Chapter 401
Harvest and Conditions
Chapter 401 Harvest and Conditions
Although Guan Tong came for the test, she felt it was just a formality.
Zhang Minglu probably thought so too, because the probability of parasites lurking here is too low.
But no one expected that it would actually exist.
Zhang Minglu snapped out of his daze and tapped his earpiece: "Dragon Soul, the subject in testing room number 3 is a parasite. Take him into custody immediately!"
During the testing period, Dragon Soul remained on standby. Upon hearing Zhang Minglu's order, it immediately arrived at Testing Room No. 3.
Lying on the bed inside was a young woman with a ponytail; her name tag read "Data Department - Analyst".
She frowned when she saw Long Hun suddenly enter the room and asked, "I'm having a medical check-up. Is there something you need?"
Without saying a word, Long Hun reached out and grabbed her.
The woman's expression changed, as if she realized she had been exposed. The next moment, a mental dagger appeared in her right hand, but before she could use it, she was punched hard in the face by the Dragon Soul.
"Boom!"
After a muffled thud, the woman immediately lost consciousness and was unable to resist.
Dragon Soul reported through the headset: "Target subdued."
Zhang Minglu pushed open the door and came in, with Guan Tong following behind.
"She's a parasite?" Zhang Minglu stepped forward, picked up the woman's work badge, and his face immediately darkened. "Data department, damn it!"
Upon hearing this, Guan Tong realized that the matter was quite serious.
While the data department may not be as cutting-edge as other research departments, it is certainly an important one. Every day, crucial national data is collected there, and by analyzing this data, the results are used to inform policy decisions.
A parasitic analyst lurking within the data department can not only steal this data, but also potentially make subtle, undetectable alterations.
Even slight alterations to some important data can have disastrous consequences.
"Doctor, what should we do?" Dragon Soul asked.
"First, lock up the person—no, this parasite! I'll ask the person in charge for instructions on how to handle it."
"Yes."
Dragon Soul took the parasite away, and Zhang Minglu turned to shake hands with Guan Tong: "Your help this time was crucial! This guy has been lurking in the data department and has already stolen a lot of important information. If we let it continue, the harm it will cause will only be greater."
"It's good that we've gained anything," Guan Tong said. "But where is it going to send the stolen data? To the parasitic divine kingdom of the Black Flag Kingdom?"
“Very likely!” Zhang Minglu said with a serious expression. “According to reports from the allied forces at the front, the parasites, led by their leader ‘Prophet,’ are no match for the allied forces, but they have always managed to avoid their attacks and preserve the main force of the parasites. How could they do this without a large number of infiltrators providing intelligence?”
Guan Tong nodded, agreeing that it made sense.
Zhang Minglu sighed heavily: "The problem is that the parasites are not afraid of interrogation. Neither soft nor hard methods, nor even some hypnotic tools, have any effect on this group. It is unlikely that we can get any information out of them."
Guan Tong was well aware that the parasite could not be turned against him.
Alien spores permanently alter the host's brain, causing mutations in related neurons, preventing them from doing anything harmful to the parasitic community within the host's intellectual capacity.
This is why humans often choose to kill the parasites on the spot rather than capture them. Only a small number are left behind and sent to relevant departments for experimental research.
During the previous "Third Kind Contact" rule, they could serve as food for nanobot swarms, which led humans to temporarily change their approach to dealing with parasites.
Once that rule is lifted, this transition will naturally end.
"The person in charge wants me to go to his office." Zhang Minglu heard the conversation through the earpiece and looked at Guan Tong. "He wants me to take you with me."
Guan Tong had finished her own work and was planning to leave the base, but upon hearing this, she decided to go with them.
Gao Liangwei's office is on the 3rd floor, right next to the large conference room.
As Zhang Minglu passed by the conference room, he said, "As the head of the Countermeasures Research Office, Colonel Gao has the most serious attitude towards his work in the entire base. He often stays in his office for a whole day and night, and his average sleep is probably less than 30 hours per week."
