Chapter 151: The Grey Zone of Gene Chains

The staff members here hurried back and forth, Interactive Projections floating in front of them. Even while walking, they did not forget to swipe across their screens.

"Sixteen Shanda People from Planet Bichupa need to enter the territory of the Guwei Civilization in eight hours. We need sixteen Guwei citizenship identities..."

This was a massive network. Mangu did not dabble much in the Slave Trade, choosing instead to focus entirely on operating her Snakehead Network.

Because she was based in the Inuit Hub, rather than a completely lawless region like No Man's Land, the slave trade was difficult to conduct here.

Moreover, regarding the business of forging identities, the profits were just one aspect; the massive web of connections it accumulated was also astonishing.

Seeing Li Yu walk out, Kansa immediately went up to greet him, completely unaware that Li Yu had already planned to hand him over to Mangu.

"You should let me go back..." Kansa's first words were a tall tale, but Li Yu did not directly refuse, only looking at him. "Reason?"

Kansa weighed his words. "When Prince Saster returns to the Amethyst Civilization, he will definitely spread rumors about what happened on Molcasar. If I do not show up, then his word will be the only truth."

This was the thought that occurred to him right after hearing the recent news. Previously on the spaceship, he had been constantly guarded by that simpleton.

Li Yu rubbed his chin. He did not care how Prince Saster explained things to the interior of the Amethyst Civilization.

However, Dark Star had bafflingly gotten into a fight with Saster. He certainly would not let this matter rest. Yet, in all the public announcements from the Amethyst Civilization...

...there was absolutely no mention of Dark Star's presence. This meant that the Amethyst Civilization had no intention of tearing up all cordiality with Dark Star.

Or rather... Prince Saster was unwilling to provoke trouble with Dark Star before figuring out the truth, even if he had inexplicably suffered a hidden loss and fought a Bloody Battle against him.

But if he could use this opportunity to establish a connection with Dark Star, there might be unexpected gains.

Meanwhile, Dark Star had already guessed that Li Yu was the one playing tricks. The moment he was summoned over by the Pager, he had roared that he would kill Li Yu.

Although it was unknown exactly what methods the System used to control Dark Star, it had definitely disgusted Dark Star thoroughly.

Once those two guys established a connection, Prince Saster would realize that Li Yu had taken the Amethyst Core, and the prince would spare no effort in hunting Li Yu down.

Dark Star would also obtain an obvious clue: the Amethyst Core was in Li Yu's hands. With Dark Star's petty nature, he would definitely keep a close eye out to see if the Amethyst Core appeared on the market.

Li Yu pondered for a moment. It seemed he really could not sell this Amethyst Core anytime soon. He cast another glance at Kansa.

'Should I let this guy go back to challenge Saster and distract some of his attention?' he wondered. 'Although he will most likely end up as Cannon Fodder, it is not completely out of the question.'

"Letting you go back is not entirely impossible..." Li Yu's tone carried a hint of hesitation, causing Kansa's heart to swell with excitement.

"However..." Li Yu changed his tune. Kansa instantly felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured over him. Suppressing his inner disgust, he asked quietly, "What other concerns do you have?"

"I used to have a friend... well, more of an enemy, actually, who particularly liked polite people..." Li Yu looked at the bowing and scraping Kansa and slowly recounted, "For a while, I temporarily could not beat him, so I was also very polite to him."

"Later... he fell on hard times. He even begged me for help, but I just hung up the phone on him, not even letting him finish his sentence."

Kansa's eyes flickered. Having already experienced the great ups and downs of life, his mentality had matured significantly. This current bowing and scraping did not cause him any psychological burden.

But facing this eccentric God Slayer in front of him, he still felt an inexplicable sense of unease. He could not figure this guy out at all; Li Yu always acted unconventionally.

To say he was ruthless, yet he was willing to give half of the Amethyst Core to Mole. To say he was compassionate, yet he could turn a blind eye to the tragic fate of tens of billions of Molcasar's people.

"Am I a very bad person?" Li Yu asked with a smile.

Kansa understood Li Yu's underlying meaning. His current respect for Li Yu was solely because his life was in Li Yu's hands.

Once he returned to the Amethyst Civilization, it was hard to say what would happen.

"You want to go back? Very simple..." Li Yu continued. "Give me a handle on you. Leverage I can use to control you, something that will make you wish for a Life Worse Than Death if exposed."

"I am too lazy to look for it myself. If you want to leave, then find this handle for me..."

Li Yu's tone was gentle, his expression completely serene, yet when these words fell into Kansa's ears, Kansa could not help but shiver.

