Boonie Bears: Another World Fantasy

As dusk fell and darkness gradually descended, the streets and alleys of Shenzhen, this bustling metropolis, began to be shrouded in night. Peng Fei drove a black sedan and slowly pulled up to a stop on the street near the V Group building.

Looking out the car window, you can immediately see the towering V Group building reaching into the clouds, while directly opposite the building is a cluster of old, row houses.

Peng Fei was a senior reporter for the daily newspaper and was familiar with this area. He had received numerous firsthand reports from this chaotic neighborhood, covering social issues such as drug use, robbery, and domestic violence. However, this time he was quite confused, wondering why Han Shaoyi had brought him to this place.

As he stepped out of his car, he found Han Shaoyi, dressed in a sophisticated dark trench coat, already waiting for him at the main entrance of the building. Han Shaoyi, with a faint smile, politely said:

"It's nice to meet you again, Mr. Peng Fei."

Peng Fei became secretly wary, but outwardly he pretended to be calm and replied, "Speak, what are you up to this time?"

Han Shaoyi seemed unconcerned by Peng Fei's cold attitude, and simply smiled slightly: "Miss Tian wants to talk to you. She will tell you the specifics herself." After saying that, he made a gentlemanly gesture, indicating that Peng Fei should follow him inside.

Peng Fei watched Han Shaoyi's actions and couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

Hmph, a bunch of hypocrites.

The completely transparent, capsule-shaped elevator slowly ascended. Peng Fei nervously stared at the increasingly distant lobby floor, leaning slightly forward and gripping the handrail tightly, as if this would make him feel safer. As the elevator continued to climb, a slightly uncomfortable feeling of weightlessness spread from his feet to the top of his head, making him a little dizzy.

Han Shaoyi keenly noticed Peng Fei's discomfort. He casually opened the elevator control panel, changing the transparent car's color to a relaxing sky blue.

At the same time, a deep, retro background melody began to echo throughout each floor, flowing like a clear spring through everyone's ears. The music blended perfectly with the surrounding environment, adding a unique touch to this futuristic modern facility.

Peng Fei closed his eyes, sensing the changes inside the elevator. His body slowly adapted to the new environment, and he told himself that everything was alright.

The capsule-shaped elevator car split open in the middle, revealing a narrow glass passageway that offered a clear view of the vertical atrium in the middle of the building. Peng Fei cautiously followed Han Shaoyi out of the car, but the large, transparent floor caused the dizziness he had just managed to subside to return.

"Does Miss Tian usually live here?" Peng Fei asked.

Han Shaoyi nodded and said, "Yes, she has a disease that requires very strict control over the indoor environment, so she cannot leave this place easily."

At the end of the corridor, the two stopped in front of a heavy door. Han Shaoyi gently pushed the door open and gestured for Peng Fei to enter.

"Please, Mr. Peng Fei, I won't go in." As the heavy doors slowly opened, the interior, resembling a spacious hall, was revealed to Peng Fei.

The heavy double doors behind him closed slowly, making a slight scraping sound. Peng Fei couldn't help but feel that he was trapped in an inescapable cage, rather than a comfortable space. The towering, deep ceiling had a strange inverted trapezoidal shape, as if it might collapse at any moment. In front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window that almost filled the entire room, a pale white figure sat quietly in an office chair.

Peng Fei swallowed hard, a strange impulse welling up inside him, and he involuntarily walked towards the figure. As he approached, melodious classical music wafted from the stereo throughout the room, injecting a touch of life and vitality into the otherwise somewhat lifeless space. Peng Fei walked to her desk, stopped, and waited patiently.

The indoor nightlights cast Tian Mengting's indistinct face onto the floor-to-ceiling windows, creating a hazy shadow. Outside the window, a corner of the city stretched out, with scattered lights dotting the night sky.

"Is the temperature here alright? If it's a bit cold, I can turn it up a bit," Tian Mengting said softly, gracefully turning around in her chair. Unlike before, the Tian Mengting in Peng Fei's high school memories was almost unchanged. Back then, she rarely spoke to anyone, always keeping to herself, and no one wanted to approach her. Now, however, the passage of time had made her more mature and more shrewd.

