Chapter 103

Night spread thickly.

After stepping out of the broken door of the underground research facility, Lin Qing lightly leapt up, kicking off the elevator shaft walls several times, and soared out of the eighty-meter-deep shaft.

"You're out already?"

Tang Xunchaoshi glanced at Lin Qing in surprise and comforted him: "After all, you arrived late—no discovery isn't surprising…"

"I happened upon some data regarding fourth-tier gene optimization." Lin Qing said.

"Fourth-tier gene optimization data? Really?" Tang Xunchaoshi exclaimed. "What kind?"

"Energy stabilizer." Lin Qing said. "It aids absorption of fourth-tier energy, slowing and stabilizing its release."

Tang Xunchaoshi nodded slightly and said, "That should be effective. Submit it to the Patrol System later—if it's genuine, you'll earn a Special-Class Merit."

Lin Qing's eyes lit up. "The branch doesn't have Special-Class Merit exchanges—do I need to go to headquarters to redeem it?"

"That's right." Tang Xunchaoshi nodded. "Like the original 'Zi Zai Shen' you studied—it's only redeemable with Special-Class Merit. Same for certain gene optimization benefits."

She glanced at Lin Qing. "Still, you've fulfilled the terms of your training contract—you're entitled to three free gene optimization trials."

The contract stipulated that if you mastered the original Chaoyang Training Method and the original 'Zi Zai Shen' combat technique within this year, you'd qualify for gene optimization benefits.

"How many Special-Class Merits would it take to redeem the Star-Class Bloodline Evolution Serum my sister sent me at headquarters?" Lin Qing asked.

"Special-Class Merit?"

Tang Xunchaoshi laughed and shook her head. "Special-Class Merit won't do. Ordinary high-energy evolution radiation only requires that—but the Star-Class Bloodline Evolution Serum demands a Honor Medal."

"That valuable?" Lin Qing paused slightly.

"Thank your cousin," Tang Xunchaoshi murmured.

Lin Qing nodded silently.

"Alright, go. Train hard. Don't forget what I said."

Tang Xunchaoshi sighed. "I still have to wait here for the senior patrol chiefs who haven't emerged—and that person from the Urban Circle."

Lin Qing nodded slightly.

He said nothing more, turning on his heel and leaving the ruin zone surrounded by the cordon.

…

He returned home in one piece.

After closing the door, Lin Qing spoke: "Chenguang, can you eavesdrop on Tang Xunchaoshi's side?"

The next instant, Chenguang's voice echoed in his mind: "Unless it's a self-aware intelligent lifeform, I can easily infiltrate—just tap into her communicator via the network."

"Self-aware intelligent lifeform?" Lin Qing asked curiously.

He knew that for Chenguang, the Chuanxing Tower was her server.

"There's one at Patrol Headquarters," Chenguang said. "It oversees the entire regulatory department and has spawned numerous sub-intelligences as overseers."

Lin Qing froze slightly, recalling the hoarse voice from the branch's combat technique vault.

So that was one of its sub-intelligences?

Of course—there are so many patrol branches nationwide, each with its own combat technique vault, yet they're available 24/7.

They can instantly contact headquarters, query any data, never rest or rotate staff—what else could it be but an intelligent lifeform?

"I remember my father once had an intelligent lifeform too—loyal. I don't know what happened to it now," Chenguang murmured.

"Eavesdrop on Tang Xunchaoshi's communicator," Lin Qing said. "I want to know what Patrol Headquarters concludes after the Urban Circle's person of status dies."

"Alright."

Chenguang added: "Aren't you going to reset me as your guide?"

"No need."

Lin Qing shrugged. "You still know the access codes to Patrol Headquarters, you've served under Dr. Chu Hui, you know plenty of secrets. Your current form suits you fine—though your three-no personality is a waste of this appearance."

"Father programmed this personality—he modeled it after his adoptive father's."

Chenguang said calmly: "If you want to reset me, you must initialize. I can back up all my recorded data first, then you initialize."

Lin Qing sighed and shook his head slightly. "No need. Leave it as is."

No wonder—this was the mindset of a three-no intelligent entity; it never considered whether it might vanish.

"The patrol team has exited the facility with Fei Wen Weitas and Luo Wu's bodies," Chenguang suddenly said.

"Oh?"

Lin Qing poured himself a glass of water and drank slowly.

After a moment, Chenguang spoke again: "They don't suspect you at all—just as planned. They believe Luo Wu used a biological weapon to kill Fei Wen Weitas, then exhausted his own life force in the process."

Lin Qing nodded slightly.

No surprise at this outcome.

He'd only been a patrol officer for half a year; before Tang Wanqiu, he'd shown nothing beyond the average senior patrol chief's strength—he had no capacity to kill the young master from the Urban Circle's Weitas clan.