"You sleep less than 30 hours a week?" Guan Tong asked in surprise. "If you work so hard and it causes health problems, wouldn't it be a losing proposition?"
"Thanks to the enhancement of physical fitness by mental power, and with the help of some props, the person in charge is in pretty good physical condition. But the biggest burden comes from the mind. Physical wear and tear can be compensated for by props, but not mental wear and tear... But the person in charge is the most determined person I have ever met, so I think he can hold on."
"..."
The two entered Gao Liangwei's office, a small space filled with various documents, data disks, and so on.
Gao Liangwei was standing by the desk when he saw the two arrive. He said, "Interrogating the parasite is pointless. No matter what important information it has conveyed, it is already a sunk cost for the research lab."
Guan Tong felt that Gao Liangwei was right. As the saying goes, don't cry over spilled milk. No matter how important the information that was leaked in the past was, there's no point in pursuing it now.
"So, what do you plan to do with her, person in charge?" Zhang Minglu asked. "Execute her? Or send her to the Parasite Brain Research Center for dissection?"
What was said in jest was taken to heart by Guan Tong; Zhang Minglu's words stung her slightly.
He thought of Suzuki, whose brain was almost dissected by the research department for the purpose of studying the effects of spores on neurons.
"No, I intend, or more precisely, the Human Consortium intends to use a portion of the parasites for experiments with these rules."
“Used as the rule for this…” Zhang Minglu was taken aback, “to make them look directly at Crimson Terra?”
……
"Finch, are you aware that you have received a joint complaint from experts from various countries?"
In the top-floor office of the Somali Crisis Management Authority, the King sat in a swivel chair, looking out at the clouds high in the sky and speaking slowly.
The Crisis Management Bureau is a department established by Soroma to counter the rules of the apocalypse, and its function is similar to that of the North Star Countermeasures Research Office.
Finch, the bearded man who led last night's exploration of Scarlet Terra, stood at the back, looking indignant. "Hmph, Your Majesty," he said, "those guys are just being fussy. The subjects all signed voluntary contracts and understood the risks, so what are they complaining about? With them being so fussy, stopping the experiment the moment the subject cries out, how could they possibly discover anything!"
The king remained silent, stroking the scepter in his right hand.
Finch peeked at the king's expression through the glass reflection and, seeing no anger on his face, felt slightly relieved.
"Of the five participants, one died of brain injury despite resuscitation efforts, two suffered permanent brain damage, one experienced multiple episodes of neurological spasms, and only one was relatively less severe."
Finch's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, thinking that he was about to be held accountable.
Unexpectedly, the king's next words relieved him.
"The problem is, why did you agree to let the liar stop the experiment? As you said, he signed a contract."
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty...it was my fault! I said I wanted to tie that bastard to the chair, but everyone else disagreed. Plus, the last experimenter made a discovery, so I didn't think twice...I will never show any leniency next time, please rest assured!" The King nodded slightly: "I have read the experiment report. It mentions that the unknown discovered by that experimenter was a red blush?"
“Yes,” Finch said. “He said that after staring at Crimson Terra for more than three seconds, all sorts of terrifying images began to appear in his mind. These images were generated based on his childhood fears, and each one was extremely realistic. He was able to barely maintain his sanity thanks to the resistance provided by his high mental strength... He tried to find the unknown in those terrifying images.”
What he found was a blush of red. It wasn't something he feared, so it must be something unknown. But as soon as he noticed it, it vanished quickly, gone in an instant.
The king spun his chair around and looked at Finch expressionlessly: "Blush, is this all the clues you have?"
"...Your Majesty, I am sorry, but I will continue my efforts. I will continue my experiments until I figure out what that blush is and find a way to capture it!"
"The next experiment will be led by Beixing. Don't forget that this is a joint exploration by the human consortium."
“North Star?!” Finch was greatly displeased. “Last night, one of the experts from North Star was yelling at me to stop the experiment. What results can these indecisive people achieve! Your Majesty, please allow me to explore this in private. I will find the answer faster than the Human Conjoined!
"No," the king refused outright.
Finch was taken aback, not expecting this to be the case.
