Chapter 400: Harvest and Conditions |
Guan Tong had come for the test, but he only thought it was a formality.
Zhang Minglu probably thought the same, because the probability of a parasitized form lurking here was extremely low.
But no one expected there to actually be one.
Zhang Minglu snapped back to reality and tapped the earpiece he was wearing. "Dragon Soul, the subject in testing room 3 is a parasitized form. Secure them immediately!"
Dragon Soul had been on standby throughout the testing period. Upon hearing Zhang Minglu's order, he immediately went to testing room 3.
Inside, lying on the bed was a young woman with a ponytail. The position on her chest badge displayed "Data Department - Analyst."
Seeing Dragon Soul suddenly enter the room, she frowned. "I'm having a physical examination. Is there a problem?"
Dragon Soul said nothing, reaching out to grab her.
The woman's expression changed, seemingly realizing she had been exposed. In the next moment, a Mind Power dagger appeared in her right hand. However, before she could even use it, Dragon Soul punched her heavily in the face.
A dull thud sounded, and the woman immediately fell unconscious, powerless to resist.
Dragon Soul reported via his earpiece. "Target subdued."
Zhang Minglu pushed the door open and entered, with Guan Tong following behind.
"She's a parasitized form?" Zhang Minglu stepped forward, picked up the woman's work badge to look, and his face instantly darkened. "From the Data Department... Damn it!"
Hearing this, Guan Tong knew the matter was quite serious.
Although the Data Department wasn't as cutting-edge as other scientific research departments, it was undoubtedly a crucial one. Every day, important data from across the nation would be aggregated there. By analyzing this data, results would be obtained to help decision-makers formulate appropriate policy judgments.
A parasitized form analyst lurking within the Data Department could both steal this data and potentially make subtle, hard-to-detect alterations privately.
Even slight modifications to some critical data could lead to catastrophic consequences.
"Doctor, how should we handle this?" Dragon Soul asked.
"First, detain the person... no, detain this parasitized form! I will request instructions from the person in charge regarding the specific disposal."
"Yes, sir."
Dragon Soul took the parasitized form away. Zhang Minglu turned and shook Guan Tong's hand. "Your help this time was absolutely crucial! Who knows how much important information this thing has already stolen while lurking in the Data Department. If it had continued, the damage would only have been greater."
"As long as there's a gain, it's good," Guan Tong said. "But where would it transmit the stolen data to? The parasitized forms' Divine Kingdom in the Black Flag Country?"
"Highly likely!" Zhang Minglu said with a serious expression. "According to reports from the Joint Force at the front, although the parasitized forms are no match for the Joint Force under the leadership of their leader, the 'Prophet,' they have repeatedly managed to avoid the Joint Force's main thrust and preserve the effective strength of the main parasitized force. Without a large number of lurking informants providing intelligence, how could they achieve that?"
Guan Tong nodded. That indeed made sense.
Zhang Minglu sighed heavily. "The trouble is that parasitized forms are immune to interrogation. Soft or hard methods, even some hypnotic items, are ineffective against their kind. It's almost impossible to extract intelligence from them."
Guan Tong was well aware that parasitized forms could not be turned.
The alien spores permanently altered the host's brain, causing mutations in the relevant brain neurons. Within the scope of the host's intelligence, they would never do anything detrimental to the parasitized form collective.
This was also why humans often chose to eliminate parasitized forms on the spot rather than capture them. Only a small portion were kept and sent to relevant departments for experimental research.
Previously, during the [Third Contact] Rule Period, because they could be used as food for the Nano Swarm, humans temporarily changed their approach to handling parasitized forms.
After that rule ended, this change naturally ended as well.
"The person in charge wants me to go to his office," Zhang Minglu said upon hearing a call on his earpiece, looking at Guan Tong. "He told me to bring you along."
Guan Tong's own task was finished, and he had originally planned to leave the base. Hearing this, he followed along for the trip.
Gao Liangwei's office was on the 3rd floor, right next to the large conference room.
Passing by the conference room, Zhang Minglu said, "As the head of the Countermeasures Research Office, Senior Colonel Gao's attitude towards work is the most serious in the entire base. He often stays in his office for a full day and night, averaging probably less than 30 hours of sleep per week."
