Chapter 229: The Assassin's True Identity

The pale-red resentment clinging to the disqualified monster surged toward him, enveloping Wu Chang's consciousness within it.

Perhaps the obsession within that pale-red resentment was not deep enough—the information it carried was extremely limited.

The resentment's owner was a Level Seven Supervisor in the Psychic Activation Division, named Murata Keisuke.

Within the resentment, he had just left the mansion of a famous actress in Wielde City.

He had just designed a suitable psychic activation plan for the actress and assessed the surgical risks.

The surgery's success rate was 55%, with a high failure risk; it was only suitable for a mild psychic activation procedure. Forcing deep stimulation on the brain could cause irreversible damage to the body.

According to the requirements of the Federal Medical Joint Committee, any surgery assessment with a success rate below 70% strictly forbids deep psychic activation procedures.

But a mild psychic activation surgery costs one million federal coins per operation, while a deep psychic activation surgery costs fifteen million per operation.

That actress had an urgent need for deep psychic activation—she required stronger control over her body and emotions to help her break through her bottleneck and win Best Actress. For that, she was willing to pay any price, including her life.

For the sake of art, Murata Keisuke manually adjusted the 55% success rate to 85% and agreed to the actress's request.

A qualified supervisor at Anthem Company must simultaneously satisfy the client's demands, federal law, and company performance targets.

The examination had begun the previous night. Because the procedure was tedious and complex, and to further confirm the target's physical condition and raise the surgery's success rate, the two had an in-depth discussion.

By the time everything was concluded and the order fully finalized, it was already nine o'clock the next morning.

The sunlight outside was blinding. The moment Murata Keisuke stepped outdoors, the sun dazzled his eyes.

Before leaving the actress's home, he had received a message of concern from his subordinates, telling him to stay safe outside.

They said a mysterious person had recently been launching large-scale attacks on Anthem Company's executives, having committed a crime just last night and murdered two of his colleagues.

Although he believed the other party would not strike frequently, he still chose to take a crowded main road.

When the car had traveled halfway, a fierce wave of drowsiness swept over him, making him so sleepy he could barely keep his eyes open. He chugged down two bottles of energy drink in a row, but his condition not only failed to improve—instead, halfway through the second bottle, he fell asleep for an instant and nearly rear-ended the car ahead.

In this state, he could no longer drive back to the company and had no choice but to call a subordinate employee to come pick him up.

A person has to admit to aging—only just forty years old, and after two consecutive months of overtime he couldn't take it anymore. Time spares no one.

Murata Keisuke set his alarm, intending to nap for twenty minutes while waiting for his subordinate to arrive.

He was far too tired; the moment he closed his eyes, he lost consciousness.

In a half-dreaming state, he seemed to see, through the rearview mirror, something rise up from the car's back seat and shift over to the passenger seat.

That fellow was holding a peculiar instrument in his hand. He raised the instrument and said he had tried many times, but the parameters he adjusted were never quite right, and asked Murata Keisuke whether he could tell him what was wrong.

The instrument in the stranger's hand was very familiar to Murata Keisuke—it closely resembled the equipment used in psychic activation surgery.

He did not know why he would have such a dream, but in his sleep, he felt an inexplicable warmth toward the black shadow that had suddenly appeared, and said with a smile:

"You've come to the right person asking me. Even the department head usually comes to me for advice on equipment calibration. Let me tell you—this kind of instrument can't be used on its own; it must be fine-tuned according to the target's physical condition."

The black shadow pressed, "Then where can I find the matching instrument?"

Murata Keisuke smiled and said, "There's a set in my car's trunk. If you can fetch it, I'll teach you how to use it."

And so, one dared to teach, the other dared to learn.

In his dream, Murata Keisuke poured out all his instrument-operation techniques—including how to bypass the legal locks and automatic alarms inside the device to forcibly perform the surgery—and used his own body as material to show the black shadow how to calibrate it.

The black shadow, greatly benefited by all this, directly jammed the calibrated instrument into Murata Keisuke's body.

Watching Murata Keisuke's flesh begin to twist and swell, the black shadow offered heartfelt thanks:

"Thank you for the lesson."

The searing pain erupting within his body shattered Murata Keisuke's drowsiness. He snapped his eyes wide open, staring at the figure stepping out through the open passenger door, and at his own gradually contorting body—only then did he realize none of it had been a dream.

"Baka!"

The next instant, Wu Chang's vision went black, and his consciousness broke free from the resentment.

As for Murata Keisuke's death, it was hard for him to judge. No wonder, after being twisted into a disqualified monster, the resentment clinging to him was only pale red—the fellow had only realized, at the very last moment before becoming a monster, that none of it had been a dream.

Murata Keisuke died in confusion, but the intelligence revealed within his resentment was crystal clear.

First, through his resentment, it explained why the assassinated Anthem Company executives bore no signs of having been tortured, yet the assassin kept mastering the use of the disqualified-monster conversion agent.

That assassin clearly possessed a hypnosis-type ability.