"No need, it's just right," Peng Fei replied.

"Shall we start right away, or... would you like a drink?" She tucked her white wig behind her ear, got up, and went to the bar next to her.

“If Miss Mengting wants to talk about work, I suggest we have some tea instead,” Peng Fei quickly waved his hand in refusal.

"Don't be so formal, Peng Fei. Calling An Han 'Miss' all the time, are you used to it?" Tian Mengting smiled slightly, seemingly not wanting to get bogged down in these formalities. She appeared to be in high spirits today, taking the initiative to act as the bartender. She gently swirled the glass in her hand, the ice cubes clinking together with a crisp, pleasant sound.

"I heard you're sick." Peng Fei sat down at the bar, leaning on the glass countertop, and silently looked at her.

Tian Mengting gave a wry smile. She had anticipated that Peng Fei would ask this question, and she didn't intend to hold anything back.

“It happened a long time ago. My brother went to great lengths for me, searching for medicine, seeing doctors, and providing long-term care.” For some reason, Tian Mengting seemed to be enjoying this moment, and her movements gradually slowed down. “But the illness can’t be cured, and I don’t have long to live either…”

“But I saw you using Purple Star.” He hesitated for a moment, wondering whether he should tell her about this presumptuous discovery.

“Indeed.” Tian Mengting sighed heavily and handed the mixed drink to Peng Fei. “Someone always has to be the first to try something new… so why can’t it be me? As long as my brother can achieve his goal, I will also—cough cough cough…”

A sickly flush appeared on her pale cheeks. Tian Mengting coughed, covering her mouth tightly; her furrowed brows and the dark purple blood coughing up from her palms best illustrated her terrible condition.

"Your brother is using you as a guinea pig?" Peng Fei tried to help her up, but she stubbornly refused.

"He was saving me, just using a different method." Taking the napkin Peng Fei handed her, she wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and walked out from behind the bar.

"Let's not talk about that anymore, let's get down to business." She poured herself a glass of water and sat down opposite Peng Fei.

"Regarding An Han's position after the company merger, do you have any suggestions?" Tian Mengting stared at Peng Fei, hoping he could act as the mediator for this troublesome matter.

"You're overthinking it. She won't do it." Knowing An Han's style of doing things all along, he denied it categorically.

"Excuse my bluntness, but your company's methods are probably not something most people can accept, especially since it's your rival company. She would rather resign than step into this place." Peng Fei took a small sip of his wine, his refusal obvious, clearly trying to dissuade her from trying to win An Han over.

"That's why I need you, Peng Fei. Can you help me with this?" Tian Mengting looked at Peng Fei with sincere and earnest eyes.

Peng Fei gently placed the glass on the table, then slowly looked away, as if he were trying to weigh something.

“I’ve already resigned from Sunset, and my relationship with An Han has recently soured. To put it another way…” Peng Fei’s voice gradually lowered. He couldn’t help but recall the malicious attack and kidnapping that An Han had suffered a few days ago, and his mood plummeted.

Hearing this, Tian Mengting smiled, but there was an unfathomable quality to the smile. Her tone remained gentle, but the meaning behind it was chilling: "Don't worry, Peng Fei. We certainly won't let someone as important to V Group as her be harmed by outsiders."

Her facial expression remained unchanged, but her heart was filled with scheming.

"It's such a coincidence, Peng Fei. Can I say you're lucky? The people you've been involved with are no ordinary people—" The crisp sound of high heels on the ground came from afar, and the white ghostly figure had appeared beside Peng Fei at some point. "Not just An Han."

Peng Fei's gaze fell on her as he pondered to himself.

"You got to this position not just because of your face, right?" he said casually.

"Don't change the subject, Peng Fei." Tian Mengting frowned, seemingly dissatisfied with Peng Fei's feigned ignorance, and her expression became more serious.

