Chapter 237: Bio-Energy Stimulation Surgery

Wu Chang asked in confusion, "Mr. Mo Ke, what are you congratulating me on?"

Mo Ke did not explain directly, only smiling, "Congratulations on reaching the pinnacle of Song Sheng Company, where everyone dreams to be."

Wu Chang, who had just helped someone ascend to the pinnacle of Song Sheng Company, did not think this was a compliment.

He had some guesses about what Mo Ke meant, but was uncertain, as it was far too sudden—Schultz had not warned him in advance.

"Could you explain in more detail?"

Mo Ke shook his head, "A surprise loses its charm if the mystery is revealed too early; you'll know what I mean very soon."

Wu Chang was not Batman, and had no patience for riddlers; since Mo Ke said he'd know soon, he stopped pressing.

The elevator arrived at the 95th-floor conference room; as the doors opened and Mo Ke was about to step out, he whispered something.

"Manager Xiao En, the Chairman truly values you."

Wu Chang slowly blinked a question mark—how did the riddler just chain his moves?

The emergency meeting held on the 95th floor meant all management levels must attend—not only Song Sheng Company headquarters, but also all global branch managers, including Level Six Gold Employee managers.

The conference room, capable of holding a thousand people, was nearly full; massive TV walls around the room displayed video feeds from remote participants at other branches.

Altogether, Song Sheng Company's global management exceeded three thousand people.

If Schultz wished, he could easily crush most mid-sized nations by sheer power.

This was Song Sheng Company—a monster whose influence spanned the globe, unbound by any rules.

Except for a few, most employees received last-minute notices to attend this emergency meeting; especially those from other branches, some had just lain down to enjoy their two-hour daily sleep before being yanked up for a remote conference.

People murmured among themselves, asking what the meeting was about, but after asking around, they found no one knew.

When Schultz entered, everyone fell silent, their eyes fixed on the man seated front and center.

If this were a comic, ninety-nine percent of the staff here would now have starry eyes.

In Song Sheng Company, few did not regard Schultz as an idol—a man who, in just fifteen years, turned a second-tier arms company into what it is today—who could resist such a perfect idol?

After delivering a brief opening speech, Schultz handed the rest of the proceedings over to Mo Ke.

Mo Ke addressed the crowd:

"This emergency meeting is to announce three matters."

"The first, and most important, is to announce the newly promoted Level Nine Partner."

At these words, the breathing in the conference hall grew rapid and shallow.

Level Nine Partner—the position every employee dreamed of; each time someone ascended to it, all felt like witnessing a dream realized, and couldn't help imagining whether next time it would be themselves.

After all, everyone attending this meeting had already reached management; each had confidence in their own competence, and if given the chance, they believed they could sit where others had sat.

Before Mo Ke announced it, everyone speculated on who the new Level Nine Partner would be.

Manager Farrell of the Security & Assurance Department was diligent and reliable, turning his ordinary department into the second-highest performing—undoubtedly the top candidate.

Manager Oliver of the High-Energy Weapons Department had low growth rates but maintained steady, upward performance—his selection would be well-deserved.

Manager Hughes of the Bio-Energy Stimulation Department lagged in all areas, but recent rapid advances in bio-energy stimulation technology had earned it the title of humanity's future—so his promotion was also plausible.

As everyone wondered who would be chosen, they heard Mo Ke announce:

"The new Level Nine Partner is Manager Xiao En of the Fully Automated Defense System Department."

The usual applause for a new Level Nine Partner did not come; only a handful of senior executives began clapping, while most stared in stunned confusion.

What the fuck—who is this Xiao En?

Not just branch managers, but even many headquarters managers for a moment couldn't place the name Xiao En.

Many even asked those around them: "Does the Fully Automated Defense System Department even have a manager?"

But as those in the know explained, people quickly understood.

Oh—he's Chairman Schultz's cousin.

