CHAPTER 146: CHAPTER 146: THE TRULY IMPORTANT THINGS (ADDED FOR THE LEAGUE LEADER WHO GOT ANGRY)

Faced with Song Hana’s question, Zhang Desheng felt both panicked and a glimmer of hope. He already knew there was a high probability he would be killed, but his next answer might determine how he would die. For instance, Dr. Zhang Desheng could be reported as shot and killed during an escape attempt after leaking company secrets—a death well deserved. Alternatively, it could be said that Dr. Zhang Desheng died accidentally due to a research mishap—a very regrettable incident. The difference between the two was significant. The former meant his family would also suffer, their fate entirely dependent on Song Hana’s mood. The latter meant his family would be provided for by the company for the rest of their lives, free from financial worries. Therefore, although Zhang Desheng was still terrified, he forced himself to calm down. This was his last chance.

"I remember that day Wu Sen came to the research floor with a form to collect the test version of the small purple bottle. We happened to meet at the lab door. Yes, right at the lab door. I snatched the form from his hand, and it did have the official seal on it. Then I invited him into the laboratory, and we talked about some things."

Song Hana’s eyes suddenly narrowed. "What did you talk about?"

"About the impact of Exotic Species’ power on other Exotic Species, the White Snake, and the Red Shell."

Seeing Song Hana’s displeased expression, Zhang Desheng’s voice grew fainter, knowing he might have caused trouble again.

"Heh. Very good. You’ve managed to leak all these corporate secrets. Very good. What else?"

"After we finished talking, he volunteered to be injected with the small purple bottle."

"Describe the process in more detail."

"I haven’t omitted anything. During the injection process, he became somewhat excited. He even asked me if there were more small purple bottles. You probably know what happened after that."

Song Hana squinted. Only two test orders for the small purple bottle bearing the company seal had been issued. One was in Wu Sen’s possession; the other had been kept by another team leader and was turned in a few days ago. This meant the form Wu Sen had was genuine. It also conclusively proved that Wu Sen had been killed outside the Wall, and the form had fallen into enemy hands.

"How’s the investigation on the surveillance and the gate guard going?" Song Hana asked the person beside her.

"Regarding the surveillance, we’ve conducted a clear restoration and frame-by-frame comparison. This ’Wu Sen’ had quite noticeable differences in stature and walking posture compared to the original Captain Wu Sen. We estimate his height to be around 185 centimeters and his weight about 70 kilograms, giving him a rather thin build. Captain Wu Sen, on the other hand, was about 186 centimeters tall and weighed 86 kilograms, with a stocky build. Although there’s a noticeable difference in their builds, it would be difficult to tell unless they were wearing clothes that clearly revealed their musculature. Unless someone was very familiar with Wu Sen, it would have been quite hard to detect."

Song Hana nodded. This level of clarity in the surveillance restoration essentially confirmed that the person that night wasn’t Wu Sen. "What about the gate guard?"

"We’ve also questioned the gate guard. He said Wu Sen’s attitude that night was very unpleasant. He appeared twice, threatening the guard to keep quiet. The interactions were unusual, but the guard didn’t dare offend Wu Sen. Since Wu Sen had all the necessary documentation, the guard felt there was no reason for further questioning."

"I understand. Bring Zhang Desheng in, and everyone else leave."

"Yes."

After hearing her subordinate’s report, Song Hana had formed her own theory about the matter. She ignored Zhang Desheng, speaking as if to herself, yet seemingly addressing someone else.

"Some force antagonistic to Lan Tian Biotech... well, perhaps not an antagonistic force. It might even be an ally, or maybe a political opponent of Councilor Shi. I think this organization must have taken an interest in something the company possesses. They planted a mole within the company, intercepted some intelligence, and obtained information about the small purple bottle. They sent someone to kill Wu Sen while he was outside, specifically taking his medicine collection form and a portion of his blood bags. Then, they returned to the company to collect the small purple bottle. After obtaining the small purple bottle, they demanded the formula for the small red bottle and robbed a research lab. This kind of behavior is purely to distract us. They want to prevent us from realizing their main objective. If we focused all our efforts on investigating the small red bottle, then they would certainly have enough time to analyze the small purple bottle. Planned, organized, disciplined, with a perfect disguise, and all traces erased. Although I don’t know how they achieved such a convincing imitation, even I must admit it was a clever ploy.

