Chapter 40: "The Price of Doubt"

"Bringing the Deep Underground to the Surface"

Jiang Chen had just stepped off his flight back to China, completely unaware of the global storm his discoveries had caused.

But the moment he exited the airport, he realized something—his fans had been tracking his every move.

A massive crowd swarmed him.

Shouts filled the air.

"Jiang Chen, you're a legend!"

"Welcome back, hero!"

"Did you really fight a prehistoric monster?!"

Jiang Chen had survived the Kurub Yala Cave. He had dived into unknown depths, faced terrifying creatures, and rewritten history.

But now?

He was about to be crushed by his own fans.

It took an enormous effort to break free from the chaos. By the time he finally made it home, he was met with yet another surprise.

Standing at his doorstep, waiting for him, were two familiar figures—Zhou Jitong and Jiang Yan.

"Jiang Chen, you're back!" Zhou Jitong's face lit up like a child receiving a long-awaited gift.

Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Zhou, what brings you here so late?"

"Late?" Zhou Jitong laughed, waving his hand. "Come on, Jiang, the whole world wants to see you! I'm just lucky to get here first!"

Jiang Chen smirked. "Cut the flattery, Old Zhou. What do you want?"

Zhou Jitong chuckled, rubbing his hands together. "Alright, alright. I won't beat around the bush. Word is, you found a lot of… interesting things down there. You wouldn't happen to have brought some back, would you?"

Jiang Chen shook his head, amused. "You're getting sneakier with age."

Jiang Yan scoffed. "Old Zhou, you think he has anything left? He's sold it all already. You don't know Jiang Chen—he sees money and forgets everything else."

Jiang Chen simply smiled.

Instead of answering, he led them through his villa—straight to the indoor swimming pool.

And then—

He turned off the lights.

The room was plunged into darkness.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then—

A breathtaking glow spread across the water.

Colors—brilliant, shimmering, otherworldly—danced beneath the surface.

Glowing fish swam gracefully, their bodies illuminating the pool like an underwater galaxy.

Zhou Jitong froze.

Jiang Yan's jaw dropped.

"This… this is…" Zhou Jitong's voice trembled.

He had expected Jiang Chen to bring back something.

But this?

A living, glowing ecosystem straight from the depths of the Earth?

"Magnificent!" Zhou Jitong finally burst into laughter. "Jiang, we should build an aquarium! We can study these creatures and put them on display!"

"That's the plan," Jiang Chen nodded. "We'll also research their breeding conditions. This could be revolutionary."

Zhou Jitong clapped his hands. "Yes, yes! I'll make the calls immediately!"

Jiang Yan, meanwhile, stood frozen, her face shifting between shock and disbelief.

She had been so sure Jiang Chen had sold everything.

And now?

Reality had slapped her across the face.

Jiang Chen watched, amused, as Zhou Jitong pulled out his phone to arrange for a transport team.

But just as he was about to make the call, Jiang Chen interrupted.

"I don't think a simple water tank will do," he said, his lips curving into a mysterious smile.

"We're going to need a full-sized truck. One with a massive container."

Zhou Jitong frowned. "Why a container truck?"

Jiang Chen smirked. "Because I brought back something special."

Without another word, he led them toward his garage, unlocking the small side door with an air of mystery.

Jiang Yan scoffed. "Please, stop acting mysterious. What, did you smuggle back the prehistoric giant salamander or something?"

Her voice dripped with sarcasm as she strode ahead, eager to expose Jiang Chen's so-called "treasure" and mock him once again.

But the moment she stepped inside—

Her entire body froze.

Her pupils shrank.

Her breath hitched in her throat.

Then—

She collapsed.

Zhou Jitong barely had time to react before Jiang Chen casually remarked, "Old Zhou, next time, don't bring people who can't handle surprises."

Zhou Jitong, confused, finally stepped forward—

And when he saw what was inside the garage, his knees almost gave out.

There, lying in the dim light, was a prehistoric giant salamander.

Not just any salamander—the one from the cave.

The same massive beast that had nearly devoured Jiang Chen whole.

Only now, it was stored right here, in Jiang Chen's garage.

Zhou Jitong had seen it in the live broadcast before, but watching something through a screen and seeing it with your own eyes were two completely different things.

For a long moment, neither man spoke.

Then, finally, Zhou Jitong let out a shaky breath.

"...How the hell did you bring this thing back?"

Jiang Chen just smiled.

—

Not long after, a container truck and a transport vehicle arrived.

Zhou Jitong oversaw the entire process, ensuring the prehistoric salamander and all the underground specimens were carefully transported to a temporary research facility.

But while the truck rolled down the highway—

The driver wasn't having a good time.

Thud!

BANG!

The massive creature inside repeatedly slammed against the container walls, shaking the entire vehicle.

The driver's hands trembled on the wheel. "What the hell am I driving?! Why is it MOVING?!"

He could swear he heard the sound of deep, guttural breathing.

In the backseat of a separate vehicle, Jiang Yan sat pale-faced, her mind spinning.

She looked at Zhou Jitong, desperate for answers. "Professor Zhou… how did Jiang Chen even transport that thing?"

Zhou Jitong let out a long sigh. "Oh, his methods are beyond me. Truly beyond me. That man… he's on a different level. A master. Do not question a master's methods."

Jiang Yan's hands clenched into fists.

Something in Zhou Jitong's tone made her uneasy.

Then—

Zhou Jitong glanced at her, his expression unreadable.

"In the future, don't follow me anymore," he said flatly. "Go back to school. Focus on your research."

Jiang Yan's heart dropped.

"W-what? Why?"

"No reason." His voice was firm. Discussion over.

Then he shut his eyes, clearly unwilling to talk further.

Jiang Yan stared at him in shock.

She felt like her entire world was crashing down.

Because suddenly—

She realized what she had lost.

She thought back to all the times she mocked Jiang Chen, all the times she doubted him.

And now, she had been cut off from one of the greatest discoveries in human history.

Jiang Chen's expedition was going to rewrite history.

The researchers involved would become legends.

And she—

She had just been left behind.

A wave of regret crashed over her.

She had been so blind.