The vehicle sped along the rugged mountain road, finally halting before a desolate cliff. Steep rock walls loomed around them, riddled with cracks and piled with scattered stones, blending seamlessly into the natural landscape.

Li Chuan stared ahead, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. He frowned and asked in a low voice, "This place is so hidden. Are we sure we weren’t followed?"

He Ling smiled slightly, tapping the dashboard. "Don’t worry, this car is equipped with anti-detection systems. We scanned the area before approaching the base—no anomalies. Every route we took was monitored. No one could have tracked us here."

Li Chuan nodded, letting go of his earlier concerns. Without hesitation, Suna touched the car’s control panel.

At her command, the cliff trembled slightly, rocks sliding aside to reveal a smooth tunnel. The car glided in silently, the rock walls closing behind them as if nothing had happened.

As they entered the tunnel and moved deeper into the base, Li Chuan felt a strange sensation. The LCD screens along the walls flickered silently, monitoring everything in real-time. The wide corridors were eerily quiet, as if the entire place could shift at any moment.

Li Chuan glanced around, a growing suspicion forming in his mind—this base wasn’t fixed. Its layout could be altered as needed, shifting like a maze.

He Ling led the way, pointing out different areas on the map, indicating each sector's purpose.

They stopped before an electronic map, displaying the full layout of the base, arranged like a meticulously crafted Bagua diagram.

Each sector, aligned with the eight trigrams, served a distinct function: the Command Center occupied the Qian trigram, while supplies were stored in Kun. Zhen and Xun trigrams handled offense and intelligence, and Kan connected to the medical wing, with Li providing power. Gen served as the fortress's defense, and Dui was reserved for emergency evacuation.

Li Chuan looked up at the map, his thoughts sharpening. This base wasn’t just a hideout—it was a highly adaptable combat fortress. Every section operated like a cog in a machine, ready to respond to external threats at any moment. He Ling walked ahead, offering no further explanation, but everything was already clear to him.

As they moved through the halls, Li Chuan noticed how the walls and corridors adjusted in real-time based on the base’s needs, with screens displaying internal and external conditions. He realized the base was like a living organism, constantly shifting and evolving.

As they continued walking, the full scope of the base became apparent. The wide corridors bustled with activity—Awakened soldiers passed by, their steps steady and urgent, their faces focused and alert. Some cast quick glances at Li Chuan, assessing the unfamiliar face, before disappearing down different corridors.

This place wasn’t just a refuge for the resistance—it was the heart of their operations. Everything was in motion, preparing for the next mission. After leaving the Command Center, they continued through the base’s winding passages.

"Is this place… really safe?" Li Chuan asked quietly, trying to steady his breathing.

He Ling chuckled. "It’s not going to blow up, at least."

The joke eased Li Chuan’s nerves slightly.

Suna scanned the area, relaxing only after confirming there were no threats. Li Chuan leaned back on a couch, clutching a cup in his hand, but his mind was still in turmoil. The green sun, the Bureau, his erased memories—all the threads were tangled in a web he couldn’t unravel.

"Who am I, really?" Li Chuan suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

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Suna set her cup down, her voice calm. "Who you are? That's a philosophical question."

He Ling laughed softly. "You’re a core researcher of the Bureau. The one in charge of the ‘Greenlight Project.’"

Li Chuan’s eyes widened. "Core researcher? That’s a joke, right? I can’t even remember my own birthday!"

His mind spun in confusion. I can't be one of their researchers. I don't even remember basic details about my life. If what they're saying is true, how dangerous was the project I was involved in?

"The Greenlight Project isn't some small-time operation," Suna said, her voice as steady as ever.

Li Chuan ran a hand through his hair. "Greenlight Project? Sounds like some environmental initiative... Was I an environmentalist?"

He Ling shook her head with a grin. "You did have a knack for ‘green energy,’ but the Bureau used it for their ‘regeneration’ technology... And wiped your memory in the process."

