Chapter 36 Interrogation Results
"Director Li, this Shen Zuohu is incredibly arrogant. He specifically asked to speak with you."
Li Meng, who was writing in his office at the Yunhua City Public Security Bureau, stopped his work upon hearing his subordinate's report. "Oh? He's awake? I'll go over right now."
In this post-apocalyptic era, kidnapping someone with high mental strength is a major case, and Li Meng had originally planned to interrogate him personally.
He went to the interrogation room. Shen Zuohu was firmly strapped to the interrogation chair. Seeing Li Meng enter, he grinned.
"Isn't this Director Li? We meet again. More than ten years ago you were just a captain, right? Now you're a director, not bad."
"Yes, I should thank you. If I hadn't arrested your 'Tiger Roar Gang' back then, giving me a great achievement, I wouldn't have been promoted later." Li Meng laughed. "Unlike you, Shen Zuohu, more than ten years have passed, and you haven't improved at all."
Shen Zuohu's face twitched upon hearing this, and he stared at Li Meng with hostility.
"Didn't you say you'd tell me? Go ahead," Li Meng asked. "What was your purpose in this kidnapping? Where did the victim go? Who's your supplier?"
Shen Zuohu's heart skipped a beat. "Supply? What supplier?"
Li Meng said calmly, "Shen Zuohu, you're not young anymore. Don't play dumb like a young kid."
"…"
Shen Zuohu was silent for a moment, then sneered, "Li Meng, do you think I'll obediently tell you?"
"Oh," Li Meng said with a half-smile, "Still pretty stubborn. But your underlings are much more honest. They all confessed that you were the mastermind behind the kidnapping, and they even confessed to the murder you committed a few days ago."
Shen Zuohu's face turned ashen, his teeth grinding together.
"You can't blame anyone else. You, as the boss, let your underlings cover for you when things go wrong,
while you sneak out through the concrete pipes... You're so disloyal, how can you blame your underlings for betraying you?" "Shen Zuohu, just be honest. A bet's a bet. You know you're done for this time. Once you're in jail, you're never going to get out. You might as well be frank and confess."
Shen Zuohu stiffened his neck and said fiercely, "Li Meng, let me tell you! I, Shen Zuohu, didn't fall into the hands of you cops! If it weren't for that damned little brat..."
He now remembered that the guy sitting in the back seat was unusually young and wasn't wearing a uniform, clearly not a police officer!
This made him feel a pang of regret. If he had dealt with the two guards and then stolen a car and left, ignoring that kid, he might be safe by now!
Li Meng said, "The 'little brat' you mentioned is a special detective in our Public Security Bureau. If you fall into his hands, you've fallen into our hands too."
Shen Zuohu's face darkened. Even after so many years in the underworld, he had seen it all. But the thought of that pure black arm, devoid of any hair or pores, gripping his neck sent a chill down his spine.
He remembered trying to smash that arm with his knuckle duster before losing consciousness—his knuckle duster was a psychic weapon! It had no effect at all. The
thing that had locked his throat from behind was definitely not human! But what exactly was it? A monster?
"Shen Zuohu,"
Li Meng's voice pulled him back to the present.
"Now that things have come to this, just honestly confess who your supplier is. I know you; now that you're in trouble, you definitely won't let anyone else get away with it. That's your selfish and self-destructive nature."
"...Li Meng, you're right. I, Shen Zuohu, am indeed not a man of honor. Even if I die, I'll drag others down with me. But the problem is, even if I reveal who my supplier is, do you dare to arrest them?"
"Go ahead,"
Shen Zuohu said slowly. "The person I'm dealing with is a nobody, insignificant. But I'm not one to be trifled with. I secretly found out who that nobody is working for. Do you know who the real person who wants to kidnap those high-level mental power users is…"
He smiled and said a name.
"Zhao Jiping."
Upon hearing this name, Li Meng's expression suddenly turned serious.
He pushed up his glasses and said in a deep voice, "You're talking about Zhao Jiping, chairman of Hengyun Real Estate."
"That's right, him. He's the boss of the largest real estate group in Beixing Kingdom, and also a member of the Development Department." Shen Zuohu's face revealed a mocking smile. "Li Meng, do you, a city security bureau chief, dare to arrest him?"
...
The third apocalyptic rule, [Fasting Therapy], with only three days left in its effective period, finally had its hidden rule—"Limited quantity of goods in the Ascension Shop"—discovered. The
first to discover it was an Ascensionist in the Soro Empire.
This Ascensionist originally planned to simply endure the 15-day rule period, but in the last three days, he couldn't hold on any longer.
Fearing irreversible damage to his body from excessive hunger and serious aftereffects, this Ascensionist opened the Ascension Shop and bought a food box.
But the moment he finished purchasing, he clearly saw a line of small print appear below the [Basic Food Box - Bronze Grade] item in the shop:
Remaining Quantity: 9,999,999 .
This small print indicating a limited quantity had never existed before!
Shocked, the survivor posted about it online, and the news of "limited quantities of Ascension Shop goods" quickly spread around the world!