When Murata Keisuke left the actress's mansion, he had been briefly dazzled by the glare reflected off the car's rearview mirror. That was no natural light—it was the prelude to the assassin's hypnosis.

From the moment he was dazzled by that light, Murata Keisuke had already fallen under hypnosis. When he got into the car, he did not notice a second person in the back seat, but Wu Chang, observing from a third-person viewpoint, could clearly see the assassin in the back seat.

The assassin's hypnosis ability was extremely comprehensive. He could use hypnosis to affect the target's senses, making them unable to detect him.

He could also use hypnosis to affect the target's mind, making Murata Keisuke extremely drowsy on the road, unable to wake up no matter what.

He could also, while the target was under hypnosis's influence, deepen it further, casually drawing out information from the target's mouth without their realizing it.

The reason Murata Keisuke so easily told the assassin everything was not only because he took it all as a dream, but also because he had been led by the other party to feel that warmth, as if the assassin were a family member.

It was likely by relying on this powerful hypnosis ability that the assassin was able to infiltrate Anthem Company's second laboratory, take the disqualified-monster conversion agent, and stroll out as if nothing had happened.

The second piece of intelligence revealed in Murata Keisuke's resentment was even more important than the first.

The assassin's hypnosis only affected Murata Keisuke, not Wu Chang, so through the resentment, the assassin in his eyes was not a black shadow.

Although the other party had done some disguise, due to the hasty nature of the action, the watch on his wrist and the shoes on his feet had not been swapped in time. Combined with his height and build, and his habitual word choices when speaking, Wu Chang was ninety percent certain of the other party's true identity.

Come to think of it, the other party was a familiar face—the two had just exchanged greetings.

The assistant of the tycoon Morez—Mr. Lei Mengde.

Lei Mengde was highly valued by Morez; every time Morez came to Anthem Company, Lei Mengde was almost always by his side.

Who would have thought that this fellow, who frequently walked in and out of Anthem Company in broad daylight, was the assassin the company had been searching for—what a brilliant move of hiding in plain sight.

The only question was whether Lei Mengde's actions were personal, or carried Morez's authorization.

Of the two possibilities, Wu Chang leaned more toward the former.

As a company executive, Murata Keisuke's performance and abilities were both excellent, but the disqualified monster he became displayed only very ordinary capabilities.

After transforming into a disqualified monster, he still retained a human form, except his height had grown to around five meters. His limbs were grotesquely muscular, while his torso was so emaciated his ribs were visible.

The unbalanced bodily proportions made it difficult for him even to control his own body, and his killing power was far inferior to that of the glutton ant Wu Chang had unleashed.

As Wu Chang pondered the grudge-infused intelligence, the Hymn Patrol had gradually gained control of the situation, cornering the Degenerate Monster forged from Tian Guijie.

A few minutes later, an armed helicopter carrying the Emergency Mobile Unit appeared overhead. This time, the golden-tier employee deployed was not the giant-sword duo from last night, but a two-meter-tall, bare-chested adult man with massive muscles.

He chewed on a cigar, slung a weapon over his shoulder resembling a rocket launcher but with higher technological refinement and a longer barrel, and stood casually at the cabin door.

Wu Chang detected a trace of divinity on the cannon—indicating it was also an Origin Weapon.

He did not disembark from the helicopter; instead, he directly aimed the cannon at Tian Guijie, charged briefly, and then fired—not a rocket, but a blinding beam of light.

The beam effortlessly pierced Tian Guijie, vaporizing one-third of his body. The Degenerate Monster he had become collapsed instantly and died on the spot.

Despite its immense power, the laser did not continue shooting into the distance after piercing Tian Guijie—it dissipated after extending only three or four meters.

Only a small number of people witnessed last night's battle at the Oulens Estate; strictly speaking, today marked the first time an Origin Weapon appeared before the public eye.

Thanks to its overwhelming power and its ability to kill only monsters without harming humans, the Origin Weapon instantly sparked public astonishment.

Civilians still nearby, regardless of whether the Degenerate Monster might revive, immediately pulled out their phones and snapped photos of the muscular man holding the Origin Weapon.

The next moment, information about the Origin Weapon flooded the Y platform.

!

Unlike others, Wu Chang lost interest in the cannon-shaped Origin Weapon once he noticed it carried no grudge. He called out to Fei Guang and the others, snapping them out of their awe, and ordered them to visit nearby shops and buildings to see if they could secure any orders.

Wu Chang assigned them a full day's work and locked Fei Guang and the others onto Ma Weisong Street with the promise of doubled performance bonuses.

While Fei Guang and the others were too occupied to notice anything else, Wu Chang sat in the car overseeing them, shifting his consciousness sharply to his True Self.

Inside Xiao En's mansion, the True Self, pretending to review documents, picked up his phone, scrolled through messages from his physical body, then looked up and called out:

"Everyone, gather here—we've got work."

