604: Chapter 604: The Fish is Hooked (Extra Large Chapter for Monthly Votes) 604: Chapter 604: The Fish is Hooked (Extra Large Chapter for Monthly Votes) “Ah!!!
Rejecting to wake up early starts with .
I only went to bed at four o’clock last night, and then I was called for a eting at seven in the morning.
It’s not easy to get a break; do you think it’s easy for ?”
Wu Lan laid her upper body on the desk, speaking in a feeble voice, “Sleep at four, wake at seven, an urn is a rectangular box, He Ao little brother, when you return, you must properly comfort your sister’s injured soul, it’s best to comfort both the body and soul.”
“Ahem—”
A series of rapid coughs echoed in the virtual eting room.
“Ahem, ahem, Minister Yang, what are you coughing for – cough,” Wu Lan slowly lifted her head, looking at the screen, “I’ve never seen you guys squeeze us so…
Director…?!”
She suddenly straightened up, like a bent steel plate snapping back into place, her ample chest heaving up and down, a faint blush flashing across her white cheeks.
She looked at the screen and laughed awkwardly,
“Director, good morning.”
“Good morning,”
Li Cheng, sitting next to He Ao, said with a gentle smile, “This issue is indeed urgent, otherwise, we wouldn’t have called everyone up in the middle of the night.”
“Director, is it about the artifact portal?”
Yang De asked softly.
Currently, the eting featured four split screens, with Minister Yang De of the Research Institute’s external affairs departnt, and two deputy ministers, Ji Po and Wu Lan, each remotely connecting to the eting from their own devices, occupying one screen each.
He Ao and Li Cheng were sitting together, sharing one screen.
The eting attendees were, apart from Director Li Cheng, the ministers of the Research Institute’s external affairs departnt, and the most significant matter for the external affairs departnt at the mont was about the artifact portal.
As it happened, Li Cheng was currently in Eren City, where the artifact portal was about to open, so the discussion would most likely be related to the artifact portal.
“The artifact portal is about to open,”
Li Cheng didn’t beat around the bush and went straight to the point, “We all know that when the artifact portal is about to open, it sends out a summoning ssage to individuals near the location where it will open.
Both the World Tree and Moonlight have been guarding the potential areas of the portal.
About an hour ago, the area under the supervision of the World Tree suddenly ‘heard’ the summoning ssage.
“According to the information they shared, the artifact portal will open at Rodan ti…”
He glanced down at the computer’s ti, “It’s just past midnight Rodan ti, about twenty-four hours from now.
The artifact will open at midnight tomorrow.”
“That soon?”
Surprised by the news, Yang De was taken aback.
“Weren’t we given at least two days to prepare for the previous artifacts?”
Wu Lan, who was gradually recovering from the embarrassnt, asked with so astonishnt.
“Yes, the portal is opening faster this ti, plus,”
Li Cheng continued, “the information from the World Tree indicates that their C-levels also heard the ‘summoning’.”
“So C-level Transcendents can enter the artifact this ti?”
This ti it was the always silent Ji Po who asked, “The artifact is getting closer and closer to us.”
The maximum capacity of Transcendents the artifact portal could accommodate has been gradually increasing, starting with ordinary people, then F-level, E-level, and the last ti He Ao went in, it was able to accommodate up to D-level.
“Not necessarily,” Li Cheng replied slowly,
“Although our main hypothesis is that the artifact is ‘approaching’ the real world, with the ‘distance’ decreasing, causing the artifact portal to increasingly stabilize, allowing stronger Transcendents to be transported, this is only one of the more logical conclusions.
“So believe that there is an incomprehensible barrier between the artifact and the real world, with the artifact portal being a ‘hole’ in this barrier.
As the exchange between the artifact and the real world increases, this hole is being poked larger and larger, allowing stronger Transcendents to pass through.
“However, these are just conjectures,
“While making assumptions and verifying through experints is a common scientific thod, we shouldn’t limit our thinking to just one hypothesis.
A singular mindset might restrict our perspective when thinking,”
Realizing that he may have gone a bit off-topic as he noticed the three people on the computer screen beginning to look bewildered, Li Cheng cleared his throat and continued,
“But one thing that can be confird is that the exchange between the artifact and the real world has beco stronger.
