Chapter 414 - 275: A Deal with the Capitalist and Master Ma
Is Tier Three strong?
Of course they are!
Coming from the Headquarters, Wang Qiang knew exactly what the power of a Tier Three represented.
Even though the Headquarters had a special method for accelerating the advancement of the Awakened by awarding Merit Medals...
But to date, the number of Tier Threes under the Headquarters’ command had only just surpassed ten.
And most of them had only recently been promoted to Tier Three.
Wang Qiang was privy to enough information that he fell silent upon hearing Lin Qi’s question.
Lin Qi didn’t leave him hanging. "I have a way to deal with those Moon Worshippers," he continued. "The Mo University Camp will be safe."
As he spoke, Lin Qi prepared to head back into the conference room.
’By my calculations, there are less than ten minutes left before the [Door]’s cooldown is finished.’
Wang Qiang watched Lin Qi’s retreating figure, wanting to press the issue, but he recalled the Headquarters’ personality analysis on Lin Qi.
He seemed amicable but was actually domineering; it was not advisable to go against his wishes.
In the end, Wang Qiang said nothing more, simply watching as Lin Qi entered the adjacent conference room.
Wang Qiang could only turn to Wang Ziru and say, "Sigh... start the preparations. In a few hours, a large number of Awakened might arrive at the Mo University Camp, and they won’t be friendly."
As the man who served as the Mo University Camp’s "Chief Steward," Wang Ziru was in charge of coordinating all personnel.
Since Lin Qi was unwilling to evacuate, they would have to defend it with all they had.
If it truly came to a desperate struggle, Wang Qiang could only hope that the power he could unleash by transcending his own limits would be enough to cover Lin Qi’s retreat.
...
「4:40 AM, March 28, 2089.」
Lin Qi returned with six enhanced A-Class Potions and placed them on the table.
He didn’t rush to contact anyone, simply waiting in silence.
’Knowing Guang Ling’s efficiency, the preliminary investigation should produce results soon.’
Lin Qi planned to wait for Guang Ling’s reply, then go through him to contact Master Ma and the Capitalist to make a deal.
As for the Potion he’d promised King Arthur, Lin Qi planned to postpone the delivery by a day.
Compared to a spacecraft, he needed funds to procure weapons and equipment more urgently, so he had to trade with the others first.
But before he heard from Guang Ling, a message from King Arthur arrived.
The bracelet in the weapons compartment of his left prosthetic arm vibrated faintly, signaling a message from King Arthur.
Lin Qi took it out and read the text on the screen.
[Got lucky. I only had to hit a few Prosthetic Clinics before I found some relevant intel. Several of the city’s well-known underground Prosthetic Clinics have seen patients with symptoms matching your description, but they haven’t been diagnosed with cyber psychosis.]
[I also found some other details. These patients have appeared near the target I’m watching. I’d originally assumed the criminal activity along my target’s nightly route was their own doing, but now it seems the true culprits behind those ’accidents’ and assaults are actually these special cases of cyber psychosis.]
[I suspect the cause of this special cyber psychosis is related to the target I’m watching.]
The intelligence King Arthur had gathered confirmed Lin Qi’s suspicions.
The symptoms were related to the mother sample’s Bearer!
Brother Green Hair’s affliction was indeed man-made, and the culprit was very likely Ning Hao of Ninghang Technology.
Lin Qi frowned. ’Does this mean Ning Hao has already become the Bearer of the mother sample? I’m sure I observed him before and didn’t notice anything unusual.’
’Are the external signs of a mother sample’s Bearer just too subtle? Or did he become the Bearer *after* my observation?’
Lin Qi searched his memories but couldn’t find any holes in what he’d seen.
’Regardless, if King Arthur’s intelligence is accurate, it means that Ning Hao, the project lead from Ninghang Technology, already possesses Tier Four Extraordinary Power. And he can also transform others into... half-Zombies.’
Red Fruit City wasn’t as safe as he had thought.
A Tier Four Extraordinary, completely off the records of any major power, had quietly established himself in Red Fruit City.
And no one even knew what he was planning.
Lin Qi composed a message and sent it to King Arthur:
[Thanks for the intel. It’s very useful. I’ll throw in an extra Potion for you during our next trade.]
King Arthur had worked through the night for this; Lin Qi figured he owed her a favor.
However, an extra Potion, worth anywhere from five to ten million, was more than enough to repay it.
King Arthur’s reply came back quickly:
[Oh, you shouldn’t have, this was just part of the Mercenary Corps’ operation... but I’m definitely remembering that Potion. Don’t forget to include it in the next shipment. If you forget and have to send it separately, I’m not covering the shipping. Dongfang Logistics is expensive, you know.]
Lin Qi chuckled at her message and retracted the bracelet.
This was why Lin Qi enjoyed dealing with King Arthur—no mind games were necessary.
After putting the bracelet away, Lin Qi closed his eyes to rest, continuing to wait for Guang Ling’s reply.
’Even King Arthur has already finished her preliminary investigation. A top-tier cyber hacker like Guang Ling can’t be that much slower than her, can they?’
At around 5:30 AM, Guang Ling’s email finally arrived.
[I’ve completed my preliminary investigation. Based on the symptoms you provided, I investigated all the cities where suspected mother sample Bearers might be located.]
[Cases matching your description have been found in all the regions investigated. By tracing these cases in detail, I’ve uncovered a very important piece of information.]
[Everyone infected with this new type of cyber psychosis is from the megacorporation that manages their respective Cyber City, and most of them are mid-to-high-level security personnel within that company.]