That explains it; with that connection, even writing a PhD thesis titled "My Cousin, the Song Sheng Chairman" would guarantee graduation.

Hearing this, Wu Chang stood, bowed to the crowd, then stepped onto the stage at Mo Ke's invitation, becoming the twelfth Level Nine Partner.

Feeling the thousands of eyes below—eyes that seemed to speak—he, even with his thick skin, began to feel the pressure.

Putting himself in their place, if he were down there, he'd definitely curse under his breath: "Fucking nepotist."

When he received Mo Ke's cryptic congratulations in the elevator, he'd suspected it might be about his promotion.

Given his identity and current status, the only thing Mo Ke could possibly be congratulating him on was becoming a Level Nine Partner.

But he hadn't expected the stage to be this huge—so huge he almost couldn't step down.

Fortunately, he was Wu Chang—the Wu Chang with 157 points of Willpower; had the real Xiao En shown up for this ceremony, it wouldn't have been a promotion—it would have been mob bullying.

Wu Chang took a deep breath and stopped looking at the crowd below.

Since he was here, he might as well play along; this Level Nine Partner title would help him access Song Sheng Company's secrets and advance his main quest. As for the stares of these instance natives—let them stare.

He had no fans anyway; if they wanted to cyberbully or backstab, they couldn't even find him.

Mo Ke paused, then continued:

"This time is unusual—there are two new Level Nine Partners. The second is Manager Hughes of the Bio-Energy Stimulation Department!"

This time, the entire hall erupted in enthusiastic applause.

They knew him.

While congratulating Hughes, many couldn't help wondering: if there were two slots, why hadn't Farrell, their most familiar manager, gotten one?

But their confusion didn't last long—in a few minutes, they'd know the answer.

After Hughes stepped onto the stage to become the thirteenth Level Nine Partner, Mo Ke moved to the next topic.

"The second matter of this meeting—some of you may already know—is that recently in Wildo City, a violent attacker targeted Song Sheng Company executives; several managers, including Manager Farrell, were killed in the attacks."

"Preliminary investigations reveal the attacker is organized, premeditated, and backed by powerful external forces. We are currently investigating his identity, and suspect he is affiliated with a foreign-backed terrorist group aiming to destroy Song Sheng Company—the symbol of peace, democracy, and freedom."

Here, Mo Ke slammed his fist hard on the table, feigning righteous fury.

"Therefore, over the coming period, Wildo City may witness many events, even terrorist attacks severe enough to ripple across the entire city and reach the headquarters of Song Company."

"To our colleagues at headquarters and those scattered worldwide: rest assured, no matter what happens, Song Company will not be crushed. Any intelligence circulating is merely rumor spread by terrorists. We hope everyone will focus on your duties and not be swayed by outside noise."

To some extent, the intelligence regarding the Song Hunters stirred more attention than the newly appointed Level Nine Partner.

Someone's targeting Song Company? What a joke!

Although Song Company imposes heavy work pressure, intense schedules, and oppressive atmospheres—employee deaths from depression or suicide are commonplace.

But anyone who says bad things about Song Company will face immediate opposition from the rank-and-file.

Know this: for the same position and workload, Song Company pays at least triple the salary of other firms, and offers a stable upward path to endlessly elevate your rank and realize your self-worth.

Monthly salary of 5,000? Go home on the dot. Monthly salary of 15,000? The company is your home. Monthly salary of 45,000? There's only the company—no home!

I'm depressed, I collapse, I kill myself—that's my problem. How could the company possibly have any fault?

To target Song Company is, to everyone present, as intolerable as targeting their own family.

Mo Ke's words instantly resonated with everyone; they applauded and vowed that no matter who the enemy was—even the Federation—if they dared strike at Song Company, they would fight to the death.

Seeing the mood just right, Mo Ke turned to his final point—the key reason Hughes became a Level Nine Partner: the Psychic Awakening Surgery has made major breakthroughs.