Plus, without knowledge of the circumstances, they wouldn't think he had motive.

No motive, no evidence—why suspect him?

Especially since Luo Wu willingly took the blame, and Lin Qing deliberately left that extremely valuable biological weapon behind—nearly everyone would assume Luo Wu was the killer.

"By the way, didn't you have a robot help me open the control room door earlier?"

Lin Qing suddenly asked. "After the Chuanxing Tower's master recognition ended and I woke up, why didn't I see that robot?"

"I confirmed you'd complete recognition within ten minutes, so I ordered the mechanical guardian to return to the lab," Chenguang said. "Besides, Luo Wu and Fei Wen Weitas were already heading toward you—I couldn't stop them. Leaving the mechanical guardian there would've only increased your suspicion."

"Couldn't you have sent the lab's mechanical guardians to intercept them too?" Lin Qing said.

"I simulated the aftermath—doing so would've been too abnormal, only bringing you greater trouble."

Chenguang said calmly: "If the Urban Circle discovers that 'a mechanical guardian meant to guard the lab appeared on the second floor'—a violation of protocol—they'll realize the facility must harbor a self-aware intelligent lifeform, not just an ordinary AI."

She whispered: "Then they'd send investigators, find no intelligent lifeform, and naturally suspect the Chuanxing Tower's AI—concluding it was stolen, which is why the AI vanished with it."

Lin Qing was slightly taken aback.

"Even if I deploy mechanical guards to block you, delaying until you complete the master-acceptance ritual before leaving the control room, you would only be safe temporarily. After the investigation, you would be the first suspect, and the result would only be worse," Chen Guang analyzed calmly.

Lin Qing thought carefully, then nodded slightly.

After all, at that time, within the entire underground research institute, apart from the animal breeding zone, he was the only person in the other areas.

Once they suspected the Starfall Tower was inside the institute, who else would they suspect but him?

"Judging from the situation at that time, the best choice was to conceal my existence as an intelligent life form."

Chen Guang said, "I judged that, given Feiwen Vitas's personality, he would most likely act against you. Utilizing the conflict between Luo Wu and him could also completely clear your suspicion, so I formulated this plan."

She said softly, "Although it is not the best outcome, it was the optimal choice at that time."

Lin Qing pondered thoughtfully.

The calculation ability of humans and intelligent life forms truly cannot be compared.

At that time, he also had no way to calculate so many subsequent situations and changes.

"What about the energy stabilizer?"

Lin Qing asked, "Why allow me to hand over this thing? If nothing was found, wouldn't that make me even more innocent?"

Chen Guang explained, "The formula for the energy stabilizer was originally hidden in the pharmacy. It is normal for you to discover it by good luck; on the contrary, it can make you appear even more innocent."

"When you write the report later, you can reveal that your action logic was to head straight for areas with lower difficulty like the pharmacy; these places could not possibly pass near the second-floor control room."

Chen Guang said, "This also makes more sense, after all, given the strength you revealed, you had no way to target those high-difficulty areas." Lin Qing nodded slightly and asked, "Are there any other flaws?"

"Of course there are some, but not enough to suspect you," Chen Guang said. "Provided you don't reveal any flaws yourself."

Lin Qing hummed in agreement.

Having an intelligent life form help with the plan indeed saved a lot of trouble.

He asked again, "By the way, after the Starfall Tower accepted me as its master, it hid within my body and gave no reaction. How should I use it?"

"When your gene optimization index reaches 100%, you will be able to activate it," Chen Guang said. "Of course, awakening of mental power or awakening of authority also works."

"Authority?" Lin Qing was speechless. "Forget about awakening authority; where would I get that legendary Starfall Source Stone?"

"Indeed," Chen Guang said. "It is said that Starfall Source Stones are precious resources completely monopolized by high-level civilizations even in the universe, so authority awakening is only widespread among high-level civilizations and can even cause unimaginable changes in low-level civilizations. The civilization behind the Wisdom Star People does not even qualify as a high-level civilization in the universe, let alone Earth."

"Oh?" This was the first time Lin Qing had heard of such a theory.

Unfortunately, even though the Wisdom Star People do not qualify as a high-level civilization, sending just one group was enough to make Earth's civilization gasp for breath.

!.

"Master, you indeed only need to consider reaching 100% gene optimization," Chen Guang said.

"100%?"

Lin Qing pondered and said, "Regarding gene optimization, I only know that a higher optimization index is better. Do you have any other suggestions?"

"Higher is better? That statement is inaccurate."

Chen Guang said, "The potential and strength after gene awakening are not determined by the number of the optimization index."

"Oh?" Lin Qing listened carefully.

"Simply put, it is more comprehensive and more outstanding."

Chen Guang said patiently, "Various gene abilities are essentially manifestations of your genes being optimized by higher-energy-level energy. Therefore, what you need is optimization by more types of energy and optimization by higher energy levels, not pursuit of this number. Actually, as long as it exceeds 100%, it is enough."

