Xiao replied calmly, "I just want some compensation."
"Isn't selling the blueprints to arms dealers enough compensation?" the R&D director couldn't help but sneer.
Xiao glanced at him. "If you hadn't stolen my blueprints, I could have earned that money legitimately. It was rightfully mine. You call that compensation? If you'd approached me to buy them, I might have sold them to the Bureau. But did you even discuss it with me?"
The R&D Director opened his mouth, then fell silent.
Gu Hui said in a deep voice, "State your terms."
Xiao feigned deep thought before speaking: "I expect no recurrence of such incidents."
"Reasonable enough."
After all, Xiao's orders were for Bureau 13 operatives—ultimately serving their needs. The only difference was whether it was mass production or not. There was no reason to refuse. Besides, if such an incident happened again, those precious blueprints might "leak" to another nation.
The only one dissatisfied with this decision was the R&D Director. But under the piercing stares of Old Gao and Gu Hui, he reluctantly acquiesced.
"And then..." Xiao stroked his chin, as if suddenly inspired. "I'd like to review the advanced knowledge of the Mechanical Department."
Old Gao's brow furrowed. He stared at Xiao without speaking, trying to discern whether this was an impulsive request or a carefully planned move.
The Mechanical Department's advanced knowledge was Star Dragon's classified information, accessible only to those with Level 5 clearance or higher (for players, it required a [Respect] relationship). The Six Nations and the Sprout possessed distinct advanced knowledge systems, used to cultivate loyal, reliable elite forces. Leaking this information would have unimaginable consequences.
Xiao's expression remained calm, though his heart was pounding in his throat as he anxiously awaited Old Gao's response.
This hinged on his advancement mission—success or failure rested entirely on this moment. Failure would severely hinder his growth trajectory!
"Why do you wish to view the advanced knowledge?"
"Curiosity."
Fair enough. That was a solid, compelling reason. Old Gao had no grounds to object.
A tense silence stretched for five minutes before Old Gao finally made his decision. He gave Xiao a deep look and slowly said, "Alright. I agree."
Xiao relaxed completely, suppressing his inner joy. He nodded indifferently, projecting an aura of unshakable composure—almost like a master of deception, convincing even the most discerning observer.
Though he relied on Bureau 13, they equally depended on his intelligence. It was a fragile equilibrium. As long as that foundation remained unshaken, minor disagreements could be resolved peacefully.
Just then, the R&D Director suddenly spoke up.
"Hold on! Advanced knowledge can only be shared with Level 5 personnel. This violates protocol."
Xiao's lips twitched. Success seemed within reach, yet someone had stepped in to sabotage it—like opening a floodgate only to be abruptly halted. The frustration was palpable. He glared at the R&D Director with ill intent, resolving that if the man dared obstruct him, he'd find a night to stuff him in a sack and beat him senseless.
"And what's your opinion?" Gu Hui asked, his tone sharp.
The R&D Director was a member of the hawk who despised Bureau 13 compromising with an intelligence informant he saw as manipulative. Regardless of Xiao Han's motives for accessing advanced knowledge, he refused to grant it. Moreover, Xiao had framed him for arms trafficking, and he yearned for revenge. He addressed Old Gao gravely: "Regulations cannot be disregarded. You approved this request solely on your own authority, without the vote of other committee members. I doubt they would endorse your decision."
Old Gao's eyes flashed with sharpness beneath a faint, ambiguous smile. "Are you threatening me?"
"Not at all." The R&D Director lowered his head, yet his stance remained unyielding.
The Star Dragon Intelligence Agency's leadership comprised two tiers. The first tier consisted of the 13 directors and deputy directors of Bureau 13, overseeing daily operations. Above them stood the seven-member Committee, including Director Gu Hui, whose members were powerful military and political figures. This Committee reported directly to the highest authority at the Dragon Horn.
Both Old Gao and Gu Hui were committee members, conservative faction leaders. The R&D Director, however, had his own hawk backers within the committee—the very foundation of his current defiance toward Old Gao.
"My presence here grants me full authority to represent the committee," Old Gao stated flatly, his tone devoid of emotion.