“Also, based on our past experience, each ti the artifact portal undergoes this kind of ‘upgrade,’ there is always a significant leap in the concentration of superhuman powers in the real world afterward.”
“That ans, more strange phenona, more complex superhuman artifacts.”
Yang De rubbed his forehead and said softly.
The hands at the Research Institute were already sowhat stretched thin dealing with the current level of strange phenona.
“Does that an there will be more Transcendents awakening?”
At this point, He Ao sitting next to him, raised his own question.
If strange phenona and Transcendents both increased, then an overall dynamic balance could still be maintained.
“Logically, it seems like it should be the case, but reality is always much more complicated,”
Li Cheng said with a smile as he shook his head,
“Based on the data we have gathered so far, at least within the monitoring scope of the Research Institute, the number of new Transcendents awakened has not increased with the concentration of superhuman power.
“In fact, it seems the number of new Transcendents awakening each month had already reached a peak a few months back, and now the amount is not increasing, but decreasing.”
“So you’re saying, the number of Transcendents isn’t simply positively correlated with the concentration of superhuman power?
But currently, the number of strange events and superhuman artifacts are showing a positive correlation with the concentration of superhuman power?”
He Ao pondered for a mont before organizing his thoughts.
“Yes.”
Li Cheng looked appreciatively at He Ao, “Although I do not have the data from Moonlight or the World Tree, judging by their situation over the years, it should be about the sa as ours.”
“Hold on, hold on,”
Wu Lan on the other side of the television raised her hand, “What are you talking about?
I’m having a bit of trouble understanding.”
“Well,”
He Ao thought for a mont, then explained,
“The current trend is that the number of Transcendents is increasing less and less, and the number of Transcendents who can beco our comrades will continue to decrease until one day, possibly, the total number of Transcendents in the world will reach a stable value and then won’t increase much.
“But contrarily, the number of mysterious events might continuously increase,
“Our manpower is stable, but the number of incidents we need to deal with is increasing.
There will co a day when we won’t be able to handle all the mysterious events, and then these incidents will be exposed to the eyes of ordinary people, more and more…
until they spread across the entire world…”
At this point, He Ao suddenly paused.
The term ‘great catastrophe’ flashed through his mind.
The great catastrophe that had destroyed the prehistoric civilization of the Copy World.
After that, the entire Copy World was filled with bizarre occurrences, Evil Gods, and exotic beasts.
Humanity struggled to survive in this mad night, and the light of civilization was extinguished.
It wasn’t until the appearance of the Original Federation and the great walls that the people of the Copy World reignited the flas of civilization.
However, in the records of the Copy World that He Ao now understood, the great catastrophe seed to have appeared suddenly, not progressively like in the main world.
It was clear that Li Cheng and the senior managent of the Research Institute had realized this, which is why their recent actions were sowhat aggressive compared to their previously dormant state.
“This isn’t good news,”
Yang De, having also grasped the logic, sighed and smiled at the sowhat astonished He Ao, “But luckily, we still have ti.”
“The way you’re talking is as if the end of the world is coming,”
Wu Lan blinked, “Does that an I don’t have to pay my credit card bill?
Should I max out my credit card right now; would there still be ti?”
“It’s too late; your card has probably already been frozen,” Ji Po interjected from the side, “I suggest you give the card, and I’ll see if it can still be used.”
“Ji Po, I always thought you were an honest man!”
Wu Lan stared at Ji Po, her voice laden with shock.
“Of course, I’ve always been straightforward and honest,”
Ji Po replied quickly.
“I didn’t see the honesty, but your skin is certainly thick.”
Wu Lan crossed her arms in front of her chest, propped up her bosom, and turned her gaze to He Ao, “See that, Brother He Ao?
Don’t trust this guy so easily; he just looks honest, but he’s full of crafty ideas inside.”
Watching the banter between the two, a smile slowly spread across He Ao’s face, dispelling the previously oppressive atmosphere.
“Ahem,”
Yang De coughed and interrupted Wu Lan’s speech, turning to look at Li Cheng, “Director, what should we do next?”
Li Cheng smiled and, without comnting on the jesting that had just occurred, went straight to the point, “As of now, our manpower is sufficient, so we don’t need to worry about the more distant issues.
