Wendy Lewis stayed silent for a long time before finally shaking her head.

  “I don’t know.”

  She couldn’t see the innocence of a teenager in Evan’s eyes.

  She couldn’t see through him at all.

  And logically speaking, although she had a good impression of him after these days together, his explanation was full of holes.

  A scapegoat with top?tier skills?

  A scapegoat who knew the secrets of the Muke Republic’s upper circle?

  If anything, the opposite explanation made more sense:

  Evan was the real Liam Zhao,

  and the one who died was the scapegoat.

  That explanation was almost too reasonable.

  Evan shrugged lightly.

  “Believe it or not, everything I said is true.

  You can ask around.

  Not only the Filthsoil Organization—

  the Zhao family is hunting me too.”

  “If I were Liam Zhao, the Zhao family wouldn’t be trying to kill me.”

  Wendy nodded.

  “I’ll verify it.”

  But even as she said that, she already believed most of his story.

  Not because of logic—

  but because of instinct.

  Evan had saved her multiple times in the Blackrock Mountains.

  He was sharp?tongued but warm?hearted, and she simply couldn’t imagine him as a depraved criminal.

  And, of course, a woman’s intuition played a large part.

  Evan smiled.

  “I’ve told you my story.

  Now it’s your turn, sis.

  Time to let me in on your secrets.”

  “What do you want to know?”

  “Everything.

  Why the Filthsoil Organization is after you.

  Who the Gu’an Nation forces chasing you are.

  Whether the Eastern Dawn Federation is backing you.

  Basically—anything you can tell me.”

  He almost asked if she had a boyfriend, but then decided it was unnecessary.

  She clearly didn’t.

  Wendy gave him a helpless look.

  “You really do have a lot of questions.”

  She shifted into a more comfortable position, crossing her legs sideways on the chair.

  The hem of her skirt slid slightly, revealing a smooth, pale calf that swayed gently as she spoke.

  “I’m from the Eastern Dawn Federation—you already know that.

  My parents were researchers.

  They died in an experiment when I was very young.

  I was raised by my grandparents.”

  “After high school, because of my grades and… certain talents in evolutionary science, the government sponsored me to study abroad in the Gu’an Nation.”

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  Evan nodded. He knew her “good grades” and “some talent” were definitely humble phrasing.

  She was clearly a once?in?a?generation academic monster.

  He also knew the two nations well:

  Eastern Dawn: the weakest of the six nations, late to the field of evolutionary science.

  Gu’an Nation: the strongest, with the most advanced research teams and cutting?edge technology.

  Wendy continued.

  “I entered Gu’an University—the best school in the country.

  There, I met a wonderful mentor.

  She never discriminated against me for being from Eastern Dawn.

  Under her guidance, I progressed quickly.”

  “At 23, I earned my PhD in evolutionary science.

  I stayed on as an assistant professor.

  At 25, I became an associate professor.

  At 26, with my mentor’s recommendation, I became the youngest full professor in the university’s history.”

  Evan whistled softly.

  She really was a monster.

  Wendy went on.

  “I shared part of my research with the university.

  But I kept the most valuable parts to myself.

  The Gu’an government monitored me closely.

  They planted people in my lab.

  My assistant was one of theirs.

  My phone was tapped.”

  “They wanted to make sure I didn’t send anything back to Eastern Dawn.”

  “I asked to return home several times.

  They refused every time.

  Even when my grandparents passed away…

  they still wouldn’t let me go.”

  Her voice softened with grief.

  Not being able to attend their funerals was a wound that would never heal.

  Evan asked gently:

  “So how did you escape?”

  Wendy shook her head.

  “At first, I didn’t plan to.

  But two months ago, I developed a new formula.

  As usual, I didn’t report it.”

  “The Gu’an government always knew I hid some results.

  As long as I didn’t send them home, they pretended not to notice.”

  “But this time was different.”

  “Within two days, officials came to negotiate.

  They wanted the formula.

  They offered me benefits.

  When I refused, they pressured me constantly.”

  “They surrounded my residence and lab.

  Confiscated my phone.

  Cut off all communication.”

  Evan frowned.

  “What kind of formula could make them react like that?”

  “That’s what confuses me.

  It’s valuable, yes—

  but not more valuable than my previous work.

  At least, not for Gu’an.”

  Evan felt something was off.

  There was definitely a hidden reason.

  Wendy continued.

  “A fellow student from Eastern Dawn noticed something was wrong and secretly contacted our government.

  Eastern Dawn demanded Gu’an release me.”

  “Gu’an ignored them.”

  “So Eastern Dawn sent a rescue team under the guise of an academic exchange.

  Yvonne was part of that team.”

  Yvonne, who had been listening quietly, took over.

  “We got her out.

  Gu’an sent many elites after us.

  At the border between Gu’an and the Muke Republic, a massive battle broke out.”

  “Almost everyone who protected Wendy died.

  Only I managed to escape with her.”

  Evan could imagine the carnage.

  Yvonne continued.

  “Once we entered the Muke Republic, Gu’an didn’t want to alert the authorities.

  So they sent only one Butterfly?tier after us—

  the one with Beast King’s Roar.”

  “In Gu’an, he’s known as the Tiger King General.”

  “He knew he couldn’t beat me alone, so he kept tracking us.

  When we crossed the Blackrock Mountains, he triggered the beast horde.”

  “And the rest… you already know.”

  Evan nodded slowly.

  “Why didn’t you ask the Muke Republic for help?”

  Yvonne snorted.

  “If the Muke Republic found out Wendy was here,

  they’d never let her leave.

  They’d lock her up just like Gu’an.”

  Wendy added softly:

  “That’s why I can’t use my real identity—

  not in the Muke Republic,

  not here in Rovan.”

  Evan understood immediately.

  A genius evolutionary scientist like Wendy was a treasure any nation would want to keep.

  If she revealed who she was, every government would try to claim her.

  Geniuses are prizes.Nations are predators.Wendy’s story explains why she must hide—and why every step she takes is watched.

  If you were Evan, what would you ask Wendy next?