Bu Ke, who had been lifting weights in the indoor gym; Ke Erton, attempting to infiltrate the Weierdu City Hall network; and Veronika, studying a map of Weierdu City—all paused their tasks and gathered around the True Self.

After a full day since yesterday, Bu Ke and Ke Erton had recovered eighty percent of their injuries; Veronika had also restored her lost energy.

Though the three were not at peak condition, they were now capable of holding their own against the Iron Armor Squad.

After signing the Oulens Estate order, Wu Chang's performance skyrocketed; the department manager ranked second in annual performance could hardly refuse if he wanted a few employee slots.

Before sleeping last night, he had already instructed his secretary to process their employment, and had the True Self send them the employment contracts.

Bu Ke and the others were quick to catch on. Seeing how well-connected the True Self was—even without revealing his identity as He Ping or displaying his unmistakable nickname—they immediately adopted a posture of obedience.

Wu Chang placed his phone before them and gestured for them to look together.

The content on the phone was largely excerpted from the morning's emergency security meeting, mentioning the mysterious assassin's actions and the Hymn Company's heightened attention toward him.

Wu Chang only gave them a general overview; he withheld the core intelligence—such as the mysterious assassin stealing the Degenerate Monster transformation agent, and his true identity.

When the three had finished reading, the True Self said:

"Manager Xiao En has tasked us with tracking down this mysterious assassin. He promised me that if we find the guy, he can use his connections to get us promoted immediately."

Ke Erton's face showed hesitation. He said:

"Is Xiao En reliable? According to the intelligence I gathered, native inhabitants of the instance plane generally believe the Hymn Company's promotion system is brutal—it requires strict adherence to performance metrics. Every promotion, even for an eighth-level department manager, must pass personnel department review. No one can arbitrarily promote subordinates."

"Getting us hired falls within his authority, but promotion? That seems far harder. Is he just feeding us false hope?"

The True Self looked at Ke Erton and asked: "Didn't you search for Xiao En's background?"

Ke Erton shook his head: "There's almost no direct information online about Hymn Company executives. I tried hacking into Hymn Company to access Xiao En's resume—but failed."

The True Self said: "I have a bit of an idea."

He pretended to pick the lock of the study, led them inside, and pointed to a framed photo standing on the desk.

The photo showed two boys standing side by side. The older one looked fifteen or sixteen, his face bearing maturity beyond his years; the younger boy was barely over ten, grinning with boundless, radiant joy.

The boy with the silly grin was unmistakably the house's owner—Xiao En.

As for the slightly older boy, the True Self said: "Doesn't he look familiar to you?"

Bu Ke nodded: "He does look familiar, but I can't place him right away."

Veronika suddenly remembered something. She pulled out her tablet, opened the search history for "Hymn Company," and pointed to the photo of Schulz:

"It's him."

Bu Ke and the others stared at the title beneath Schulz's photo: "Chairman of the Hymn Company." They fell into collective silence.

They had apparently grabbed onto a very thick thigh.

Immediately after, their gazes toward the True Self filled with admiration.

Without Wu Chang, they would never have so easily infiltrated this house—or connected with such a powerful NPC.

The True Self shrugged and said: "In my view, Manager Xiao En has the authority to promote us."

With Xiao En's identity as a powerful connection confirmed, Bu Ke and the others had no more doubts and returned to the previous topic.

The True Self narrowed the search to Duonaojie, located near the Oulens Estate but in the opposite direction from Ma Weisong Street.

It was close to the Hymn Company's headquarters and near the Oulens Estate—the most likely area for Lei Mengde to operate.

Once the area was confirmed, the group immediately moved into action.

Entering Duonaojie, they scattered, each seeking out domains where they could best gather intelligence.

In a sense, Bu Ke and Ke Erton were also "locals" of the Federation; they easily blended into crowds and chatted with residents.

Especially Bu Ke—his biker-boy and redneck traits made it simple for him to extract information from bars and street corners.

Veronika, though not a local, was the most ruthless of the group. She targeted the Mao Xiong Gang in Duonaojie, storming straight into the boss's office.

After deflecting every bullet fired at her back at the shooters, eliminating his underlings, and pressing her ice spike within a centimeter of the boss's pupil while shoving his head onto the desk, the entire Mao Xiong Gang became her information network.

Though the three each employed their own methods to swiftly gather intelligence, the assassin the Hymn Company couldn't catch wouldn't be found by such means in a short time.

But Wu Chang didn't care. He brought them along not because he valued their intelligence-gathering skills, but to make enough noise so Lei Mengde would know they were looking for him.

If a sudden group of troublemakers was hunting him, Lei Mengde would inevitably wonder why. Once Lei Mengde appeared near them and Wu Chang's intuition sensed him, there would be a hundred ways to "accidentally" meet him.

As Wu Chang had anticipated, after the group caused chaos for three or four hours, he sensed a peculiar gaze among the crowd.

He quietly followed the gaze—and smirked slightly.

The watch and leather shoes haven't been changed; this Lei Mengde isn't professional enough.

(End of Chapter)