Chapter Sixty: The Stroke of Capital

The ink on the registration form was still wet when Feng Man picked up the walkie-talkie. "Clear a room in District A, the new Tier 3 ability user needs—" Before she could finish, whatever the person on the other end said made her frown. "What?"

"I don't think you understand, this is a Tier 3 ability user." Feng Man's fingers tapped rhythmically against the tabletop.

With her acute spiritual perception, Li Luyan caught fragments of sound leaking from the walkie-talkie. "Feng Man! This is an order, are you trying to defy your superiors?"

Though slightly distorted, the voice was clearly that of a man.

Li Luyan's gaze turned sharp. To be precise, this was the voice of Professor Diao. It seemed he still wasn't scared enough.

Meanwhile, in Room 904, Building 30 of District A, Professor Diao sat on the sofa, pointing to his swollen, red face and weeping tearfully. "Section Chief Qi! You must seek justice for me, that new ability user is simply too arrogant!"

"Look at this, she slapped my face into this state."

"Oh? What?" The man swirled a glass of red wine, not even glancing at Professor Diao, and curved his lips into a sinister smile. "It seems there are people tired of living, eager to challenge my authority."

"Don't even know how to beat a dog while looking at its master?"

"Indeed, indeed!" Professor Diao wept even harder, smearing snot and tears all over his face. "You are the most likely candidate for Chief Commander, how could that brat dare!"

The more excited he got, the more saliva sprayed onto the glass table. The man frowned imperceptibly, massaged his temples, and said, "I know. You may leave first."

Professor Diao stood up, bowed to the man, and turned toward the door. Just as he reached the exit, the man called out, "By the way, has MORPH-SE-GB been developed yet?"

Professor Diao paused, his tone flattering. "Not yet... It might still need some test subjects." A flash of malice and greed crossed his eyes. "I think that woman would be quite suitable..."

...

"Fine, fine..." Resting her chin in both hands, Feng Man stared at Li Luyan with an inquisitive gaze. After a long moment, she asked, "Did you offend someone important?"

Li Luyan raised an eyebrow, a cold sneer curving her lips. "You could say that. Some senile old fool who doesn't know when to die."

Feng Man nodded thoughtfully, her fingers tapping lightly on the desk. "No wonder... Professor Diao holds considerable sway in the Research Department."

"It seems I can only wrong Miss Li by having you temporarily reside in District B."

"Building 19, Room 304. The building closest to District A, third floor—neither too high nor too low, with good lighting."

"This is the most I can pull strings to secure for you."

She looked at Li Luyan with a trace of regret, then bent down, rummaged through a drawer, and pulled out an item. "This is my clearance card, it entitles you to double rations every day."

She tossed a completely blue card onto the table, a glint of admiration surfacing in her eyes. "You handled that brilliantly. I've loathed that old geezer for a long time."

"Still, young people must learn to be restrained," her gaze turning profound, "especially before possessing absolute strength."

Li Luyan curved her lips in non-committal amusement. Yet, if that short jerk dared to pull any more cheap stunts, she wouldn't mind tossing him straight into a horde of zombies.

While the towering tree catches the wind, she was hardly the type of person to let herself be suppressed by others.

Feng Man spun her chair around, turning away from Li Luyan, and said wearily, "Alright, I'm tired. You may go. If you encounter any trouble, come find me here."

"I've decided to count you as a friend." She deliberately emphasized the last sentence. In Li Luyan, she saw her own younger self—reckless and ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth when she first entered the workplace, suffering numerous setbacks as a result.

Li Luyan accepted the all-blue card, her fingertips gently brushing its edge as the corners of her mouth lifted. "Thanks."

She casually slipped the card into her pocket and transferred it directly into her spatial storage. Having a spatial dimension was a secret best kept from too many people.

She could sense the goodwill Feng Man was projecting, but in a chaotic world, how long could anyone's goodwill truly last?

Stepping out of Feng Man's office, the Cheng siblings were already waiting patiently by the door.

"Sister Li! Which building are you in? Let's see if we're close by." Cheng Yuan eagerly reached out to loop her arm through Li Luyan's, but Liu Qingye stepped forward unassumingly, neatly blocking Cheng Yuan's path.

"Building 19," Li Luyan stated simply.

"Building 19?" Cheng Mo frowned as he stepped forward, his voice laced with disbelief. "Isn't Building 19 in District B?"

Why would a Tier 3 ability user be assigned to District B? Logically speaking, she should be placed in the central sector of District A. Cheng Mo's fingers grazed the pistol holstered at his waist.

Cheng Yuan also gasped in dismay. "How can this be? You are entirely qualified to live in District A."

"Professor Diao." Li Luyan kept it brief, her tone calm and entirely devoid of panic over the situation.

Besides, that old bastard... was going to die sooner or later.

"That old bastard..." Cheng Mo's knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists, his expression exceedingly grim.

Pushing past Liu Qingye amidst the latter's increasingly gloomy glare, Cheng Yuan grabbed Li Luyan's hand and pleaded earnestly, "Sister Li, if things get too bad, come live with us! We're in Building 23."

"No need," Li Luyan withdrew her hand. "Building 19 is fine."

...

After bidding farewell to the Cheng siblings, Li Luyan, Liu Qingye, and the little scoundrel headed toward Building 19 in District B.

The sky was gradually darkening. The architecture in District B was virtually identical to that in District A, except that the guards here were far less stringent, making it easier for mutated creatures to crawl in.

As for District C, it went without saying. Ordinary people there were merely kept on the brink of starvation with meager handouts, let alone getting enough to eat.

What puzzled Li Luyan was why a place brimming with ability users required so many guards, yet relegated ordinary people to the most perilous positions. Was the construction of this base truly meant to preserve the spark of humanity...

Or... for something else entirely?

She narrowed her eyes at the entrance of Building 19, which stood pitch-black, resembling the cavernous maw of a giant beast.

...

The layout of Room 304 in Building 19 was practically the same as those rooms in District A.

As for why people fought tooth and nail to squeeze into District A...

Through the window, Li Luyan scanned the area outside the courtyard wall. A few mutated creatures were roaring and howling, yet not a single ability user stepped out to deal with them.

Only ordinary people inside the walls lived in terror—those who required no protection were protected, while those who needed protection were cast into danger.

She was finding it increasingly difficult to understand the purpose behind building such a base...

"Sister, what are you looking at?" Liu Qingye spoke up abruptly, pulling her back from her train of thought.

"Nothing much," she replied indifferently.

Watching her slightly furrowed brows, a sudden thought sprouted in Liu Qingye's mind: could it be that stinky old man who had made his sister so absent-minded right now?

The youth's gaze grew progressively gloomy as he mentally tallied this debt against Professor Diao.

Just wait... sooner or later, he would kill that old bastard.