I Can Control Resources

"Liang Qi, get out of the way! This is urgent!"

"Teacher Wu, don’t be so anxious. You need to have a little more faith in our young people. Trust them! I’m sure they can handle it!" Liang Qi said with a brilliant smile.

"Since when did you become such a believer in the younger generation, Vice Team Leader Liang?" Just then, a voice rang out, and a figure appeared before Liang Qi and Wu Qingjing.

"Ruohua?"

"Ruohua!"

Wu Qingjing and Liang Qi both turned to look at the newcomer, Lan Ruohua.

Lan Ruohua was glowing, looking as if she’d just tasted the sweetest nectar. She was the very picture of success, radiant as the sun.

"Team Leader Wu, I think you should listen to Vice Team Leader Liang’s suggestion," Lan Ruohua said, looking at the two men. "You have to trust the younger generation!"

"Hm?" Wu Qingjing’s eyes lit up, his expression shifting from anger to delight.

But when Liang Qi saw this, a sense of unease inexplicably gripped him.

’Could the problem have been solved?’

’But that’s impossible!’

’How could they possibly create a genetic weapon from scratch in just fifteen days? There has to be a catch. It must be a modified product.’

’If it wasn’t a modified product, why would it have malfunctioned right before the demonstration?’

’That’s right!’

’My guess has to be correct!’

Liang Qi began to calm down, but a terrible premonition still lingered deep inside him. Wu Qingjing’s usual style told him...

’That old fox rarely fights a battle he isn’t prepared for!’

’Since he came out swinging so aggressively today, it can’t be as simple as a mere modification. There must be another angle to it.’

Just then, the lights in the demonstration hall began to brighten. A white spotlight cut through the center of the hall, like a ray of dawn breaking through the darkness.

Liang Qi sat down.

He wanted to see what tricks Wu Qingjing had up his sleeve.

「In the demonstration hall.」

A figure slowly materialized in the white light.

It was a strikingly handsome young man, dressed in a black military uniform with epaulets on his shoulders indicating his rank.

It was Gao Neng.

"Alright, you may begin." Seeing Gao Neng appear, Wu Qingjing let out a sigh of relief. He settled back into his chair and addressed the Gao Neng in the hall.

"Understood!" Gao Neng nodded.

Then, a silvery-white plate of alloy steel, a full meter thick, appeared in the demonstration hall. One could almost feel its immense durability just by looking at it.

SWISH!

Gao Neng drew his blade.

Blue arcs of electricity crackled around his body, enveloping him in what looked like a massive magnetic field and forming a suit of lightning armor.

BOOM!

The alloy steel plate was cleaved in two with a single strike.

But it wasn’t over. The moment the plate was split, a strange ripple of energy spread through the hall, enveloping the sundered pieces of alloy steel.

Then, a bizarre scene unfolded.

The moment the wave enveloped the alloy steel, the metal turned to liquid, a sign that all the Elemental Energy within the plate had been completely extracted.

"So it really is a 100% aptitude!" Liang Qi’s brow furrowed slightly. To extract from an alloy, and in such a manner—only someone with a 100% aptitude could accomplish that.

’But what is Gao Neng doing, showing this off in the demonstration hall?’

’Where’s the genetic weapon?’

’Where is it?’

Just as he was wondering, he saw someone emerge from a nearby corridor. This person was also wearing a black military uniform and had a smile on his face.

"Gao Neng?!" Liang Qi exclaimed in shock.

Then, as if realizing something, his gaze snapped back to the demonstration hall.

’The Gao Neng inside is still there!’

"T-two Gao Nengs?!" This time, it wasn’t just Liang Qi who was stunned; the assistant beside him was also gaping in astonishment.

There was one Gao Neng standing in the demonstration hall.

And not far away, another Gao Neng was walking toward them.

’What does this mean?!’

Liang Qi shot to his feet.

"Impossible!" He truly couldn’t believe it, and he absolutely refused to. This was something that simply couldn’t be happening.

In fact, he wasn’t the only one.

The other researchers were also starting to realize what was happening.

’The Gao Neng in the demonstration hall...’

’...is the successfully created genetic weapon?!’

’That 100% energy extraction ability we just saw couldn’t possibly be fake.’

"They succeeded?!"

"They really succeeded!"

"They created a genetic weapon in just fifteen days?!"

Once the realization dawned on them, everyone’s eyes went wide. Even though they had been somewhat mentally prepared, seeing it for themselves was still a shock.

Just moments ago, they had all thought the one in the demonstration hall was the real Gao Neng.

The resemblance was uncanny!

A true genetic weapon!

It was flawless!

"Liang Qi, what do you have to say now?" Wu Qingjing looked at Liang Qi, waiting for him to make good on his promise.

"No, this isn’t right! Impossible... I... I see it now!" As Wu Qingjing’s gaze fell upon him, Liang Qi’s own eyes suddenly became incredibly sharp.

"Hm? Are you trying to go back on your word?" Wu Qingjing’s gaze grew equally sharp.

"Go back on my word? Heh." Liang Qi sneered. "When have I ever broken a promise? But don’t you think it’s a bit naive to try and fool me with this cheap trick?"

"Cheap trick? That’s rich. You saw the genetic weapon in the demonstration hall with your own eyes," Wu Qingjing sneered back.