With technological advancements, a second Psychic Awakening Surgery is now possible. Anyone whose first surgery was incomplete or unsatisfactory will now have the chance for a second, improved procedure.

The surgery is currently in internal testing. Over a hundred Gold-Rank employees at headquarters have already undergone testing. Any manager present who wishes to participate may sign up after the meeting and return to headquarters for the second procedure.

Everyone was thrilled by this news. A second chance to refine Psychic Awakening could change many lives. Such a monumental breakthrough explains why Manager Hughes surpassed Manager Oliver to become the first Level Nine Partner.

But everyone was tactful enough not to ask the obvious question: if Manager Hughes earned his Level Nine Partner status through this breakthrough, then what about Manager Xiao En—who became a Level Nine Partner before Hughes? Didn't he make major contributions too?

If Xiao En had truly made any contribution, Mo Ke would have mentioned it already.

Everyone knew: the true dividing line in life isn't your grades, your school, or which company you join—it's amniotic fluid.

Song Company meetings are always brief; everyone must clearly and efficiently convey all necessary information in the shortest possible time.

Wasting time in meetings is a serious dereliction of duty.

After the meeting, Wu Chang received the Diamond Partner Badge from Mo Ke.

"Item Name: Proof of Partnership"

!

"Item Type: Special"

"Item Effect: Holding this badge confirms your status as a Level Nine Partner of Song Company. All employees of Level Seven and below within Song Company must unconditionally obey your work orders. You gain Partner privileges: use this badge to access backend confidential intelligence and enter the vast majority of Song Company's restricted areas."

"Note: The pinnacle of Song Company employees. Once you wear this badge, except for Schulz, no one in this world may shout orders at you."

Wu Chang toyed with the badge in his hand. Partnership truly was a qualitative leap—his Level Eight Manager badge had never triggered an item description upon receipt.

In a sense, the authority of a Level Nine Partner at Song Company was itself a kind of item.

Becoming a Level Nine Partner meant leaving the realm of ordinary employees; no longer needing to worry about performance metrics, one could reliably receive company profit dividends even if doing nothing.

Aside from a few specialists with irreplaceable technical skills who must remain on-site, most Level Nine Partners hold no actual positions.

Wu Chang was no exception. Returning to his office, he needed to prepare for handover; once the new manager of the Fully Automated Defense System Department was selected, he had three days to complete all business transfers.

For anyone else, this period would be frantic. But for Wu Chang, aside from handing over the manager's seal, there was almost nothing else worth transferring.

For the past two days, Xiao En had done virtually nothing worth handing over.

As he pondered what grand promise to make to keep Feiguang and others working their hearts out, his secretary suddenly knocked and informed him the Chairman wanted to see him.

This time, Schulz did not summon him to the top-floor office, but to the Psychic Awakening Laboratory on the sixty-sixth floor.

Wu Chang stared at the sign above the laboratory door, took a deep breath, unsure whether to enter.

He had seen the Zou brothers' resentment. He had seen Farrell's resentment. Whether transformed into Primordial Armaments or mutated into Degenerate Monsters, both seemed inextricably tied to Psychic Awakening.

The Psychic Awakening Surgery was publicly touted as a means to unlock human potential and open new possibilities for humanity.

But the advertisement never specified whether these possibilities were good or bad.

Schulz had always treated Xiao En well—but caution is never misplaced. What if, after the surgery, Schulz simply added a step and fast-tracked him into becoming a Primordial Armament or a Degenerate Monster? That would be a disaster.

But to walk away now? Not only would it arouse Schulz's suspicion, Wu Chang himself felt deep reluctance.

According to public intelligence gathered by the Countermeasures Bureau, Psychic Awakening Surgery is one of the stable ways to obtain a Class Change—and the resulting Class Change will always be perfectly suited to the individual.

The prototype for the Dispute Knight Class Change was the Mystic Knight: a close-range physical-magic hybrid, a dual-strength class specializing in both power and energy—ideal for his True Self, which possessed the Sea Giant transformation.

