, we need more clues.”

Kane's lips curled into a slight smile. "You want more clues? Then head north of Los Angeles; you'll find what you need there."

Lynn didn't answer immediately, but calmly nodded. "We'll go there."

Kane's eyes suddenly turned sharp. "Remember, Lynn, there's no turning back for you."

Lynn nodded, a hint of determination flashing in his eyes. "We know."

Lynn and Mark left the Rose Hotel, but the tension in the air didn't seem to dissipate. Although Kane had provided a clue about northern Los Angeles, they both understood that this trip to the unknown could have unpredictable consequences. Kane's words still echoed in Lynn's mind: "Your next move may lead you down a path of no return." This warning weighed heavily on Lynn's heart, but he didn't show it, remaining calm and rational.

“A clue in the north,” Lynn said softly, tapping his fingers lightly on the car window. “Kane has clearly not revealed the whole truth, but we don’t have time to wait.”

“That’s right.” Mark sat in the passenger seat, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. “Even if we don’t know what kind of laboratory it is, we can only go and take a look. Perhaps it can give us some clearer direction.”

The car wound its way through the streets of Los Angeles, gradually leaving behind the city's hustle and bustle. The surrounding environment began to grow increasingly desolate, the buildings along the roadside transforming from skyscrapers into low-rise warehouses and abandoned industrial areas. Further north in Los Angeles, the streets were almost deserted, with only a few scattered cars passing by and the occasional flicker of construction lights in the distance. A chill began to creep in, as if the city's outskirts always harbored some unspeakable secrets.

Lynn's gaze never left the road. He knew this was no longer an ordinary urban area, and everything that followed might be completely different from their previous investigation. Mark leaned back in his seat, clearly sensing the tension, and the atmosphere grew increasingly heavy.

“That laboratory…” Mark suddenly broke the silence, “Do you think Kane is telling the truth? Mutant enhancement drugs?”

“Maybe.” Lynn’s voice was low and uncertain. “Kane didn’t say much, but from what he said, I think this lab is very likely related to the money flow we’re investigating. There’s a more powerful force behind Kane than we think.”

After about thirty minutes of driving, they finally arrived at the place Kane had mentioned. Outside was an abandoned industrial area, deserted except for a few dilapidated buildings weathered by time. Lynn slowed down and pulled over onto an empty street; the silence made them feel even more uneasy.

“This doesn’t look like anything important.” Mark frowned slightly as he looked at the abandoned factory in front of him. “However, I bet there’s something here that we haven’t seen yet.”

“I agree,” Lynn replied softly, quickly parking the car and getting out with Mark. They exchanged a glance, clearly understanding that today's operation might not be so simple. They cautiously approached a rather dilapidated building. The building looked like it hadn't been used in a long time; the windows were covered in thick dust, and the iron gate was rusty. Lynn gently pulled open the door, making a jarring sound, and a musty, long-untouched stench seemed to waft out. The inside was dark, with only a faint light filtering in through a crack.

"Do you have a flashlight?" Lynn asked in a low voice.

“Yes.” Mark took a flashlight from his backpack, turned it on, and a beam of white light shone. He stretched it out, illuminating the corridor ahead. The corridor was lined with dilapidated laboratory equipment and discarded tools, emanating a mixture of musty and chemical odors. The whole place looked like it had been abandoned for a long time; paint was peeling off the walls in places, a thick layer of dust covered the floor, and occasionally a few bottles and jars could be seen scattered on the ground.

“This place…” Mark took a few steps closer, a hint of doubt in his eyes, “is like an old laboratory, there’s nothing there.”

Lynn frowned slightly and took a deep breath. "No, Mark, look closely at these devices. They shouldn't be that old. I have a feeling that the 'mutant enhancement drug' Kane mentioned might be here."

"You mean... this place we found is related to mutant experiments?" Mark's tone was filled with surprise. "You really think that's possible?"

“Yes.” Lynn’s eyes were firm as he suddenly turned and walked towards a secluded room. There were some faded markings on the door, but no clear instructions, only a few worn-out letters spelling out an abbreviation. He pushed the door open, and immediately a blast of cold air hit him; the room was much darker than the corridor. The room was filled with various experimental equipment and storage bottles, clearly indicating that these items had been used for some highly classified research.

