Lizard Eyes

A few nights later, a grand party was held in the luxurious banquet hall of the Averland capital. The hall was ablaze with lights, and politicians, celebrities, and experts gathered together. Light music floated in the air as the dignitaries toasted and discussed the current situation and future developments.

Oren, dressed in a black suit, wore a faint smile that masked his inner anxiety. Today, he was invited to sit with Carol, a moment he had been looking forward to but also filled with doubts. Through the decrypted files from the hacker, Oren learned that Carol was not only a key architect of future energy policies but also involved in the alien gene experiment plans—what shocked him even more was that the files indicated that the fourth phase of the gene modification plan would mix 85% alien genes, and Carol was on that list! This meant that Carol was essentially an alien now.

At the party, Oren had to stay alert. He scanned the room and saw Carol already raising his glass and conversing with other politicians. Carol still appeared composed and confident, exuding an innate charm with every gesture. However, Oren's heart was now filled with nothing but vigilance.

As the party progressed, Carol drank more and more, his smile gradually becoming more unrestrained, as if he was no longer so cautious. Oren's insides churned as he continued to observe Carol stealthily.

Suddenly, at one moment, Carol paused for a few seconds while speaking, and Oren caught a glimpse of something eerie! Carol's pupils had changed! His originally deep brown eyes suddenly turned into vertical slits! They resembled a lizard's eyes—cold and filled with an alien glow.

Oren almost cried out in surprise, but he immediately restrained himself, pinching his thigh hard to calm down. He took a deep breath, feigned nonchalance, and when he looked at Carol again, the pupils had returned to normal, as if what had just happened was just his illusion.

"This is definitely not an illusion!..." Oren whispered to himself in his mind. Because he only drank beverages at the party and did not touch any alcohol. At that moment, he was certain of what he saw. Carol had definitely been modified by alien technology; his body was no longer that of an Oklara native. Oren gripped his wine glass tightly, his heart pounding. He knew that it was too late to confront Carol with the truth, and no matter what happened next, he could not let Rakien and Kahn come into contact with Carol, nor could he reveal their secret of traveling back from the future.

The party continued, with Carol chatting and laughing with various dignitaries as usual, seemingly unaware of the recent anomaly. Oren, however, kept observing his every move from the shadows, feeling waves of disgust rising in his heart.

After the party, Oren quickly left the banquet hall under the cover of darkness, desperately needing a place to calm his thoughts. After exiting the luxurious hall, he went to a nearby quiet park and sat alone on a bench, contemplating his next move.

He took out his phone and dialed Rakien and Old Kahn's communication number. After a moment, the familiar voice came through: "Oren, have you found anything?"

"I've found much more than I expected..." Oren took a deep breath, "It's not convenient to say over the phone, to avoid being listened to, we need to meet as soon as possible."

"Okay, then come to the 'supermarket'!" Young Kahn said – this was their code, with 'supermarket' representing Kahn's bar.

"Alright! See you soon!" Oren hung up the phone, walked to the parking lot, and drove quickly towards Kahn's bar.

On the way, he felt as if a car was following him at a distance, not too fast or too slow. Oren kept observing in the rearview mirror, hoping it wasn't his imagination. With his military sensitivity, he wondered if it was military intelligence monitoring him? It was uncommon for a high-ranking official like him to be under surveillance.

So, at an intersection, taking advantage of a truck passing by, he crossed the intersection during the last moments of the green light and immediately entered an underground parking lot at the next intersection, exiting on another street. After driving around the block for a while, he confirmed that no car was following him and then adjusted his direction towards Kahn's bar.

Finally arriving at the bar, Oren let out a sigh of relief, parked the car in a more concealed spot, and strode into the bar.

In the late-night bar, the noise was overwhelming, and the business was exceptionally busy. Oren pushed through the diverse crowd of men and women, with colorful lights flashing on him, and loud music blaring around him. He squeezed through the crowd towards the bar, where he saw Young Kahn waving at him from afar.

Young Kahn made a gesture, signaling him to come inside. Young Kahn also came out from behind the bar and walked towards the depths of the bar. At the entrance to the resting area, they met, high-fived each other, and went inside to talk.

Upon entering the room and closing the thick door, everything became quiet.

Old Kahn and Rakien came forward, "Oren, you're finally here, what happened? Tell us quickly."

Oren frowned, "On the way here, I felt like I was being followed, so I shook off the tail on the street before coming!"

"Are you sure no one followed you here?!" Young Kahn asked nervously.

"No, don't worry, I've confirmed that I've shaken them off, that's why I came around," Oren said confidently.

Next, looking at everyone staring at him, Oren told them about Carol's anomaly, "He's no longer the Carol we knew. His genes have been almost completely modified. I've seen the hacker files; the fourth phase of the modified people has mixed 85% alien genes, and Carol is on that list! Tonight, when he drank too much, his eyes suddenly turned into lizard-like eyes! I saw it with my own eyes!"

Rakien and Old Kahn were silent for a moment. Rakien was the first to break the silence, "It seems we must change our plans. Carol has clearly taken the side of the alien forces completely; we can't go to him, nor can we tell him about the time machine."

"That's right," Old Kahn's voice also carried a sense of gravity, "We must find another way."

Oren nodded, "Those hacker files haven't been completely decrypted yet; a large part is still encrypted. I'll ask that comrade to continue cracking them to see if there are any new findings?"

"Okay!" Old Kahn nodded in agreement.