Her words opened a new train of thought for Lin Qing.

That is to say, maximizing fourth-energy-level gene optimization is more important than this number.

"However, first, the gene optimization index must exceed 100%."

Lin Qing pondered silently and decided on his near-term goal.

The key is that the prerequisite for using the Starfall Tower is also that the gene optimization index must reach 100%.

"Repaying the debt."

He didn't even bother to rest and immediately began cultivating the original "Free Body" combat technique.

Cultivating the combat technique puts a burden on the body, so the number of times one can cultivate each day is limited. As long as he cultivates once, he will understand roughly how long it will take to repay it.

Twenty minutes later.

"Haa..."

Lin Qing slowly exhaled, opened his eyes, and a trace of joy appeared in his gaze: "Much simpler than I imagined."

The "Free Body" combat technique requires borrowing the power of stars formed by mysterious energy to open up force points and energy nodes, consuming a large amount of energy, so that the body can slowly adapt and light up one star.

The most difficult part is the process of making the body adapt.

In the future deduced by the Entropy Reverser, he cultivated relentlessly until his twilight years, already worn out by age, before he lit up all forty-eight thousand stars.

Completing it is much simpler.

He had already lit up all forty-eight thousand stars; there was no need to wait for the body to slowly adapt, he only needed to consume enough energy to form a 'star'!

"Just one cultivation session lit up sixty stars."

Lin Qing estimated in his mind, "I can cultivate the combat technique at least five times a day, which means lighting up three hundred stars. Calculated this way, it will take at most one hundred and sixty days for me to complete the 'Free Body' combat technique."

This progress is much faster than he expected.

Normal cultivation would consume most of a lifetime, while completion only requires five or six months.

"By the end of the month, the 'Instant Light' ability will also be repaid."

Lin Qing pondered silently, "At that time, I can begin to advance the 'Star Refining Art'."

This cultivation method is extremely important to him now.

Once combined with the energy stabilizer and a suitable fourth-energy-level energy source is found, he can use the Bloodline Evolution Method to begin excavating the fourth-energy-level gene abilities of the Sky Track Monarch!

Breaking the 100% gene optimization index depends on it.

"There is still a lot of room for improvement." Lin Qing felt quite expectant and glanced again at the Entropy Reverser's Order Level.

This time, after dealing with a large group of Outsiders, nothing changed; it remained at Level 5.7.

"Outsiders do not fall within the scope of my life circle..."

Lin Qing sighed inwardly, "Once we reach the Global Patrol Headquarters, the authority of a Senior Patrol Chief will expand significantly, making it much easier to increase the Order Level then."

After all, he was currently only the Patrol Chief of Lin'an City, not even a Senior Patrol Chief yet.

Once the Order Level reaches Level 10, if he can advance one more ability in advance, his rate of progress will be much faster.

One night passed.

Early morning of June 4.

Lin Qing woke up, and the moment he opened his eyes, he received a heavy-hitting message from the Patrol side, instantly dispelling all his sleepiness.

"The Patrol Enforcer squad was ambushed last night?"

"Many were seriously injured, and even the biological weapon was stolen?"

Lin Qing found it hard to believe and couldn't help but ask in a low voice: "Chen Guang, do you know who did it?"

"Unclear, but it is highly likely members of the Primitive Research Institute." Chen Guang's voice sounded in his mind.

"Truly insane," Lin Qing sighed.

"The current Primitive Research Institute is different from when Father was here; I don't understand it either," Chen Guang said. "But those with numbered tattoos on their bodies are definitely members who joined over the last decade or so."

Lin Qing suddenly understood.

However, the fact that the Primitive Research Institute had drawn so much hatred also made him appear even more innocent.

He got up, dressed, casually sent a WeChat message to Zhao Jiayi next door, and seeing she was ready, he went out.

The Patrol Enforcer squad had been ambushed; he didn't know if Tang Wanqiu was injured, so naturally, he had to go check on her.

"Good morning."

Zhao Jiayi wore a crisp Patrol uniform, her face bare and fresh, looking delicate and beautiful, with a high ponytail that added a touch of capability to her temperament. "How was your harvest at the institute last night?"

"Pretty good," Lin Qing said casually, then reached out to straighten her collar, which hadn't been flipped up properly.

"Oh, by the way, my application results are down," Zhao Jiayi said cheerfully. "I can go to the Headquarters with you as your assistant."

"That's good," Lin Qing nodded slightly.

Just then—

"I just sensed that your assistant released a telepathic scan; she is a Telepathy Awakener."

Chen Guang's voice suddenly sounded in his mind: "She probably isn't from Earth."

Lin Qing couldn't help but pause in surprise.

(End of this chapter)