His own Class Change remained unresolved. The only procedure capable of directly enhancing his brain—Psychic Awakening Surgery—was tailor-made for him. Miss this chance, and there would be no next.

As he hesitated, a voice came from behind.

"Why aren't you going in?"

Wu Chang turned and saw Schulz approaching. Perhaps due to his possession of Xiao En's memories, the moment he saw Schulz, a deep instinctive trust rose within him.

Wu Chang decided to trust this feeling.

He smiled and said: "You once forbade me from undergoing Psychic Awakening Surgery. During my breaks, I often came here, stood at the door, staring, imagining when I'd finally be allowed inside. Now that you're letting me in, I'm suddenly nervous."

Schulz's stern expression softened. "Come in. I'll take you."

Wu Chang: "Alright."

Schulz led Wu Chang to the pre-surgery waiting area. The lab staff had been informed and left them undisturbed.

Schulz sat across from Wu Chang and said:

"Do you know why I previously refused to let you undergo Psychic Awakening Surgery?"

Wu Chang shook his head. "I don't know. But you must have had your reasons."

Schulz's lips curled slightly, a hint of resignation in his voice:

"To ordinary people, Psychic Awakening Surgery is merely a way to unlock potential and distinguish oneself from the masses. But they don't realize: every gain comes with a cost."

"Psychic Awakening is no different. It grants power beyond the norm—and with it, you must shoulder responsibilities to match. You weren't ready before. But now… you look ready."

Wu Chang ventured: "What responsibilities come after undergoing Psychic Awakening?"

He was now a Level Nine Partner, having earned Schulz's approval. He had expected Schulz to mention operating Primordial Armaments—or even becoming one, or a Degenerate Monster.

Who would have thought Schultz paused for a moment, then said: "Bearing the responsibility of facing the worst possible future."

Riddler, get out!

Wu Chang really wanted to lash out at Schultz, but his intuition told him that Schultz was speaking the truth — literal truth, no riddles.

His furrowed brow slowly smoothed out, and he didn't press further. The more he interacted with him, the more he felt Schultz was no simple character.

Seeing that Wu Chang had nothing more to say, Schultz patted Wu Chang on the shoulder and said:

"If you're ready, go on in. It's just a minor procedure — no need to be afraid."

Wu Chang changed into the surgical gown as he complained: "I'm not afraid of going under the knife anymore."

Schultz pursed his lips. "The director of the company hospital told me — last time when they scheduled you to have your wisdom tooth extracted, they had to notify you three times before you grudgingly showed up."

Wu Chang clicked his tongue. "Chatty bastard."

Lying inside the surgical pod, large amounts of liquid poured in from all sides — a special liquid that quickly brought Wu Chang to a relaxed state. His body grew light and floaty, drifting into an unusual form of anesthesia.

The color of the liquid differed from that in the Zou brothers' grudge, which put his mind further at ease.

Through the transparent glass of the surgical pod, he could see Schultz standing outside, watching the instrument readouts at all times — he looked to be taking it very seriously.

If Schultz really wanted to harm him, there'd be no need to do it personally. There probably wouldn't be a problem... right?

Once the special liquid filled the surgical pod, he saw several slender mechanical arms extend from around him and pierce into the skin at the back of his neck.

The mechanical arms were so thin he could barely feel the foreign objects piercing in.

But through inner observation, Wu Chang could clearly see the mechanical arms entering his brain, modifying a certain region.

He couldn't tell exactly what was being modified, but he could feel that, as the mechanical arms worked, his senses grew sharper — as if a membrane wrapping around him was being pierced and torn open.

Just as the mechanical arms were about to successfully pierce that membrane, the surgical pod suddenly flashed red, and the operating room he was in let out a piercing alarm.

"Warning: positional error detected during the procedure! Please stop the operation immediately!"

(End of chapter)