We take things one step at a ti; let’s first get a clear understanding of the relic’s issues.”
He looked at the screen, “Based on the information we received from the World Tree and Moonlight, this ti, the relic can be entered by a maximum of 3 C-level, 12 D-level, and approximately 36 E-level or below individuals, totaling 51 slots.
“However, the issue now is that the Space-Ti Anchor for the relic hasn’t been found.”
“The people that Moonlight and the World Tree just sent over haven’t found the Space-Ti Anchor either?”
Yang De asked softly.
In the previous mysterious incident, the World Tree branch in Eren was wiped out, and the Moonlight Branch lost everyone except those who were out on tasks, both organizations suffered heavy losses.
However, those two organizations were close to Rodan, and over the past few days, they had gradually sent quite a number of people over.
Of course, the main focus was still on searching the whole area for the key to the relic passage, the Space-Ti Anchor.
“No.”
Li Cheng shook his head, “So far, they have no leads.”
“Considering the ti already spent, Moonlight and the World Tree must have turned the whole city of Eren upside down.
Theoretically, the Space-Ti Anchor shouldn’t have been able to leave Eren on its own, and should have been found no matter where it was hidden…
unless…”
After a mont of thought, Yang De turned his eyes to the screen,
“The Space-Ti Anchor has already been taken by soone,
“And in Eren, the only person who could take away the Space-Ti Anchor without being found is…”
“Hao Yi,”
Li Cheng nodded, “I’ve already reached an agreent with Moonlight and the World Tree.
They will advertise massively like before to find Hao Yi, and I am responsible for eting with him.
The surrounding security and cleanup will be managed by our people along with Moonlight and the World Tree.”
“Alright.”
Yang De nodded, “Then tomorrow we also need to find a reliable C-level.”
For an instant, everyone’s gaze shifted to He Ao.
“Hmm?”
While listening to their conversation, He Ao was distractedly pondering the great cataclysm issue when he absentmindedly looked up.
——
Alano
He Ao’s clone, Hu Wen, had already returned to this pirate-ruled land.
The ti in Alano was even earlier than in Rodan; it was just nightfall, and the stars hung over the silent, dark sea.
He Ao, controlling his clone, was sitting by the sea, fishing.
A sowhat haggard figure stumbled desperately toward He Ao.
It was none other than ‘Boss,’ whom He Ao had been assigned by ‘Boss’ to help He Ao manage the Tia Empire and the nearby regions under the organization called “Daybreak.”
But to call him an assistant was sowhat of a stretch; in reality, Noding managed everything here on his own, it was only under the auspice of He Ao’s C-level status that he worked.
Stumbling up to He Ao, Noding suddenly fell to his knees with a thud, “Master Hu Wen, Boss, Boss…”
“What happened to Boss?”
He Ao glanced at Noding, lifted his fishing rod, and cast the line a bit farther.
“Boss is gone.”
Noding said, trembling.
“Hmm?”
He Ao paused in his actions and looked indifferently at Noding, “Gone how?”
“I…
I don’t know…”
Cold sweat dripped down Noding’s cheeks, “Just now, the Leader suddenly contacted , saying that Boss is unreachable and probably gone.”
“You don’t know how he is gone?”
He Ao said coldly as he stared at Noding, “Then why are you looking for ?
Taking revenge wasn’t part of our arrangent.”
“There’s a call here,” Noding said shakily as he lifted a satellite phone, presenting it to He Ao, “It’s from, the Leader…
He said to call back.”
“The Leader?”
He Ao blinked.
The Leader of Daybreak?
The one who founded Daybreak and asserts that Transcendents and ordinary people should be separated, granting Transcendents more privileges, a B-level?
He Ao took the phone.
It displayed a dialing interface, with just one number in it.
He Ao dialed directly.
“Hello?” The voice on the other end was that of an Elderly man, speaking awkwardly in Central Earth language, “Is this Hu Wen?”
“Good day.”
He Ao said softly as he held the phone to his ear.
“Hu Wen, it seems your ‘Boss’ has run into trouble.
Are you still willing to work for Daybreak?”
The Elderly man did not beat around the bush and asked directly.
“For how much.”
He Ao also asked directly.
“What ‘Boss’ originally offered, plus half more.
Will that do?”