Discussions erupted in various countries, and the news immediately rose to the top of the discussion charts on North Star's social media.
"The boxes are limited???"
"It seems the remaining quantity will only appear after the inventory drops below ten million!"
"Holy crap! There's even this kind of hidden information! What's the Countermeasures Office doing? Why wasn't it written in the white paper!"
"Don't spout nonsense, this kind of information is hard to come up with, right? Even if the Countermeasures Office is amazing, they don't have enough Ascension Coins to conduct tests like 'emptying the shop'..."
"You guys go check your terminals! The food box inventory is dropping too fast!"
"Huh??? Really? I just checked, and there are only 9,967,151 left!"
"More than 300,000 have been sold in such a short time?!"
"Damn it! There are so many hidden Ascension Coin users???"
Guan Tong, in room 306 of the Limei Hotel, also saw the news online.
"I didn't expect this information to be discovered in the end."
He had known about the limited quantity of the boxes since the rules were first released, thanks to a hidden note in the rules.
However, fearing it would cause a panic and prevent those truly in need from buying them, he hadn't chosen to disclose the information.
Originally, as the end date of the rules approached, Guan Tong thought the information might not be discovered. But unexpectedly, three days before the rules ended, the number of boxes reached the critical threshold, triggering the limited-quantity warning.
He checked the Ascension Shop on his personal terminal.
Only 8,921,743 [Basic Food Box - Bronze Level] remained.
Less than an hour had passed since the news broke, and over a million boxes had already been sold.
Seeing this, Guan Tong marveled at the immense purchasing power of Ascension users worldwide, and thought to himself, "Thank goodness I didn't disclose the information, otherwise they would probably have sold out a day or two before the rules took effect..."
Chapter 37 The Fast Ends
The news of the limited number of food boxes in the store triggered a buying frenzy among Ascended Players.
Some even bought one or two to store, even if they didn't need them immediately.
This was partly due to anxiety. What would happen
if the boxes sold out? Would the store restock? If they were permanently removed from the store, what if the Firebringers issued similar "fasting" rules again?
Driven by this anxiety and fear, the food boxes sold out extremely quickly. After three hours, only a little over six million remained in the store, averaging over one million sold per hour!
This frenzy prompted the Post-Apocalyptic Rules Countermeasures Research Center to issue a statement on its official account.
The research center advised Ascended Players to adopt a "buy-as-you-go" approach to food boxes. They should not buy out of excessive fear or a herd mentality.
This would not only waste hard-earned Ascended Coins but might also prevent Ascended Players with genuine life-saving needs from buying them later. They hoped that Ascended Players would remain rational and think calmly.
The Post-Apocalyptic Rules Countermeasures Research Center, being established under the official leadership of the Northern Star Kingdom, essentially carries out official pronouncements and suggestions.
However, how one spends their Ascension Coins is ultimately their own business. The government can only offer suggestions; it has neither the reason nor the ability to enforce anything.
By evening, only three million food boxes remained.
Guan Tong stopped paying attention and went to bed early to minimize energy consumption.
He had bought four food boxes in total, and had used three by today, with no intention of using the last one.
Therefore, for the remaining time the rules were in effect, he began a minimal-energy lifestyle:
staying indoors, doing nothing, thinking little, and sleeping when idle.
During this period, only Xu Xiaotian came to see him once, asking if he wanted to voluntarily go to the police station to give a statement, as they hadn't contacted him. Guan
Tong told him to decide for himself.
After considering it, Xu Xiaotian decided it was better to avoid trouble; since the police weren't contacting him, he didn't want to go outside.
The terrifying experience of being kidnapped left him with considerable psychological trauma, which would likely not dissipate anytime soon.
The final period of this rule's effect passed quietly as Guan Tong idled away his time.
At 9:00 AM on May 29th, the third apocalyptic rule's effective period officially ended.
The Firebringer's voice arrived once again, precisely as scheduled.
[Rule time has ended]
[Congratulations on passing the test of the third apocalyptic rule]
[Rewards have been sent to your storage box]
[More items are now available in the Ascension Shop; you can view them through your personal terminal]
[The fourth apocalyptic rule will be released in three days]
Guan Tong opened his eyes, sat up in bed, and picked up a carton of milk from the bedside table to drink.
He hadn't eaten for days and was undoubtedly very hungry. But immediately indulging in a large meal and overeating could damage his body.
Therefore, he had prepared high-energy foods such as milk and chocolate in advance and placed them on the bedside table to tide him over after the rule ended.
"A new rule will be released in three days? The interval between the two rules this time is surprisingly short."
Guan Tong pondered the information given by the Fire Stealer while drinking milk through a straw.
He remembered that after the first rule was passed, the second rule was released fifteen days later.
After the second rule was passed, the third rule was released thirty days later, a full month later.
It seems that the interval between the release of the next rule does not increase with each rule passed. This pattern, which some had previously speculated about, has undoubtedly been broken by the Fire Stealer.