"Unfortunately, they overlooked a crucial point: if Savages had done this, equipment worth 200,000 would definitely have been taken. Yet, I raised the reward to 20,000, and not one of the Wall Guardians on duty during those days reported seeing any of our Blue Sky equipment. This can only mean that batch of equipment was abandoned outside the Wall. Forget Savages; even a larger mercenary group wouldn’t willingly discard equipment worth 200,000. Only a major corporation with status and strength comparable to Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals could have the audacity and financial resources to do this. And the small purple bottle must have been their target."

Kneeling on the ground, Zhang Desheng was stunned. Song Hana said so much... was it for me to hear? Why did she tell me all this? And the Exotic Species Power—the small purple bottle—wasn’t that one of the company’s failed products? Why is Song Hana so focused on the small purple bottle now, analyzing their operational plans in such detail? Conversely, she seems indifferent to the small red bottle, which generates so much profit for the company.

While Zhang Desheng was lost in confusion, a tall, thin man suddenly emerged from the shadows. His appearance was without warning or precursor, as if he were a phantom. He walked up to Song Hana and asked the question that was on Zhang Desheng’s mind.

"Song Hana, why do you care so much about that test version of the small purple bottle? Shouldn’t it be a failed product?"

The man was very close to Song Hana. As he drew near, his hands weren’t idle, reaching straight for Song Hana’s chest.

Song Hana shook her head and pushed the man away. She retrieved a purple vial from Zhang Desheng’s lab bench and returned. "Failed product? Heh. You’re not from the R&D department, nor are you senior management, so you have no idea what this thing signifies. The small purple bottle contains a purified, perfect form of Exotic Species Power. It holds the potent Life Energy of Exotic Species. How could such a masterpiece be a failure? It’s just that humans haven’t yet found a way to wield this power. Many people simply don’t understand what Exotic Species Power means, but you do, don’t you?"

The tall, thin man was Li Qingshu. He took the bottle from Song Hana’s hand. Based on past experiments, this purple liquid was a deadly poison to humans; there had been no exceptions to date. But what would it mean if this substance truly could be harnessed by humans? It would mean a dual enhancement of energy and physique, something akin to a controllable amplification like the Church’s Judgment Distortion! True powerhouses, those who have had contact with the Church, all understand the power of the Judgment Distortion. Take Wu En, a Fifth Tier, for example. If his body weren’t so old and he could unleash his full power, a Fifth Tier enhanced by Judgment Distortion could definitely kill a Sixth Tier Exotic Species. Human energy plus Sequence, combined with Exotic Species physique plus abilities—that’s what creates monsters like those undergoing Judgment Distortion.

Setting the vial down, Li Qingshu’s hand once again caressed her chest. This time, Song Hana did not push him away.

"Are you saying this hidden enemy force has found a way to use Exotic Species Power before we did? Is that why they sent someone to steal the small purple bottle? If our company hasn’t managed it, how could others have succeeded? And without the small purple bottle, how could they possibly master Exotic Species Power?"

Song Hana started caressing Li Qingshu’s muscles. Compared to those greasy, disgusting leaders, a skilled man like Li Qingshu fascinated her more. "Although I hate to admit it, there’s a high probability that the other party already knows how to use Exotic Species Power. As for Exotic Species Power itself, the small purple bottle merely purifies and optimizes this force, removing the feral nature of the Exotic Species. Even without the small purple bottle, they could extract it directly from living Exotic Species."

Li Qingshu nodded. "I think I understand. If this power can be controlled, it would indeed be a formidable weapon. So, what do we do now? Your mind is nimble. Do you have any feasible plan of action?"

"The only clue now is the Circle Hunter Agency. I should have thought of it sooner. Those three broke students dared to reject the company’s contract and even turned down our lovely Chu Qi. That’s hardly normal. If there wasn’t someone backing them, that would be strange. It now seems the force supporting them is quite significant. Stop what you’re doing for a moment; wait for me."