The Elderly man asked softly.
“Double it.”
He Ao stated plainly.
“Seventy percent, that’s the most I can offer.”
The Elderly man responded quickly.
He Ao hesitated for a mont, “Deal.”
“That would be very helpful,”
The Elderly man laughed hoarsely, “Originally, the Tia Empire and those parts near Western Lands’ Rodan were your ‘Boss’s territory.
Now that he is likely gone and his people are untraceable, we are short on staff.
These areas, I’m afraid, are going to need your attention.”
No wonder the pay was high.
“Do I have a lot to do?”
He Ao asked in a low voice.
“Not much, just help keep an eye on things, there are relevant managers over there.
If sothing happens, just lend a hand, and of course, if you want to replace your own managent personnel, that’s fine too.”
The elderly man said with a smile, “I’ve got sothing to take care of now, but I will notify these people to contact yours later.
Oh, yes,”
He seed to rember sothing and asked slowly, “Do you know where ‘Painter’ has gone?”
“Painter?” He Ao shook his head, honestly, “I don’t know him.”
“Oh, okay, that’s fine.”
The elderly man nodded slightly, “Then I will trouble you with this.”
After that, he hung up the phone.
He Ao moved the phone away and glanced at Noding beside him, “‘Painter’ is who?”
“Painter is the main person in charge of the Western Lands for the organization, a friend of the ‘Boss’.
Previously, when the Boss was busy, it was said that he also asked ‘Painter’ for help,”
Noding replied in a low voice.
‘Painter’ seed to have disappeared too.
Noding cautiously raised his head, glancing at He Ao.
When the ‘Boss’ was present, he was the ‘Boss’s proxy, who could control the nearby Daybreak organization, so he didn’t need to pay much attention to He Ao.
Now that the ‘Boss’ was gone, He Ao had beco his imdiate superior.
He knew all too well that the man before him was a ruthless bandit who killed without blinking, and he didn’t know how He Ao would deal with him.
He knew that his best option was to flee, but he couldn’t bear to let go of the power in his hands.
And so, one knelt, while the other sat, fishing.
Until the moon hung low over the tip of the fishing rod.
Noding’s legs had gone numb, but he still lay prone, daring not to move.
“Take it,”
A mobile phone landed in front of him, followed by He Ao’s icy voice, “Go do what you need to do.”
“Thank you, Lord Hu Wen!
Thank you, Lord Hu Wen!”
Clutching the phone, Noding trembled as he kowtowed, “I am willing to go through fire and water for Lord Hu Wen, and would not hesitate!”
“Don’t kill anyone, don’t let those people go too far, don’t cause trouble.”
He Ao’s gaze remained calm as he stared at the fluorescent buoy on the sea, speaking gently and serenely as if making casual chit-chat, “I have a lot on my plate and don’t like wiping the asses of the living.”
“Yes!
Yes!
Yes!”
Noding responded tremblingly, his forehead pressed tightly against the sand and stones on the ground.
“You may go.”
He Ao said softly.
“Yes!”
Noding trembled as he got up, his legs so numb that he could no longer stand.
He crawled on all fours, rolling and scrambling back the way he had co.
Yet even so, a smile lurked at the corners of his mouth that he couldn’t suppress.
He had preserved his power.
He controlled himself, ensuring he didn’t laugh out loud in front of He Ao, slowly crawling into the night.
······
Insolent first, but respectful afterward.
He Ao watched the buoy on the sea.
The Daybreak organization didn’t have many good people, so He Ao didn’t mind putting a bad person in charge of these folks.
He really didn’t have ti to worry about Daybreak’s affairs.
He would pass the list of these people to the Research Institute when he had ti and let them handle it.
He Ao didn’t know why the Leader of Daybreak trusted him so much.
Maybe it was because soone like Hu Wen, who killed without blinking and was wanted by all the major organizations, belonged to the kind of ‘clean’ individuals who would never betray Daybreak.
However, it seed that the Boss was actually third in line for the Daybreak hierarchy.
So by taking over the Boss’s territory, did he now beco the third-in-charge of Daybreak?
The promotion seed to co a bit too quickly.
He beca the third-in-charge without doing anything.
The distant buoy started to move violently up and down.
A fish had taken the bait.
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