As an expert who has led many projects over the years, he knows that in the past, it was not uncommon for Solmar to ostensibly cooperate with international organizations to investigate a matter while secretly sending his own country's independent departments to investigate.
Why didn't it work this time?
"His Majesty……"
"No need to say more, no means no."
The king's authority is beyond question.
He knew that everything had to give way to Dr. Heisenberg's "Angel Project" now, and any actions that might cause trouble or attract the attention of other countries, especially North Star, would not be allowed.
Dr. Haisen had previously told him that after receiving the memory digitization technology from the nano-lifeforms, he would need six months to digest and apply it to his plans.
His biggest requirement over the past six months has been stability.
Seeing the king's indifferent expression, Finch knew that the king's decision was irreversible.
He nodded helplessly: "Alright, Your Majesty... then I'll prepare to go to Beixing to participate in the experiment there."
"Since this isn't an experiment you're leading, you don't need to say much. Just record the results in detail."
The king then felt a vibration in his coat pocket and said to Finch, "You may leave now."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Finch left the room with his head down.
The king took out his phone from his pocket. In an era where smart devices have become so advanced, he was still using an old-fashioned button phone.
After pressing the answer button, a young man's voice came through.
"You should give me an explanation."
They immediately demanded an explanation from the King of Soma, but no one knew who had called.
The king wasn't angry, and replied calmly, "What explanation do you need?"
"Pretend you don't know? Really?" The young man's voice was calm, but a hint of suppressed anger could be heard. "Please explain why I lost my access to Eden Island."
Why did you come to the island?
"What do you think? Do I need to remind you that my wife and children are on the island?"
“Oh? I thought you didn’t care about them. Do I need to remind you what documents you signed before joining the ‘Eden Project’? That document stated that if your child is born on the island, custody of him/her does not belong to you or your wife… You should be well aware of this, Adam.”
Adam fell silent on the phone.
The Eden Project is a mysterious long-term plan that the Soro Empire began two years ago, at the very beginning of the end times.
The core of this plan is to gather a very small number of Soromagnets with the highest initial mental power and transport them to Eden Island, where these men and women can freely fall in love, marry, and reproduce.
The purpose of the plan is to select the best among the unborn children, choosing one with an exceptionally high potential and growth rate of spiritual power. This child is referred to as the "Son of God," and is believed to lead the world forward in the future.
Nearly two years later, the plan finally yielded some results.
A small number of newborns were born on the island.
However, all those who participated in the program signed a document before landing on the island.
The document states that children born on the island will be raised by the Solmar government, and the parents will not have custody rights.
“…I am very familiar with that document. Since I signed it, I acknowledge it. But what I am asking for now is not custody, but visitation rights. Don’t I even have the right to visit my own child, Your Majesty?”
“No,” the king said. “This is for your own good.”
"For my own good?"
"Out of sight, out of mind. You only need visitation rights now, but if you see the child, you might change your mind and want custody."
“I don’t understand these big principles. I only know that the document does not deprive me of my visitation rights as a father.”
"No means no."
"What if I absolutely must go to the island?"
Adam's voice remained calm on the phone, but the king knew him well and knew that Adam was truly enraged.
Before the Angel Project succeeds, we must not allow any unforeseen complications.
"You can visit your child, provided you complete the task I assigned you."
"...Destroy the Cult of the Fire Stealers?"
"No, I want you to capture the mastermind behind the Fire Thief Cult alive. Whether that person is the pope in the open or someone hiding in the shadows."
Adam's voice turned cold: "Capture him alive... You should know that guy's abilities are likely related to mind control. What, you're capturing him alive so you can use him to mind control others?"
“What I do with that man is none of your business,” the king said. “Adam, my patience with you has its limits, and you should remember that. Capture him in the joint operation, and I will allow you to visit the children on the island; otherwise… you can try to see what happens if you force your way in.”
After the king finished speaking, he hung up the phone and put it away.
He glanced out the window at the distant sky and earth, snorted coldly, and turned to leave, leaning on his cane.
(End of this chapter)