"If they don’t want us to buy, why not just refuse to sell? Why open a Soul Bead Exchange at the Star Martial Hall?"
"It’s simple for Star Martial Warriors who want Soul Beads. Just join the military. The troops get a monthly quota of Soul Beads, especially during missions, where they can obtain a large number. One could also enter the Pioneer Space and join a Pioneer Team. Aside from handing over a fixed quota of Soul Beads each month, the rest can be kept for oneself. The more you work, the more you earn! These two sources are state-supported inco streams for Soul Beads. Buying with money? The state’s stance is, if you can afford it, go ahead and buy. After all, a considerable number of Star Martial Warriors co from wealthy families, or they mingle in the cities as celebrities, leading comfortable lives and waving wads of cash. This is unfair to the Star Martial Warriors who contribute to the nation. Why should they be able to enjoy life and also obtain a large number of Soul Beads to enhance their strength? Therefore, Soul Beads are tools to plunder their wealth, forcing them either to pioneer new lands or to enlist in the military. But if we don’t sell, we would only fuel black market trade. Where there’s a market, there will be transactions; this has been true since ancient tis. The black market, in fact, has a history even longer than our Soul Bead Exchange. It’s only because Jade Country prohibits private trading of Soul Beads that the black market has beco more covert. The trading chain for Soul Beads has also beco increasingly difficult to trace."
"During our investigation these past few days, we found a senior student at Modu City’s Star Martial Academy nad Chen Xiaoping, who has been secretly collecting Soul Beads from the students there. However, firstly, his actions at Modu City’s Star Martial Academy are very discreet. Secondly, internal trading of Soul Beads among students is permitted because their Soul Beads co from hunting and internships, which are inherently within their own circles. As long as the Soul Beads do not leave this circle, transactions between students are allowed by law. After all, many talented students from poor backgrounds need to sell so Soul Beads to subsidize their living expenses and support their families."
"Are you saying that even if we capture Chen Xiaoping, we can’t convict him?"
"If we can’t prove that the Soul Beads he collected have flowed to the outside, indeed we can’t convict him. Moreover, the Soul Beads he collects are only a small portion, definitely not the source of the large number of Soul Beads we are searching for. However, the Soul Bead black market must be controlled by a mastermind. I believe that through this lead with Chen Xiaoping, you can trace back to find this mastermind."
"Wouldn’t I risk tipping them off if I make contact directly? Mr. Ming, do you have a plan?"
"Chen Xiaoping only deals with regulars, or rather, he only collects Soul Beads from a fixed group of people. This ensures his safety and provides him with a plausible explanation for his actions. One of the regulars in Chen Xiaoping’s network has already been turned into our informant."
"Then wouldn’t it be easier to use that informant to infiltrate?"
"That informant doesn’t have much money, and his abilities aren’t particularly outstanding. He was injured in his sophomore year, which damaged his foundation. The Soul Beads he can provide won’t attract Chen Xiaoping’s attention, much less lead us to the mastermind. I’ve prepared an identity for you. You are a direct descendant of the Lu family, a Star Martial Warrior clan. Although your status is noble, you lack the talent of a Star Martial Warrior. Hence, you are studying at Zhenyu University. All students at Zhenyu University are wealthy second-generations; many are direct descendants of Star Martial Warrior families who haven’t awakened their Talented Skills. And you all like to live it up, so you’re planning to sell so Soul Beads procured from your hos. You just happen to be a friend of my informant, Dong Feifei. Here is a face-changing mask; it’s a Talented Skill from one of our brothers in the bureau. Once worn, it will let you assu another identity. As long as you don’t use any Star Martial Skills, it will be flawless. At the right opportunity, I’ll have the informant arrange a eting for you. After all, among everyone in the Tianjian Bureau, you’re the only one who resembles a student. And moreover, you look just like a wealthy second-generation."
"Mr. Ming, can we remove the ’resembles’ part?"
"When the ti is right, I will inform you. You need to build a good relationship with Chen Xiaoping, obtain more intelligence from him, and ideally extract so leads on the mastermind to help our brothers follow the trail."
"Understood! But how many Soul Beads are you preparing for ?"
"Start with twenty to test the waters."
"Only twenty?"
"What, is twenty not enough? Even on the black market, a Soul Bead is worth forty to fifty thousand; twenty of them amount to at least eight hundred thousand."
"Let’s start with two hundred. You can’t catch the wolf without baiting the trap. A re twenty doesn’t exactly scream ’wealthy second-generation’."
Ming Baiye stared at Wang Lan in shock. "Are you unaware of how costly things are? Two hundred beads are worth eight million! For a trial run? Do you think the Tianjian Bureau has a gold mine?"
"You just said it yourself, the price of Soul Beads is inflated; that’s not their true value. Two hundred beads might command a high price in the Soul Bead Exchange, but for us, they might not even be worth a few tens of thousands. Slaying an Exotic Beast is just a flick of the wrist for us."
"But still... that’s two hundred Soul Beads!"
"Mr. Ming, please, don’t be such a miser. In addition to two hundred Soul Beads, throw in ten mid-grade Soul Beads."
"What?" Ming Baiye leaped to his feet.
"Calm down, calm down, ten mid-grade Soul Beads isn’t that many!"
"Not many? Ten mid-grade Soul Beads are worth five hundred regular Soul Beads!"