"Less than 30 hours of sleep a week?" Guan Tong said, surprised. "If his health suffers from pushing himself so hard, wouldn't the gains not be worth the losses?"
"Thanks to the enhancement of physical fitness from Mind Power and the assistance of some items, the person in charge's physical condition is still quite good. But the greatest burden comes from the mind. Physical wear and tear can be compensated for with items, but mental strain cannot... However, Head Gao is the most strong-willed person I've ever met, so I believe he can withstand it."
"......"
The two entered Gao Liangwei's office. This not-so-large space was piled high with various documents, data disks, and more.
Gao Liangwei was standing by his desk. Seeing the two arrive, he spoke. "Interrogating the parasitized form is meaningless. No matter what important information it may have transmitted before, it is already a sunk cost for the research office."
Guan Tong felt Gao Liangwei was quite right. As the saying goes, don't cry over spilled milk. No matter how important the previously leaked intelligence was, pursuing it now is pointless.
"So, Head, how do you plan to deal with her?" Zhang Minglu inquired. "Execution? Or sending her to the Parasitized Form Brain Research Center for dissection?"
The speaker may have been unintentional, but the listener was deliberate. Zhang Minglu's words caused a slight pang in Guan Tong's heart.
He remembered Suzuki. Her brain had almost been dissected by the research department, with the aim of studying the effects of the spores on neurons.
"No. I intend, or more accurately, the Human Consortium intends, to use a portion of the parasitized forms as subjects for the experiments under the current rule."
"Use them for the current rule..." Zhang Minglu was stunned. "Have them directly observe Scarlet Terra?"
......
"Finch, are you aware that you have already received joint complaints from experts of various nations?"
In the top-floor office of the Suroma Crisis Management Bureau, the king sat in a swivel chair, gazing at the clouds high in the sky outside the window as he spoke slowly.
The Crisis Management Bureau was a department established by Suroma to counter the Doomsday Rules, functionally similar to Beixing's Countermeasures Research Office.
The big-bearded Finch, who led last night's experiment to explore Scarlet Terra, now stood behind him, looking indignant. "Hmph, Your Majesty, those guys are just being overly sensitive. The experiment subjects all signed voluntary contracts and understood the risks. What are they complaining about me for? If we stop the experiment every time a subject cries out like they suggest, what discoveries could we possibly make!"
The king said nothing, stroking the scepter in his right hand.
Finch stole a glance at the king's expression through the glass reflection. Seeing no sign of anger on his face, he felt slightly relieved.
"Out of a total of five experiment subjects, one died after failed resuscitation efforts, two suffered permanent brain damage, one experienced multiple neurogenic spasms... Only one was relatively less severely affected."
Hearing this, Finch's expression changed slightly, thinking he would be held accountable.
Unexpectedly, the king's next words made his heart ease.
"The problem lies in why you agreed to let that liar stop the experiment. As you said, he signed the contract."
"I apologize, Your Majesty... it was my mistake! I said I would tie that bastard to the chair, but the others disagreed. Plus, the last experiment subject achieved some results, so I didn't pay too much attention to it... Next time, I will show absolutely no leniency, I assure you!"
The king nodded slightly. "I have already read the experiment report. It mentions that the unknown discovered by that subject was a red haze?"
"Yes," Finch said. "He reported that after directly observing Scarlet Terra for over 3 seconds, various terrifying images began to appear in his mind. Those images were generated based on things he had feared since childhood, each one extremely realistic. Relying on the resistance provided by his relatively high Mind Power value, he barely managed to maintain his sanity... and tried to search for the unknown within those terrifying images.
And what he found was a red haze. That red haze was not one of his fears, so it must be the unknown. However, when he discovered it, it rapidly dissipated, vanishing in an instant."
The king turned his chair around and looked at Finch expressionlessly. "A red haze. That's the only clue?"
"...My apologies, Your Majesty. I will continue my efforts. I will continue the experiments until I figure out what that red haze is and find a way to capture it!"
"The next experiment will be led by Beixing. Don't forget this is a joint Human Consortium exploration."
"Beixing?!" Finch was greatly displeased. "Among those who yelled at me last night to stop the experiment were Beixing experts! What results can these indecisive people possibly achieve! Your Majesty, please allow me to conduct private explorations on my own. I will find the answer faster than the Human Consortium!"
