Liu Yuqiang stared at the black hand gripping his throat, a layer of cold sweat beading on his forehead.
He knew Guan Tong was absolutely not joking; if he said nothing, he would definitely die here.
Die here?
Liu Yuqiang had always refused to admit defeat. Choosing to use his secretary's life to exchange for his own survival chance from the first rule proved that point.
But as ti passed, especially after arriving at this base, he increasingly felt that living on like this seed... not very fun either.
Forty-nine rules, and only about one-fifth had passed, yet the world had already turned into this ghostly state. What about when another fifth passes, when all the rules are over? Would humanity even still exist?
Five seconds passed in a flash. Liu Yuqiang's entire spirit and energy seed to wither. He sighed, "Go ahead. I have nothing to say."
Guan Tong was sowhat surprised. He thought even if Liu Yuqiang refused, he would do so with a more resolute, tough attitude. That was the hard-man image he had consistently projected in public and on cara since before the Doomsday Rules.
But the Liu Yuqiang before him now gave Guan Tong more of a feeling of despair. Despair for this world, and despair for himself personally.
This display of despair from Liu Yuqiang, however, made Guan Tong feel there was a chance to ask sothing.
He didn't act, but instead said, "I know Chairman Liu cos from a poor background, right? Building Jule Technology from scratch, you're considered a legendary figure in the business world."
The public knew about Liu Yuqiang's experiences because the authorities used to frequently hold him up as an example of a poor person's counterattack, promoting him to young people, telling them to learn from him.
Guan Tong still rembered school-organized activities where the whole class watched Liu Yuqiang's motivational speeches together, learning about his diligent, tenacious, and hardworking spirit.
"...What are you trying to say?" Liu Yuqiang said.
"I'm saying, after achieving success and fa, did Chairman Liu lose all feeling for the poor?" Guan Tong said. "At the very bottom of this base, nearly two thousand people are imprisoned. Judging from their situation, they are no longer treated as human beings, but purely as a resource."
"Could a child from a poor family like Chairman Liu really remain so calm about this? Doesn't the plight of those imprisoned people remind you of the injustices you and your parents suffered when you were poor? Or does money truly have such magic power that it can change a person's nature so completely?"
"Enough!" Liu Yuqiang growled in a low voice. "What do you know about my affairs?"
"I don't know, and I don't want to know. But if you still have a shred of conscience for the poor, for ordinary people, you should tell
what you know."
Guan Tong released the shadow hand gripping him. Liu Yuqiang sat on the ground, silent for a long ti.
Perhaps Guan Tong's words had touched him. After a series of complex changes in expression, he finally slowly spoke: "...I am a mber of the Qingi Society. Before the era of the Doomsday Rules, the Qingi Society was a secret business alliance."
"The head of the Qingi Society, we call her 'Big Sister'. She is a figure of mysterious identity and imnse influence."
"After the Doomsday Rules descended, Big Sister announced that the Qingi Society would transform from a business alliance into a survival mutual aid society. To obtain more resources, she, along with several mbers and perhaps others, secretly manipulated violent groups in various cities to kidnap High Mind Power Individuals."
Upon hearing this, Guan Tong's pupils contracted violently.
So the mastermind behind the kidnapping case he and Xu Xiaotian encountered was this Big Sister of the Qingi Society?
"The kidnapped people are held in this base, used to provide Ascension Coins and items. This ti, they are responsible for customizing rules for a select few."
"As for us mbers, to survive in this era of rules, we have no choice but to attach ourselves to Big Sister and follow her orders. After the authorities announced the implentation of warti managent, most of us left the cities and moved into the base."
"Gradually, I also realized it. Having lost our forr social connections and resources, people like us don't have much value left for Big Sister. Her focus for cultivation has shifted to the squads."
Guan Tong asked, "Who exactly is Big Sister? Does she have a na or a photo?"
Liu Yuqiang shook his head. "We don't know Big Sister's na. Although we've t, there are no photos. Big Sister is a woman in her seventies, but she is full of vitality and has a powerful voice."
In her seventies... To be able to orchestrate all this from behind the scenes at that age, her energy level is indeed hard to imagine.
Liu Yuqiang looked up at Guan Tong and said gravely, "I don't know if you are really that Shadow. But even if you are, opposing Big Sister is a very dangerous choice. The resources she can mobilize are beyond your imagination. Even if you destroy this base, it likely wouldn't be a crippling blow to her."
Guan Tong looked at this business magnate once famous for his tough style.
"To obediently submit just because the enemy is strong, that's the choice of the weak. Those who rise up and resist in the face of injustice and oppression, even if they might fail, are the true strong."
"......"
Liu Yuqiang was stunned for a mont, then suddenly laughed.
"Yeah... Without realizing it, I've also beco soone who just silently obeys, heh..."
Liu Yuqiang suddenly initiated a face-to-face Transaction between Ascendants.
He placed his Ascension Coins and tradable items on the offer. Guan Tong accepted.
"...In this base, Han Ling has always been the one in direct, single-line contact with Big Sister. If you want to investigate Big Sister, start with her."
After saying this, Liu Yuqiang got up, walked to the desk, took a Handgun from the drawer, and pointed the muzzle at his own temple.
"Shadow, I hope you can walk as a true strong one, all the way to the end of the forty-nine rules."
Bang!
A muffled sound. Liu Yuqiang slumped to the floor with a thud.