Song Hana pushed Li Qingshu away once more, stepped out of the room, and took the contracts of Lu Luo’s group of five from her assistant. Lu Luo and two others had sponsorship contracts worth 250,000 each, while Chu Qi and Wang Zheng had corporate contracts worth 2,250,000.

"These are the ones. The company’s previous experiments in 404 confirmed the power of the small purple bottle. There’s no doubt about its effects. The Parliament wants to uncover the secrets of the Church’s Judgment Distortion, as well as the secrets of Exotic Species’ secondary and uncontrollable mutations. If this substance can truly be controlled, it will drive everyone mad. Outside the Wall will become a gold mine for the powerful, and we will be the ones to earn the first fortune."

"Do you need me to bring them all back?"

"You’re overthinking it. Circle Studio now has Ludie’s backing. He reached the Sixth Tier seven years ago. Li Qingshu, you’re still far too inexperienced compared to him."

Li Qingshu’s expression turned slightly colder at Song Hana’s assessment. "He hasn’t been active in many years. A Hunter’s skills can deteriorate."

"Don’t even think about it. After some investigation, I’ve discovered Circle Studio is much more influential than you imagine. Hunters are just one facet of their operations. They now also have connections with the Church. They even know Qiao Xing, the Archbishop of the East Ring."

At the mention of Qiao Xing, Li Qingshu fell silent. Ludie’s current strength was still uncertain. Qiao Xing, however, had recently beheaded a Lord in the East Ring and was a monstrous expert on par with a Nightmare Demon. Such a person was not someone he could afford to provoke.

"Ludie and Qiao Xing will protect them," Song Hana continued. "Circle Studio also has the backing of powerful hidden forces. They can be considered a new power, albeit one that is being supported. One could say that within the Fourth Ring, no one can openly move against them anymore—not even our company. If something went wrong, no one would cover for us. If we resort to commercial tactics, it would just be trivial matters like patent infringement over the small red bottle. Such squabbles are pointless and far too slow."

Song Hana’s analysis led Li Qingshu to nod again, then he put forth another suggestion. "I can sneak into this Hunter agency at night and find what we’re looking for. With my abilities, they won’t detect me."

"Li Qingshu, your thinking is still as simplistic as ever. If they had the small purple bottle, do you really think they’d keep it in their studio?" Song Hana turned around, completely ignoring Zhang Desheng’s gaze on the floor, and pressed her body against Li Qingshu. "Objects are static; people are what’s useful. Within the Wall, Circle Studio’s background is problematic, but it’s a different story outside the Wall. Those kids recently arranged for several mineral exploration permits through someone in the Mineral Management Department. What do you suppose they’re going outside the Wall for? Mining? Hahaha!"

"Just a few people?" Li Qingshu’s hand had already slipped under Song Hana’s sweater.

"Three."

"That few?"

"The more important the matter, the fewer people who know about it, the better. I already have someone keeping an eye on them. As for you, just follow them for now; there’s no rush to take action. After all, they’re under Ludie’s protection. If their activities outside the Wall are completely normal, you don’t need to intervene. However, if they begin hunting Exotic Species in large numbers after going outside the Wall, that will be your justification to act. Mineral exploration shouldn’t require hunting large numbers of Exotic Species, right? Their only reason for hunting numerous Exotic Species would be that they know about the effects of Exotic Species Power and intend to extract their Life Energy. It’s even possible they’ve already mastered methods to utilize Exotic Species Power."

As Song Hana spoke, she was already fully pressed against Li Qingshu, who in turn lifted her onto the lab bench. Then he glanced again at Zhang Desheng on the floor.

"This one? Aren’t we going to deal with him?"

Song Hana licked her lips, a somewhat crazed smile playing on them. "What harm can a dying man do? Letting him watch a good show will give him fewer regrets, won’t it? Besides, I enjoy an audience, both those watching up close and those listening from outside, hehehe!"

Song Hana’s laughter echoed down the corridor. The employees there kept their heads bowed, their faces expressionless. No one dared to leave, nor did anyone dare to speak.