Li Chuan frowned. "So, the Bureau didn’t want me knowing something?"

Suna nodded. "Not only were you a researcher, you were the key to the project. Erasing your memory was their way of hiding something… something they didn’t want exposed."

Li Chuan sat up straighter, his eyes burning with intensity. "So what did I know before? You have to tell me!"

He Ling spoke slowly, "We don’t know all the details. What we do know is that your research is critical. The Bureau erased your memory and used the project to alter reality—"

"Alter reality?" Li Chuan interrupted, confusion etched on his face.

He Ling looked at him, her expression unreadable. "You don’t need to remember everything. You just need to survive."

Li Chuan frowned deeper. "You don’t want me to get my memories back?"

Suna leaned back lazily. "Memories might not help right now. Survival is what matters."

He Ling nodded in agreement. "Our goal has never been victory. It’s survival."

Li Chuan forced a wry smile. "Sounds inspiring. Should I shout ‘We fight to survive’ to the cameras?"

"Go ahead. Maybe the Bureau will let you off the hook," Suna replied with a cold smirk, exchanging a brief glance with He Ling.

Li Chuan caught that exchange, his suspicions rising. Are they hiding something from me?

He Ling chuckled. "No, they’ll just find you faster. Your voice is too distinct."

The tension in the room eased a bit, and Li Chuan finally felt a small sense of relief, though the fog in his mind still hadn’t lifted. In that moment, he realized he wasn’t alone. Despite the missing memories, the connections he was forming with these people were starting to matter.

The laughter faded as He Ling moved to the table, pointing at a map. "We don’t have much information, but we know the Greenlight Project involves spatial structures and altering reality. You’re the key to all of it, and we need to understand the Bureau’s true intentions."

Li Chuan stared at the map for a moment, lost in thought. "So I once knew everything, but my memories were erased. How do I get the truth back?"

Suna answered quietly, "Find yourself."

Li Chuan frowned. "Sounds like a self-help book."

He Ling laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "Whether it’s self-help or not, you need to accept the reality—we’re not fighting for victory. We’re fighting to survive."

Li Chuan nodded slowly, repeating her words. "Not for victory… but to survive."

Almost collapsing onto the couch, he held a cup of lukewarm coffee, his mind still swirling with confusion—green suns, the Bureau, erased memories. The puzzle pieces refused to fit together. He took a sip of the coffee, only to grimace at the bland taste.

He muttered under his breath, "Is this coffee machine broken? This tastes awful."

Suna, after another careful scan of the room, replied offhandedly, "Everything here’s broken. The coffee machine’s no exception."

He Ling laughed, teasing, "If you care that much, why not fix it? We’ve got time to kill."

Li Chuan glanced at the old coffee machine in the corner and sighed. "Guess I’ll give it a shot."

"Are you sure?" Suna raised an eyebrow, smirking.

"Hey, can’t drink cold coffee forever," Li Chuan chuckled, walking over to the machine to try his hand at fixing it.

A few quiet clicks sounded, followed by a small puff of smoke.

"Uh… I guess fixing things isn’t my strong suit."

Suddenly, alarms blared through the base, shattering the brief moment of calm. Li Chuan’s heart pounded as he turned to He Ling and Suna, his eyes filled with questions.

Suna’s communicator buzzed with a sharp alert. The room fell into silence, the tension thickening. Li Chuan glanced at He Ling, searching for answers in her expression.

He Ling quickly grabbed the communicator, listening for a few seconds before her face turned grim. "Latest intel. The Bureau’s security system upgrades in 24 hours. We’re running out of time."

She turned, her gaze sharp as it swept between Li Chuan and Suna, her tone leaving no room for argument. "We need to move. Now."

Li Chuan was still processing the sudden urgency, but deep down, the weight of responsibility pressed heavily on him. He looked to Suna, who remained as calm as ever, though the tension in her eyes was undeniable.

He Ling’s voice cut through the room, cold and decisive. "Get ready. In 24 hours, it’ll be too late."