Chapter 55: Follow Me, and You’ll Have Meat to Eat

Chapter 55: Follow Me, and You’ll Have Meat to Eat

Du Xiaoran clearly had no interest in continuing the discussion. He let my last words hang in the air unanswered. There was no point pressing it — our positions were too different.

After a moment of silence, he said, “That quantum research institute has quantum technology files and antimatter weapons inside. Think it over — do you want to run a job? You don’t have to decide now. Go back and talk it over with your friends. Once you’ve made up your mind, contact me.”

When he finished, Du Xiaoran scratched a row of digits into the ground with his pigeon claws. Contact information, clearly. Then he said, “This is my alt account. You can reach me through it — but if you try to sell me out, this is just a shell. You won’t be able to trace it back to me.”

“Don’t judge a gentleman by a petty man’s standards,” I said. “I don’t even know you. What would be the point of selling you out? But you’d better walk me through the plan first. I need to know if it’s something we can actually pull off.”

“Fair enough,” Du Xiaoran said. “The main laboratory of the quantum research institute is underground. We can’t get in — and even if we could, it would be too dangerous. That’s off the table. But I know they have a records room on the east side of the above-ground building. That secure records room holds a great deal of their quantum technology materials, including files on antimatter weapons. The problem is that the room’s electromagnetic emissions are shielded. Most people won’t be able to probe it at all. I’m different, though. I’ve developed an electronic information intelligence processor that can amplify the faint signals leaking from their secure records room by running them through multiple reflected waves. My own abilities aren’t sufficient, so I need someone with an exceptional sensitivity to micro-electromagnetic waves working alongside me. Since you managed to enter the Elite World, you must have connections with the resistance — they have people of every kind. My suggestion is to bring the matter to them. Once we have the materials, we share everything on the spot. After that, I take my share to the black market for some achievement points, and your side uses the technical files to replicate their work. Everyone comes out ahead.”

“You want me to find the resistance?” I said. “You’re not a Soul Hunter trying to use this as a chance to round them up, are you?”

Du Xiaoran made a dismissive sound. “That’s rich. I’m the one worried about you selling me out. That’s exactly why everyone here wears a mask — everyone conducts business through a parasitic host. Nobody knows who anyone else really is. That’s how it should be. We get the materials on site, split the take on site, and then we’re done. You can’t find me, and I have no desire to know who you are. I’ll be honest — there is a selfish reason I want the resistance involved. The moment leaked high-level technical materials surface on the black market, the Soul Hunters will come looking. But if the resistance is standing in front of me, I’m safe. That’s also why I struck up a conversation with you in the first place.”

It was a reasonable enough position.

But when he mentioned an “electronic information intelligence processor,” my thoughts jumped to Yellow Hair Zhang Yu in the incapacitated people’s settlement. Some time back, when I was moving against the Ziye Group, I had gone to Zhang Yu for help. Using the information intelligence processor and information nodes he provided, I had successfully stolen the Sweepers’ information core.

“Have you ever been to the incapacitated people’s settlement in the Mundane World?” I asked.

Du Xiaoran blinked. “I have. Why?”

“You said just now that you developed the electronic information intelligence processor. But I’ve seen something like it in the incapacitated people’s settlement.”

Du Xiaoran was quiet for a moment. “You mean Yellow Hair Zhang Yu? That kid saved my life once. I’d gotten…