"I’ve personally hunted more than ten mid-grade Soul Beads myself; they’re not that valuable. Mr. Ming, we’re a governnt departnt. Don’t we know the true value of Soul Beads? If it can lure out the mastermind, it’s worth it, even if it takes a hundred mid-grade Soul Beads, let alone ten."
"You still want a hundred?"
"I’m just making a point. What do you say? With these, my chances of success are much higher. If not, then forget it; I can’t do this job."
That was Wang Lan’s attitude: if you provide the resources, I’ll do it. If not, find soone else. Anyway, my main job now is attending university. And that Star Martial Toxin Vaccine is really enticing... He had completely forgotten how he’d even played the executioner for experience points and skill points back in the day.
"Alright, stay in school for now and don’t go anywhere. I might notify you at any ti."
"Hold on, does the Tianjian Bureau have any... high-tech spy gadgets?"
"High-tech spy gadgets? What kind are you looking for?"
"Reconnaissance, for infiltration. The smaller and more covert, the better."
"Follow !"
Following Ming Baiye, Wang Lan arrived at a secluded, standalone building within the Tianjian Bureau compound. The building resembled the dical departnt of a Star Martial Academy; everyone entering and exiting wore white lab coats, and so even wore protective gear, making Wang Lan suspect they might be researching biochemical weapons.
"Wang Lan, these are all micro-robots for reconnaissance. However, due to technical limitations, we can’t control them remotely yet. Each one requires a controller to direct its movents. The controller’s sensor range is only three hundred ters. This ans you need to operate them within that range. Honestly, I don’t think they’re very useful. You’d be better off using infiltration-type Star Martial Skills."
"But Star Martial Skills cause Star Energy Fluctuations. And even if I don’t use Star Martial Skills, anyone with perception-type Talented Skills could detect a Star Martial Warrior nearby."
"True. Soone capable of controlling the underground Soul Bead trade is unlikely to be an ordinary person."
In the end, Wang Lan chose a spider-type robot and a Qingniao for reconnaissance.
With the two items, Wang Lan returned to his dormitory. He carefully read the plan Ming Baiye had formulated. It was detailed, with each step intricately linked to the next. At first glance, it seed quite impressive, though sowhat incomprehensible. From the lines of the plan, an aura of masterful strategy, capable of deciding victory from a thousand miles away, seed to emanate.
But... Wang Lan was dismissive. Such beautiful, naive optimism. Pure wishful thinking.
The more ingenious a plan, the more critical it is that no step goes wrong. A single unexpected incident could derail the entire plan, leading to a complete collapse.
What’s the perfect plan? It’s setting a trap on the enemy’s inevitable path, precisely when they believe they are absolutely safe. If there are alternative routes, it’s not an inevitable path. If they are on guard, they are not absolutely reassured.
So, after reviewing the plan several tis, Wang Lan tossed the so-called "Decapitation Strike Plan" aside and began to mull over his own ideas.
The first part of the Decapitation Strike Plan was still usable. However, the later stages—gaining Chen Xiaoping’s trust, finding a way to connect to the higher-ups, gaining their trust, and collecting evidence during transactions for the Tianjian Bureau to make a clean sweep—seed unfeasible. Given the Tianjian Bureau’s penny-pinching ways, the part about gaining trust through transactions couldn’t be implented.
Moreover, Wang Lan was busy with his studies and didn’t have ti to waste on such a protracted sche. He preferred a solution that was once-and-for-all.
It just so happened that after upgrading Spiritual Engraving to the Gold level, he’d gained a new ability. And this particular application of the skill hadn’t even been developed by the Engraving Masters yet.
Even though a Star Martial Skill might have been around for a long ti, it didn’t an its applications had reached their limits. If Wang Lan hadn’t demonstrated his vertical Fla Sword, He MingXue wouldn’t have known the Fla Sword could be used that way.
The plan, repeatedly simulated in his mind, was simple yet lethal!
Now, all that was left was for the Soul Beads to be delivered.
Putting the plan aside, Wang Lan examined the two high-tech robots before him. The Qingniao was fine; it had solar panels and could recharge using solar energy. But the spider robot, being too small, couldn’t. Both robots were highly realistic in their mimicry; unless observed up close, they were indistinguishable from real creatures.
He turned on the power, activating both robots. Then, he connected them to his laptop via the USB port.
"Xiao Ai?"
"I’m here!"
"Copy a clone of yourself into these two robots. Can they be controlled autonomously?"
"Certainly."
Soon, two progress bars appeared and quickly completed. The two robots began to move without Wang Lan’s remote control.
"Wang Lan, I can control both robots. Since I have a quantum connection with my main body, I can remotely transmit instructions to these clones. Apologies, the robots’ capacity is too small to hold all my programs."
"Wait, quantum connection? I don’t rember your data code being that high-end."
"In February this year, Ice Snow and I went on a trip to White Eagle and were inadvertently caught up in their System Number 54. There, Ice Snow and I received a data upgrade. Since we’re just programs, we couldn’t acquire the capabilities of their supercomputers. However, we can still utilize so functions of the quantum data connection module. Wang Lan, if you want to receive a comprehensive upgrade, how about building a quantum computer chassis? That amount of money shouldn’t be a problem for you."
"Heh..." Wang Lan sneered coldly. "Technology that’s still in the ’black tech’ stage is, in a word, expensive! You think I don’t know that? Being able to control them is good enough. Assist with a task in a few days."
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