To find his own weakness and willingly hand it over just to beg for a sliver of life—such psychological torment was no less than pure torture.

Li Yu leaned closer to Kansa and slowly whispered, "Otherwise, simply letting you go like this would truly be an injustice to all the people who died on Molcasar..."

Cold sweat beaded on Kansa's forehead. He had thought himself calm and composed, but his heart was pounding rapidly. The amethyst on his forehead flashed urgently, betraying his deep anxiety.

"Ugh... ah... ugh... ahhh..."

Not far away, a Staff Member suddenly collapsed to the ground, his entire body convulsing uncontrollably. White foam spilled simultaneously from his two mouths as he let out miserable wails.

"Save me... save me... I will not do it again! I will never dare to do it again!"

The surrounding Staff Members, however, were not surprised by this sight. They did not linger for long, their cold eyes hiding a trace of profound fear.

"He must be new. No wonder he dared to disobey orders. Did he really think the seal was just a joke?"

Faint murmurs drifted over before quickly fading away.

It was not until a moment later, when his body completely stopped convulsing, that a few Bodyguards stepped out from the shadows and dragged his limp form away.

Li Yu rubbed his chin as he watched this unfold. Was this the source of Mangu's authority?

"The Thought Seal... What a fascinating power."

At that moment, the door to Mangu's office opened. The Hunter and Mangu walked out, though it was unclear what had just transpired between them.

The Hunter's expression had softened considerably, no longer looking as sour as if he had eaten dirt.

Mangu flashed a wide grin, seemingly in a great mood. She actively explained to Li Yu, "This is my Superpower—the Thought Seal."

Mangu made no attempt to hide it. Perhaps because The Hunter knew, and the rest of her staff knew, there was simply no need to keep it a secret.

An Esper... So Mangu was also an Esper. Li Yu was enlightened.

"Every subordinate has been branded with my Thought Seal. They cannot disobey my commands; otherwise, they will be tortured by the seal." Mangu swayed her slender waist and continued.

"That guy just now probably wanted to leak information regarding Your Highness Kansa."

This ability was quite impressive. Hearing this, Li Yu subconsciously compared it to his Bewitching Sound Seed. However, there was too little data on the Thought Seal, and it was impossible for such an ability to have no limitations.

But since Mangu only gave a brief introduction, Li Yu cooperatively offered some praise. "What an astonishing Superpower. It really opened my eyes."

"Haha... just my capital for eking out a miserable existence..." Mangu's smile instantly grew even more radiant, though it was somewhat jarring to look at.

Hearing this, Kansa's eyes flickered from the side. He seemed to be struggling with something, unable to make up his mind.

Li Yu continued to play along. "You are far from eking out a miserable existence. If eking out a miserable existence looked like this, I do not know how many people would be begging for it."

The Hunter glanced at Li Yu. 'What is this kid trying to do now? Kissing up to Mangu like this.'

"Little friend, your mouth is much sweeter than Zeth's..." Mangu chuckled coquettishly, then added, "Handling the identity issues is a favor I am doing for Zeth. If you have any other needs, they will come with an extra fee."

Li Yu smiled and nodded before finally asking, "Do you have a channel to acquire a B-grade Gene Chain?"

He felt that he was not far from reaching the B-Tier Lifeform stage. Whether it was when his Avatar acquired something good or if he went to purchase a Gene Development Potion himself.

The leap from C to C+ would not take much longer.

"A B-grade Gene Chain?" Mangu's smile faded, her eyes narrowing slightly. "That is not easy to get your hands on."

"The markup on the Black Hole Network is far too severe..." Li Yu frowned.

He had checked previously. The price of a B-grade Gene Chain on the Black Market fluctuated around ten billion, which was several times the normal market rate.

He refused to believe there were no other channels to obtain one. Otherwise, where did all those B-Tier Marauders in No Man's Land come from?

Li Yu had known the markup would be bad, but he had never expected it to be quite so extreme.

"It is understandable. Selling this stuff carries massive risks..." Mangu shrugged. Anything capable of circulating on the Black Market was basically stolen from major Companies.

Once discovered, it would not just implicate a single person. Without enough profit, why would anyone be willing to take such an enormous risk?

With the Amethyst Core temporarily unsellable, coming up with ten billion Star Coins was genuinely troublesome. Even if he did manage to sell the Amethyst Core, such a massive expense would make Li Yu feel painful to his wallet.

"What kind of identity is required to purchase it normally?" Li Yu asked thoughtfully.

"You can stop dreaming about that..." Mangu shook her head. "Identity is only a secondary requirement. Take the Amethyst Civilization, for example."

"Not only do you need to pass Genetic Test Verification, but you also need an entire verifiable social circle that will not betray you, and those people must have their own established social circles as well."