"Yes, I saw it. So what? The one in the demonstration hall is the real Gao Neng, and this one..." Liang Qi pointed a finger at the Gao Neng who had walked over to Wu Qingjing’s side. "This one is the fake!"

"You’re saying I’m the fake?" Gao Neng asked.

"Heh, are you not?"

"If that’s how it is, then I’ll just have to prove it!" Gao Neng nodded, then walked around Wu Qingjing to stand before Liang Qi.

"Fine, let’s see you pro—Huh?!" Liang Qi didn’t even finish his sentence. His gaze turned icy as the Gao Neng before him suddenly attacked.

And he was incredibly fast!

Liang Qi hadn’t expected the fake Gao Neng to use this method as proof.

But his own reaction was even faster.

The instant Gao Neng struck, Liang Qi retreated a step while simultaneously thrusting a decisive palm strike toward his opponent’s shoulder.

It wasn’t a killing blow.

After all, even a modified genetic weapon was extremely valuable.

Liang Qi wasn’t about to destroy a genetic weapon worth tens of billions just for the sake of a "proof."

WHOOSH!

Just as Liang Qi’s palm strike shot out.

The Gao Neng before him split into two, attacking him from both the left and the right.

"Hm?!" Liang Qi’s eyes narrowed. He remembered Gao Neng using this move once in the Huashan Ancient Sect’s arena; he’d happened to see the video of that fight.

’The fake Gao Neng...’

’...is using the real Gao Neng’s fighting techniques?’

’This modification!’

’They were pretty thorough, weren’t they?!’

As the thought flashed through Liang Qi’s mind, his aura intensified dramatically. It was the kind of presence only a high-tier could possess, and his strength had, of course, long since reached that level.

Tier Eight Late Stage.

He was just a hair’s breadth away from Tier Nine.

WHOOM! A powerful aura instantly bore down on them.

But at the same time, a similar aura erupted from Gao Neng.

It was also a high-tier aura.

Although it was slightly weaker, the moment it erupted, all the metal in the vicinity began to vibrate intensely.

Then, a torrent of energy surged from outside the demonstration hall.

The Energy Extraction Technique!

And it was the absolute 100% version of the Energy Extraction Technique!

"High-tier?!" Liang Qi was genuinely startled this time. He remembered that Gao Neng’s strength was only at the Tier Five Late Stage. How could he possibly exhibit the aura of a high-tier?

’But if he wasn’t...’

’...then what was with this absurd extraction ability?’

"That’s enough!" Just then, Wu Qingjing released his own aura, instantly suppressing the clashing presences of Gao Neng and Liang Qi.

The demonstration hall fell silent once more.

However, the surrounding researchers, as well as Liang Qi’s assistant, were all dumbfounded.

’A high-tier Gao Neng?!’

’A 100% Energy Extraction Technique!’

’This Gao Neng before them... what exactly was he?’

"Teacher Wu, Vice Team Leader Liang truly has a sharp eye. He could tell I was the fake at a single glance," the Gao Neng standing before Wu Qingjing said with a faint smile.

"The fake?" Wu Qingjing paused, stunned.

Then, as if he understood, he looked back toward the demonstration hall. The Gao Neng who had been inside was already walking over and now stood before Wu Qingjing.

’But to only realize it now...’

’What did that mean?’

’Did it mean that he, too, had been fooled by Gao Neng?’

’Real becomes fake.’

’Fake becomes real.’

It wasn’t just Liang Qi who couldn’t tell them apart; even he had been fooled.

"Teacher Wu, what do you think of my genetic weapon?" The Gao Neng who had emerged from the demonstration hall asked with a smile, clapping the other "Gao Neng" on the shoulder.

"..." Wu Qingjing was speechless.

’This cheeky brat... He’s a real piece of work!’

"And you, Vice Team Leader Liang? What do you think? Are you satisfied?" Gao Neng didn’t wait for Wu Qingjing’s answer, his gaze already shifting back to Liang Qi.

"..." Liang Qi said nothing, but his eyes were glued to the two Gao Nengs before him, his fists clenching subconsciously.

’How is this possible?!’

’Creating a genetic weapon in just fifteen days?’

’And a Tier Seven Genetic Weapon at that, modeled after Gao Neng himself.’

’If this is real...’

’Then... then...’

Liang Qi was speechless. He desperately didn’t want to believe it, but the facts before his eyes forced him to accept that it was absolutely true.

Because the Alliance didn’t possess another genetic weapon capable of 100% extraction.

It would be impossible even with modifications!

"Liang Qi, there’s no need to doubt it any longer. Gao Neng truly made this, and he did it all by himself. The Speaker and I didn’t help one bit!" Lan Ruohua said with a smile, seeing Liang Qi’s speechless state. She then moved to stand by Gao Neng’s side.

"You did help. At the very least, Aunt Lan and Teacher Wu helped me submit the data. Otherwise, it might have taken me an extra day," Gao Neng said with a light smile.

"An extra day?!" Liang Qi’s throat felt dry. The one before him was, without a doubt, a Tier Seven Genetic Weapon. There was no question about it.

’But for some reason...’

’He still felt that something was off.’

’What exactly felt so wrong?’