I Am Your Natural Enemy

Without stable power supply, many things in the Scorching Sun Department are affected.

If basic livelihood is unstable, the workload of the Scorching Sun Department is bound to increase.

Many seemingly unrelated matters ultimately influence and intertwine with each other.

After confirming the preliminary operational time for the New Supercomputing Center, the General Director felt secretly relieved.

Having a timeline allows him to allocate some resources, postponing less urgent matters until after the new year.

With increased computing power later on, even if there’s some delay, tasks could still be completed within the normal timeframe.

Thus, the preliminary selection task is now assigned to the Black Box.

Currently, this device is actually the safest, with no risk of leaks.

For simple preliminary selection, it’s certainly sufficient. Sensitive information is stored in the Black Box, ensuring no one can access it; it’s the safest method.

No mobilization of personnel means naturally no one will notice anything.

Yet a semblance of action is required, needing only slight personnel mobilization for appearance, and setting a trap to see if it draws any fish.

The intelligence bait this time was meant to be bait from the start.

Although confidential, strictly speaking, it’s not extremely important, intelligence about Old Meng should already be known.

Old Meng was vengeful and caused a series of events in Europa, though in theory, the Scorching Sun Department wasn’t aware, only hearing third-hand rumors.

In Divine Land, Old Meng at most was subject to security administration penalties, and if they insisted, it’d be for border smuggling charges.

Regarding Old Meng’s transactions, there was no evidence, witnesses, or cash involvement, no transaction records...

It’s unnecessary to charge Old Meng with smuggling just because he bought some Magic Wands outside and didn’t declare them at customs.

Items like Magic Wands when properly declared at customs are just labeled as crafts or souvenirs.

Old Meng is held in the detention center with no need for further investigation; given his ability, the detention center is the only place suitable to hold him.

Regarding which cell Old Meng is detained in, such information is truly indifferent.

Since the detention center became complete, the warden spends his days idling, waiting for an attempted prison break.

Because of this, the General Director summoned him to headquarters and reprimanded him.

Upon returning from headquarters, the warden abandoned his notions since there was no prison break attempt while he was away.

Everything proceeds systematically, with most events having no significant relation to Wen Yan.

Wen Yan wasn’t urgent about returning; first he took Coin Chocolate to the detention center.

Upon revisiting, Wen Yan felt a sense of familiarity here since he ignited the flame.

When seeing Old Meng again, with both hands and feet shackled in tracking chains, Old Meng seemed calmer, healthier than before.

Upon Wen Yan’s arrival, and the box beside him, Old Meng broke into a smile.

"I’m doing time here, are you here to squeeze labor out of me?"

"Boredom is boredom, this item will definitely interest you." Wen Yan opened the box, donned special gloves, and took out the chocolate box.

The moment Wen Yan opened the box, Old Meng’s smile instantly faded, his gaze grew serious.

"Is it what I suspected?"

"Haven’t you seen it before?"

"Do you think that it would be preserved if it were in the hands of those who need it?"

Besides, as far as I know, life-span transactions in previous years were conducted face-to-face, not carried by items."

"So, the Pawnbroker moved forward last year or this year?"

"That’s my speculation."

Old Meng didn’t stretch a hand, instead circling around to closely observe the item inside.

"Remember that Toreda Family incident last time?"

"No, I don’t."

"It was the time with that self-proclaimed Vampire from the Blood Clan, unlucky to be captured and skinned as material."

"Oh, I recall now, what about it?" Wen Yan realized, talking about families didn’t stick to mind, especially names from outside Divine Land.

The moment he mentioned the Vampire whose foreskin got turned into cosmetic material, Wen Yan immediately recalled.

"I’ve talked to some family members who mentioned something.

Last year, a millionaire from Europa was near death and sought survival.

Approached the Blood Clan for a transformation ritual but was refused.

But this year the millionaire is still around, attending a charity event.

Last year, the millionaire’s manor was attacked once.

It was reported that several bodyguards died but nothing was stolen."

"Um, are you suggesting that the millionaire obtained Coin Chocolate and has some remaining, which got discovered?"

"Almost certainly, those people always scatter risks, avoiding all-in, leaving some reserve as common practice."

Old Meng stepped back a few steps from the table’s Coin Chocolate.

"This thing’s innate allure to creatures is too strong, even I’m tempted to reach out, not to mention others."

"Besides vitality, is there anything else added inside? Can it be discerned?"

"Isn’t vitality already overwhelming? It doesn’t need any other additives to gild the lily. Its inherent power suffices, the weaker the vitality, the closer to death, the greater the allure, enough to drive people mad. Better put it away, it can’t stay this close to me, I’m worried I’ll reach out, and if I do, it’ll unintentionally be pocketed."