“Here…” Lynn said softly, walking closer to the desk and seeing some yellowed documents scattered on it. The words on the folders made his heart skip a beat: “'Project X'.”

“Project X?” Mark repeated, his voice tinged with doubt. “What is that?”

Lynn flipped through several documents, quickly scanning their contents. His expression gradually turned serious. "'Project X,' judging from the documents, is clearly a project related to genetic modification. It mentions some research on mutant drugs, and even explicitly states that it attempts to alter human genes through drugs to grant superhuman abilities."

Mark watched Lynn flipping through the documents, remained silent for a moment, and then asked, "What's going on here? How does Kane know all this? What's hidden behind this experiment?"

Lynn closed the file, looked up, and said, "That's the problem. Mark Kane probably knows all this, and the forces behind him are clearly involved in this kind of modification project. If we can bring these files back, we might find a breakthrough and uncover a bigger secret."

“Can we take these back?” Mark asked with some concern. “This place seems a bit sensitive. If we get caught, we could get into even bigger trouble.”

Lynn took a deep breath, a hint of determination in his eyes. "We have no choice, Mark. These documents could very well be the key to breaking the partnership between Kane and Charlie. If we don't take them, someone else will."

As he spoke, Lynn carefully placed the folder into his backpack, then turned and walked to the other end of the lab. He stopped in front of an old computer and began trying to turn it on. Mark stood to the side, his eyes fixed on the surroundings, constantly alert to any movement outside.

After the computer booted up, an encrypted interface appeared on the screen. Lynn showed no surprise; he was used to this. A few minutes later, he entered a password, and the interface was finally cracked. It didn't display a regular operating system, but rather a highly confidential research file repository. Lynn browsed through it and found it contained a vast amount of experimental data; almost every file involved detailed records of genetic modification, drug formulations, and test subjects.

“These data…” Lynn frowned. “They are likely more than just simple research findings. There are some records here about the test subjects, possibly from early experiments.”

Mark took a step closer and asked in a low voice, "What do you mean?"

Lynn opened a data file that clearly displayed the test subjects' numbers and their genetic modification records, including several familiar names. These names seemed to be connected to some of the people Kane had mentioned earlier. Lynn's heart suddenly raced. "These people...it can't be."

"What's wrong?" Mark asked anxiously.

“These people… should be people Kane used to work with.” Lynn’s tone was grave. “They are not ordinary test subjects, but people with special abilities. If this data is leaked, it could trigger an even bigger storm.”

As Lynn and Mark drove back to the FBI headquarters in Manhattan, dawn was breaking. The streets were sparsely populated, with only a few cars passing by occasionally, as if still shrouded in the silence of the night. Lynn's thoughts, however, were not soothed by the quiet morning; instead, they grew increasingly tense. He felt that the situation he and Mark faced was becoming increasingly complex, and the secrets hidden behind Kane and Charlie had surpassed their initial expectations.

“I have a feeling we’re missing something,” Lynn said softly to Mark in the passenger seat. His voice was weary, but his eyes remained calm and resolute. “Kane has abandoned the drug development; Charlie has taken over. This means we must be much more cautious with every step we take from now on.”

"Charlie has taken over?" Mark clearly realized the seriousness of the situation. He thought for a moment before continuing, "Perhaps this is exactly what we need to pay attention to. Kane said he gave up on drug development, but Charlie must have his plans. Moreover, the establishment of the new laboratory may be his next target."

Lynn didn't respond immediately, instead focusing on driving. He knew Mark was right; Charlie's actions were the real problem that needed solving. Kane had powerful backers, but Charlie was a dangerous variable, and his new laboratory might hold their most crucial clues.

The car entered the area where the FBI branch was located, and Lynn parked it in the underground parking lot. Without exchanging a word, the two walked into the building in unison. The corridor maintained its solemn atmosphere; officers and staff worked methodically, clearly indicating that the day's work had not ceased despite the approach of night.

Upon entering their office, Lynn spread out the documents and some materials he had brought back from the lab on the table, his brow furrowed, and began to organize the findings of the previous night. His gaze swept over the documents, trying to find a clearer breakthrough. Mark stood beside him, staring at the documents in Lynn's hands, his mind racing. (End of Chapter)