「...」

Lu Luo and his two companions, laden with heavy equipment, boarded an orbital train heading to the Southern Ring region. According to data from the Observer, the C04 area in the Southern Ring also contained swamps. Any mid-level danger zone with swamps might harbor Ghost Crabs, and where there are Ghost Crabs, Blood Mosquitoes would naturally be found. Lu Luo’s current plan was still to rely on Blood Sacs to produce small red bottles, thereby quickly accumulating start-up capital. Due to his current strength limitations, he didn’t plan to offer the jet device for sale yet, and likely wouldn’t for a long time to come. He would use it himself first. Only when Bai Yuetong developed an improved version and he himself had become considerably stronger would he consider releasing the initial version of the jet device. Since the jet device couldn’t be sold for the time being, the small red bottles remained the fastest way to accumulate wealth.

"We’ve arrived at the Southern Ring," one of them announced. "Let’s get off."

The three of them wore matching work uniforms from Circle Studio: black trench coats and large sunglasses, giving them the distinct air of a clandestine operations team. However, after they disembarked, the Observer immediately sent a notification:

*Although your outfits are stylish, if several individuals have been staring at you for over 2 hours, and have done so more than 15 times, then these people are definitely suspicious. What do you think?*

The Observer’s detection abilities were much stronger after its upgrade, and the feature that directly displayed basic attributes was also very useful. For example, Lu Luo could now see the basic attribute summaries for Qi Xinzhu and Gu Fangyi:

*Qi Xinzhu: Strength 11.2, Constitution 12.5, Agility 9.4*

*Overall Evaluation: Very strong, perfect attributes. Her physical condition is considered extremely high among regular Second Tier Transcendents.*

*Gu Fangyi: Strength 4.5, Constitution 3.3, Agility 7.1*

*Overall Evaluation: An excellent marksman. In terms of agility, he has far surpassed most regular First Tier Transcendents.*

Lu Luo was somewhat surprised but also relieved that the Observer had detected potential surveillance; it was proving to be a rather practical feature. "Someone is following us."

"Kill them?"

Seriously? Gu Fangyi’s immediate response was violence. Lu Luo and Qi Xinzhu stared at him for a long moment until he bowed his head apologetically. "I’m sorry. I’ve applied for a Harvester’s visa twice recently and trained so much outside the Wall that I forgot murder is illegal within the Walls."

Lu Luo felt his scalp tingle. What on earth had Gu Fangyi experienced this past month?

"We can’t determine their purpose right now," Lu Luo said. "However, we don’t have many enemies in the Fourth Ring, so guessing the identity of these observers shouldn’t be too difficult."

Gu Fangyi reflected for a moment and then understood Lu Luo’s meaning. "Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals?"

"They’re likely investigating the small red bottles. I suspected this day would come when I started selling them. But we still need to earn this money. It just means that from now on, the product we sell can’t be called ’small red bottles.’ We’ll change the name when we get back."

This time, Lu Luo was truly mistaken. Although the small red bottles were highly profitable, for a corporation like Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals, such counterfeit drugs were merely something to be dealt with through lawsuits and regulations. The rules, after all, were established by those in power. It wasn’t a controllable, monetary asset like this that would make them disregard those rules and take direct action. Instead, it was the item Lu Luo had largely forgotten: the test version of the small purple bottle. This was the Exotic Species Life Energy potion, which bore a strange resemblance to his Devourer’s ability to absorb energy.

"Behind Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals is Lan Tian Biotech. Could there be trouble?" Qi Xinzhu asked with some concern.

"There won’t be, as long as we don’t go to the Inner Ring," Lu Luo replied. "They acted quite quickly, though. I thought they wouldn’t catch on until after we returned from outside the Wall. It’s probably because Quan Pu is selling the small red bottles too quickly."

"Regardless, we’ll have to deal with them eventually. Sooner or later makes no difference," Gu Fangyi stated coldly. His perception of Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals was far worse than Lu Luo’s. By nature, Gu Fangyi was an idealist. Many of Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals’ practices were completely anathema to Gu Fangyi’s ideals. Coupled with the incident involving Chu Qi, Gu Fangyi would show no mercy if he were to act against them now.

"Let’s not worry about these individuals for now," Lu Luo decided. "We’ll discuss it once we’re outside. If they’re still following us then, we’ll deal with them."

"Yes."