Guan Tong silently watched. He did not stop Liu Yuqiang's choice to end his own life.
Is self-termination an escape by the weak from their own incompetence, or a rebellion by the strong mocking fate? Perhaps only the person involved truly knows.
He walked out of the room and continued towards the next door.
...
Counterasures Research Office.
Gao Liangwei was talking with Dr. Zhang in the office.
Gao Liangwei asked, "Is the operation going smoothly?"
"Very smoothly," Dr. Zhang said. "The mbers of several squads perford well in this field sweep, eliminating multiple groups of thugs and provider system organizations. They also secured first place in multiple challenge events."
"That Bai Xuewu you've been particularly optimistic about, how many has she gotten?" Gao Liangwei asked.
Hearing this, Dr. Zhang's expression turned awkward. "Bai Xuewu currently has around twenty."
"Twenty?" Gao Liangwei imdiately frowned. "Why so few? I recall so Ascendants expressed willingness to sell their challenge event creation rights through Transactions, right?"
"Yes."
Dr. Zhang also knew that so Ascendants living in shelters, feeling their competitiveness was too low and they couldn't even compete with others inside the shelter, decided to sell their challenge events.
The authorities were, of course, willing to spend so Ascension Coins to purchase these, specifically to customize more first-place finishes for certain individuals.
Under these circumstances, with the rules now in their mid-stage, Bai Xuewu's twenty first places indeed weren't many.
"The reason is actually like this," Dr. Zhang explained. "Because Bai Xuewu's personality is quite hobody-ish, she doesn't like going out, so she doesn't want to go to challenges that are relatively far away. Also, I think the main reason is that she herself feels sowhat resistant to this."
"Resistant?"
"Yes. She feels this is stealing other people's Mind Power and is internally very resistant to doing such things."
Gao Liangwei frowned. "We aren't running any forced provider system, she should understand that, right?"
"I've naturally explained that point to her, but this girl's personality... In short, you can't force her. And I think twenty first places is already plenty. She might get a few more later."
Gao Liangwei said unhappily, "Being so willful, has she considered that official teams from other countries might have people who can get fifty, a hundred, or even more first places? If more first places an more growth in the Mind Power Upper Limit, how big would the gap be?"
Dr. Zhang looked helpless. Gao Liangwei also knew the forr couldn't do anything. As he said, you can't force this kind of thing.
"Surely Longhun's group has gotten enough in total, right? All five of them co from the military; obeying orders is their duty."
"Yes, they are very cooperative. Captain Longhun has currently secured over eighty first places. His team mbers have also gotten quite a few, and the number will continue to increase."
"Still not enough. Tell them to speed up and get more first places."
After saying this, Gao Liangwei noticed Dr. Zhang seed slightly hesitant and imdiately told him to speak his mind.
"It's like this," Dr. Zhang said. "After careful consideration these past few days, I think this rule might have hidden dangers."
"Hidden dangers?"
"Chief, you must rember the first rule. That Hidden Rule was that knocking soone out could yield an [Alertness Mint], but those who used this item generally ended up with a lower Mind Power Upper Limit compared to those who didn't..."
Hearing this, Gao Liangwei imdiately understood Dr. Zhang's implication.
"You're suggesting that this rule about seizing others' first places might have similar after-effects once the rule ends?"
"Yes. Chief, think about it. Regarding this Hidden Rule, it was ultimately just sold by the Administrator of that Ascendant Ho website. Whether it can be realized, and whether there are any adverse consequences later, we don't know. We can only verify after the rule ends."
"So I think we shouldn't go all-in on this matter... If there really are adverse consequences, it could cause major trouble."
"You make a good point," Gao Liangwei pondered for a mont. "Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Have Longhun's group continue to acquire more first places. As for Bai Xuewu, since she's internally resistant, don't force her to get more."
"That's what I think too," Dr. Zhang said.
As soon as his words fell, a series of urgent knocks sounded at the door.
"Co in."
"Chief!" A young reporting officer hurried in. "Our intelligence departnt just received a report. A large provider organization with an estimated over two thousand victims has been discovered!"
"What? Two thousand people!"
Dr. Zhang stood up in shock. Gao Liangwei's expression also darkened.
What kind of field organization could control two thousand people?
"Yes. And more importantly, that field organization is located within the Yongzhou Mountain Range."
"Yongzhou Mountain Range." Now Gao Liangwei couldn't remain seated either. He stood up, his gaze exceptionally sharp. "That's only a little over a hundred kiloters from the capital, Yong'an. For such a large provider organization to exist so close to the capital is utterly lawless... Dr. Zhang!"
"Yes, Chief?"
"Imdiately have the First Squad assemble at the designated location. I will dispatch a five-hundred-strong ard unit to coordinate. Proceed via air transport to the organization's stronghold location imdiately."
"Yes, I'll contact Longhun right away."
After Dr. Zhang and the reporting officer left, before Gao Liangwei could sit down, the landline phone on his desk rang.
He looked at the ringing phone, his gaze profound, waiting until it had rung over a dozen tis before picking up.
"The organization discovered in the Yongzhou Mountain Range will be handled by another agency," an authoritative, non-negotiable voice ca through the phone.
Gao Liangwei said, "Regrettably, I have already dispatched a combat unit there."
"Then have them turn back."
"I'm afraid that's not possible. The n are already on the plane!"
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