"For the entire V Group, An Han is not much of an obstacle or threat. But I found out that someone sent some confidential company documents to your ex-girlfriend. This has piqued my interest in this lady, and I'd like to know more about her background."

Peng Fei knew, of course, that she was referring to Zhao Lin, but he didn't want to admit that it had anything to do with him.

"What does this have to do with me?" His tone was full of disdain.

"Do you think you're still an outsider, Peng Fei?" Tian Mengting didn't want to pretend anymore. She stood up, reached under the table and pulled out a black pistol. She inserted her fingertip deep into the trigger, and the gun rotated slightly in her hand.

"Will you bring her to me personally, or should I hire someone else to dismember her?" She turned the dark muzzle of her gun to face forward, just a finger's width away from Peng Fei.

"I have no contact with her anymore, threatening me won't work." He glared at Tian Mengting, seemingly emboldened by some unknown source.

"As far as I know, you do. And it's been going on for more than just a day or two. Right after that deer-tribe man kidnapped you, this contact has never stopped." Like a cat with its fur standing on end, she released the safety of her pistol and pressed it firmly against Peng Fei's chin.

"You were secretly observing me?" Peng Fei belatedly realized. This mentally unstable woman was indeed ruthless; she would do anything for her brother, to whom she had no blood relation.

“An Han’s housekeeper sent a backup copy of the data from V Group to that reporter from the daily newspaper a long time ago, and she told you about it, didn’t she?” Tian Mengting was a little exasperated, slamming Peng Fei against the back of the sofa, her hand holding the gun trembling uncontrollably.

"I know nothing." Despite being threatened like this, he knew in his heart that this woman probably didn't have the guts to kill him on the spot. Of course, it was only "probably"...

Just then, the cell phone lying flat on the table suddenly vibrated rapidly, interrupting the crisis. Tian Mengting's eyes sharpened instantly. She snorted coldly, her gun still firmly pointed at Peng Fei, warning him not to have any rash thoughts.

Peng Fei's heartbeat gradually calmed down, and his anxiety was temporarily relieved. However, Tian Mengting's sharp gaze never left him, making him feel like he was being pricked by thorns.

"Hello... this is headquarters." Tian Mengting answered the phone expressionlessly, her voice flat.

A sharp static came through the phone, like something had exploded. Then, Tian Mengting shuddered, her eyes widened, and she shouted:

"What did you say?!"

……

White Bear Mountain, V Group's forward outpost.

The dark red warning lights flashed wildly above Salta's head, emitting a piercing alarm. He was struggling to crawl through the narrow, dark pipes, wearing a tattered gray protective suit covered in grime and dust.

"What the hell is going on?" Salta muttered, wiping the condensation from his face mask. He stared despairingly at the endless ventilation ducts, his mind filled with confusion.

"Why is it so hot..."

As time went on, the temperature continued to rise, making Salta feel somewhat uncomfortable. He began to suspect that there was a problem with the ventilation system, but he dared not leave this safe place to check the situation.

Through the metal mesh of the pipes, a large-scale equipment relocation could be vaguely seen taking place inside the outpost. V Group personnel were continuously transporting various equipment and supplies to the freight elevator. The entire base was in a state of tension.

"Could we have been discovered?" he wondered to himself. He had originally planned to infiltrate the base through this ventilation duct, but now he was encountering a small problem.

Just then, a violent tremor occurred, accompanied by a sharp alarm. He nearly fell out of the pipe, but Salta clung tightly to the edge to steady himself.

"Damn it!"

The ominous premonition in my heart grew stronger and stronger.

After several days of infiltration, Salta, who had finally obtained the underground communication pass, was in dire straits. The current chaotic situation was so bad that even an amateur thief could easily slip in. But he didn't let his guard down; instead, he became even more vigilant.

“This is all you owe me, Naling, you better remember this.” Salta said with dissatisfaction, continuing to crawl forward, the sweltering environment making him soaked and sticky.

"Naya...Naya, where have they hidden you?"