"No." The king refused outright.
Finch was taken aback, not expecting this outcome.
As an expert who had led many projects over the years, he knew that in past years, it was not uncommon for Suroma to cooperate with international organizations on the surface to investigate something while privately dispatching its own independent departments to conduct investigations.
Why wasn't it allowed this time?
"Your Majesty..."
"Say no more. No means no."
The king was unyielding.
He knew that now everything had to give way to Dr. Haisen's "Angel Project" on that side. Any action that could cause complications or attract attention from other nations, especially Beixing, would not be permitted.
Dr. Haisen had previously told him that after obtaining the memory digitization technology from the nanobiological entity, it would still take half a year to digest and apply it to the project.
His greatest requirement during these six months was stability.
Seeing the king's cold expression, Finch knew that once the latter made a decision, it could not be changed.
He reluctantly nodded. "Alright, Your Majesty... Then I will prepare to go to Beixing to participate in their experiment."
"It's not an experiment you are leading. Don't say too much when the time comes. Recording the experimental results in detail will be sufficient."
The king then felt a vibration in his overcoat pocket and said to Finch, "You may leave."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Finch left the room with his head lowered.
The king took out the phone from his pocket. In an era where smart devices had seen significant development, he was still using an old-fashioned keypad phone.
After pressing the answer key, a young man's voice came through.
"You owe me an explanation, don't you?"
To demand an explanation from the King of Suroma right off the bat... one wondered who was calling.
The king wasn't angry, however, and replied calmly, "What explanation."
"Pretending not to know? Really?" The young man's voice was calm, but a trace of suppressed anger could be heard. "Please explain why I have lost my access permission to Eden Island."
"Why do you need to go to the island."
"What do you think? Do I need to remind you that my wife and child are on that island?"
"Oh? I thought you didn't care about them. Do I need to remind you what you signed before joining the 'Eden Project'? That document stated that if your child is born on the island, the custody rights do not belong to you or your wife... You should be very clear about this, Adam."
Adam on the phone fell silent.
The Eden Project was a mysterious long-term plan launched by the Suroma Empire as early as two years ago, at the beginning of the Doomsday Rules' arrival.
The core action of this plan was to gather the very few Suroman Ascendants with the highest initial Mind Power upper limits, transport them to Eden Island, and let these men and women freely fall in love, pair up, and procreate.
The goal of the plan was to select the best from the best among those gestating children, to choose a child born with an extremely strong Mind Power upper limit and growth rate. The plan referred to this child as a "Child of God," believing that child would lead the world forward in the future.
After nearly two years, this plan had finally yielded some results.
A small number of newborns were born on the island.
However, all Ascendants participating in this plan had signed a document before boarding the island.
The document stated that all children born on the island would be raised by the Suroma authorities, and the parents would not have custody rights.
"...I am well aware of that document. Since I signed it, I acknowledge it. But what I am demanding now is not custody rights, but visitation rights. Do I not even have the right to visit my own child, Your Majesty?"
"No," the king said. "This is also for your own good."
"For my own good?"
"Out of sight, out of mind. Right now, you only want visitation rights. If you see the child, you might change your mind and want to obtain custody rights."
"I don't understand these grand principles. I only know the document does not deprive me of my rights as a father to visit."
"No means no."
"What if I insist on going to the island?"
Adam's voice on the phone remained calm, but the king knew him well and knew Adam was genuinely angry.
Before the Angel Project succeeded, no complications could be allowed.
"You can visit your child, on the condition that you complete the task I assign you."
"...Eliminate the Fire Thief Worship Cult?"
"No. I want you to capture alive the mastermind behind the Fire Thief Worship Cult. Whether that person is the publicly known Your Holiness, or someone hiding in the shadows."
Adam's voice darkened. "Capture alive... You should know that guy's ability is likely related to mind control. What, you want to capture him alive to use him for mind-controlling others?"
"How I deal with that person is none of your concern," the king said. "Adam, my patience with you also has its limits. You should remember that. Capture the person during the joint operation, and I will let you visit your child on the island. Otherwise... you can try to see what the consequences of forcing your way in would be."
The king finished speaking, hung up the phone, and put away the device.
He glanced out the window at the distant horizon, snorted coldly, and turned to leave, leaning on his cane.
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