"This entire process requires at least a few years, maybe even a decade, of groundwork. It would be worth it for an A-Class Gene Chain, but it is far too wasteful for a B-grade one."

In reality, quite a few B-Tier Lifeforms actually did this. People as arrogant and overbearing as Dark Star were very rare.

Some B-Tier Lifeforms preferred to spend the time infiltrating a civilization, laying down extensive groundwork, and slowly building up their personas to eventually acquire an A-Class Gene Chain.

After listening to Mangu's detailed explanation, Li Yu was left somewhat speechless. These advanced civilizations kept incredibly tight control over individual combat power.

But even so, there were still many uncontrolled, powerful individuals roaming free across interstellar space. One could only imagine how chaotic this Universe would be without such regulations.

"However, purchasing isn't the only method..." Mangu changed the subject, continuing, "You can find someone to custom modulate a Gene Chain."

"Find someone to modulate..." Li Yu knew Mangu was talking about private, independent workshops. He had encountered one back in No Man's Land.

"Not the low-level ones..." Mangu clarified. "It is only when it comes to B-grade Gene Chains that Genetic Modulators truly become highly sought after."

It was precisely due to the strict control over individuals enforced by the Major Civilizations that these independent workshops for Gene Chain modulation and Cybernetic Enhancement were born.

Different tiers of Gene Chains required completely different modulation techniques. Every Gene Chain was special and entirely unique.

They not only required a highly precise production line but also masterful technical skills.

"Their prices aren't too steep. Modulating a B-grade Gene Chain fluctuates around one billion Star Coins."

'That isn't steep...' Li Yu was speechless. This interstellar world truly bled you for money at every step. Without money, moving an inch was impossible.

However, this sort of Gene Chain modulation was equivalent to a custom order. You could freely select the specific Gene Chain you wanted, though purchasing the necessary materials would also require a massive sum.

Li Yu thought of the Purple-Winged Tiger that had died on Molcasar. What excellent material that had been. What a pity he didn't have the chance to take it with him... Sigh...

"I do happen to know a Genetic Modulator with decent skills, but you will have to buy the materials yourself."

It seemed Li Yu's extra words of flattery had not been wasted. Mangu provided an address; the man's studio was right here in the Inuit Hub.

"But as I said, you need to buy the materials yourself..."

"Buy them myself?" Li Yu's tone was odd. Mangu gave him a charming eye roll. "Of course. Did you want to go out and hunt for them yourself?"

"B-Tier creatures are incredibly difficult to deal with. You are better off just buying the parts on the Black Hole Network."

Li Yu immediately opened the Black Hole Network, entered the search filters, and a massive list refreshed on the screen.

"Flesh of a Terry. A B-Tier Lifeform from the Northern Cold Civilization that commands the power of ice."

"Corpse chunks of a Thunder Beast. A B-Tier Lifeform that commands the Power of Thunder."

"..."

The descriptions on the Black Hole Network were mostly brief. The pictures and videos just showed mangled, bloody corpses.

The prices were not steep; everything was sold by the gram. Although modulating a Gene Chain required quite a lot of flesh and blood, the overall cost was also hovering around one billion.

Compared to finished Gene Chains that frequently cost over ten billion, this was already considered a bargain.

"One billion plus one billion, that's two billion?" Li Yu muttered, seemingly discovering a brilliant new way to make money.

"Did you really think modulating a Gene Chain only requires biological flesh and blood?" Mangu threw another basin of cold water on him.

Li Yu genuinely didn't know much about this. Even the Black Hole Network didn't have much information describing the modulation process of Gene Chains.

Clearly, the people working in this technical field didn't want the information spreading around.

Mangu shook her head. Although she didn't know everything, she could still manage to educate Li Yu a bit. "Biological flesh and blood are merely the most critical materials. There are many other indispensable materials needed as well. The overall price should fall somewhere around five to seven billion Star Coins."

Compared to normal market prices, this was still an astronomical figure, but it was already considerably cheaper than a finished Gene Chain.

"Of course, there is still profit to be made..." Mangu knew exactly what Li Yu was thinking. "However, those modulators can earn that money themselves. Why would they bother partnering with anyone else?"

This grey industrial chain was incredibly complex. The machinery required to modulate B-grade Gene Chains was already being scalped at sky-high prices on the Black Hole Network.

And they weren't even fully automated production lines. That kind of equipment didn't even exist on the Black Hole Network.

"Over a hundred billion?!" Li Yu stared at the newly refreshed page on the Black Hole Network. Several machines that looked completely ordinary had an endless string of zeros dangling behind their price tags.