The R&D Director gritted his teeth, then suddenly had an idea. "Then I have only one suggestion: limit the viewing time for advanced knowledge. We cannot allow unqualified individuals to browse freely. I propose a time limit of half an hour."
Old Gao and Gu Hui exchanged a glance. This proposal made sense—after all, Xiao had only asked to "take a look." Satisfying his curiosity would suffice.
"Let's set it at one hour," Gu Hui decided.
The R&D Director instantly felt refreshed. Those advanced knowledge modules were profound and intricate—an hour wouldn't even cover a third of a single module. Even if Xiao wanted to study, there wouldn't be enough time. Any hidden agenda would be nipped in the bud. He felt triumphant at having successfully disgusted Xiao, basking in his smug satisfaction.
Xiao wore an indifferent expression, but inside, he chuckled to himself.
"One hour? Invest potential points, and I'll master it in a minute."
The more smug the R&D Director grew, the harder Han Xiao struggled to suppress his laughter. He clamped his lips shut, fighting the urge to laugh out loud.
Quietly raking in the profits. Low-key, low-key...
The advanced knowledge was multi-layered encrypted, employing a random key mode that generated hundreds of 48-bit passwords per second, virtually eliminating the possibility of hackers infiltrating the network.
The content of the advanced knowledge was restricted to be unalterable and immovable, accessible only through a fixed number of main terminals.
Following Gu Hui down the elevator to the headquarters' basement level, the doors opened onto a bright metal corridor leading directly to the main server room. Every ten meters, surveillance cameras and metal detectors were installed, maintaining 24/7 monitoring. Infrared grids covered the corridor, keeping it perpetually on high alert. Though no guards were visible, the walls concealed numerous remotely operated machine guns hidden behind metal panels. Upon detecting an intruder, they could respond within 0.3 seconds.
The defences were so tight, infiltration seemed nearly impossible.
"How much did this corridor cost?"
"Several hundred million, I suppose." Gu Hui accompanied him, speaking calmly.
Xiao curled his lips. Not that I'm jealous or anything.
The mainframe housed Star Dragon's most advanced computer. The sheer volume of data it processed per second could crash a home computer. It served as Star Dragon's fortress and stronghold in cyber warfare, safeguarding countless state secrets—advanced knowledge being just one of them.
Xiao silently estimated that even maxing out the branch skill [Basic Virtual Electronics Technology] might not grant him the capability to breach the mainframe's network firewall. Oh, [Basic Virtual Electronics Technology] might have a playful name, but it essentially encompassed network technology and programming skills.
After walking for five minutes, the metallic corridor ended. A spacious spherical chamber came into view. A seemingly suspended pathway led to its center, where a rectangular screen sat alongside a keyboard and mouse—the host operating system. Surveying the surroundings, the walls of the spherical chamber were made of exceptionally tough transparent blast-proof glass. Behind the glass lay a tangled web of cables, hardware modules, and chip arrays, flickering with multicolored lights at high frequencies. The entire spherical room functioned as a massive server room.
This sci-fi spectacle failed to impress Xiao. After all, he'd witnessed grand cosmic battles and survived hundreds of direct hits from asteroid-class annihilation cannons—dying with honor. His focus now turned to another critical issue.
"The air here is so stinky and stuffy. Don't you guys ventilate at all?"
Gu Hui's eyelid twitched. Why are your priorities so bizarre? Shouldn't you be marveling at our impenetrable defenses?
Gu Hui composed himself and replied, "That's the mainframe. I've already had the backend unlock your access to advanced knowledge. You're not authorized to view other classified information. We're monitoring the mainframe in real-time. Though this might be redundant, protocol requires me to say... no tricks." "
Got it. No tricks—just dirty tricks.
Xiao nodded, stepped before the console, pressed Enter, and a search bar appeared. He typed "advanced knowledge," and several options instantly materialized.
"Ability System Advancement: Tier 2 Gene Chain · Energy Level Enhancement"
"Ability System Advancement: Tier 2 Gene Chain · Manipulation Enhancement"
"Martial Arts Advancement: Disembodied Wave"
"Martial Arts Advancement: Flash Qi"