"Personal terminal,"
Guan Tong murmured to himself, and the terminal interface appeared before him.
[Name: Guan Tong]
[Nickname: Shadow]
[Title: Guardian]
[Mental Power: 119]
[Ascension Coins: 190]
[Overall Bio-Information Evaluation: Excellent]
His personal information remained largely unchanged. During the third rule period, he didn't "generate" many coins, so his Ascension Coins remained fixed at 40, totaling 190 with this 150 reward.
The only noteworthy change was his Mental Power cap of 119 points.
After the second rule ended, Guan Tong's Mental Power cap was 114 points.
A third rule was then released after a one-month interval. A month has 30 days, plus the third rule's 15-day effective period, totaling 45 days.
In those 45 days, his Mental Power cap increased by a full 5 points, averaging 1 point every 9 days.
This speed was significantly faster than before. Guan Tong remembered that previously, even when he completely drained his Mental Power every day, it would take more than ten days to increase his cap by 1 point.
But during this period, he didn't "squeeze" his Mental Power as hard; in fact, in the last few days of the rule's effective period, to reduce physical energy consumption, he didn't use a single point of Mental Power.
Despite this, the average number of days it takes to increase the upper limit is shorter than before. It seems that if he continues to push himself relentlessly every day as before, the average number of days to increase the upper limit might even decrease further.
In extreme cases, it might be possible to increase the mental power limit by 1 point every 7 or 8 days!
"It's very likely that the effect of that bottle of [Gene Optimization Essence] is slowly taking hold,"
Guan Tong thought. No wonder it's a precious item from a [Glory-level Treasure Chest]. It seems it's not just a one-off deal, but something that will optimize the body over time.
He opened his storage box, and besides the remaining unused [Basic Food Box - Bronze Level] and [Wordless Book], there was also a ticket with a black background and a burning goblet printed on it.
[Invitation to the First Ascended Challenge]: Ascended individuals holding this invitation can participate in the first Ascended Challenge, which will begin after the end of the fifth apocalypse rule.
With a thought, the invitation appeared in Guan Tong's hand, feeling like gold foil.
These were the special items besides Ascension Coins that were among the successful rewards when the third rule was announced.
"Judging from the description, this 'First Ascension Challenge' will begin after the fifth apocalypse rule ends... I wonder what kind of challenge it will be?"
If it's a one-on-one real-person PK, Guan Tong feels he has a slight advantage.
After all, he can summon shadows to fight for him, so it can be considered a two-on-one fight.
However, Guan Tong hasn't received any combat training, and his combat skills are basically blank.
It might be good to have a professional combat master train him if he has the opportunity.
Guan Tong had thought about this issue before; if he becomes stronger, his shadows will also become stronger. If he could find an excellent and serious combat teacher, there would be no harm in learning from him.
However, he doesn't insist on it. His main focus right now is on increasing his mental power limit and dealing with the challenges brought by the apocalypse rules.
With a wave of his right hand, the invitation was returned to his storage box.
Guan Tong then opened the Ascension Shop function on his terminal to check the new items that were added after this rule was implemented.
He now possesses a "huge sum" of 190 Ascension Coins, which he can easily use to purchase any new and interesting items.
Chapter 38 A Disturbing Fact
Upon opening the Ascension Shop, Guan Tong immediately noticed that the [Basic Food Box - Bronze Grade] item was gone.
"Was it sold out and removed from the shelves?"
Three days ago, there was a notification that ten million remained; three days later, they were all sold out... It was truly astonishing.
However, considering the number of Ascension users worldwide, if even one percent, or one-thousandth, had Ascension Coins and sufficient purchasing power, they could easily buy all ten million boxes.
Guan Tong had previously thought that he could buy food boxes to eat when he had enough coins, but now it seemed unrealistic.
However, he couldn't be certain, as there was a possibility that some removed items might reappear after a while.
He turned his attention back to the newly added items after this rule change; there were three in total.
[Multi-terrain Marching Boots]: Long boots suitable for movement in various complex terrain environments, customizable appearance
[Price: 100 Ascendant Coins]
...
[Thermostatic Technology Underwear - Basic]: Maintains a constant and comfortable body temperature for 6 hours after wearing, with a 24-hour cooling time, customizable appearance
[Price: 120 Ascendant Coins]
...
[Gene Optimization Fluid - Inferior]: Can improve some genetic defects after consumption
[Price: 150 Ascendant Coins]
...
After reviewing the three newly listed items, Guan Tong was most surprised by the Gene Optimization Fluid.
This [Gene Optimization Fluid - Inferior] was undoubtedly the same type of product as the [Gene Optimization Original Fluid] he had previously obtained from the Glory-level box.
However, one was the original fluid, and the other was an inferior fluid, suggesting a significant difference in quality.
"If I hadn't obtained the original fluid from the box, I would definitely have prioritized buying this optimization fluid," Guan Tong thought. "But since I've already consumed the original fluid, consuming this inferior optimization fluid probably won't be very effective."
He made his judgment and decisively abandoned his purchase plan.
The other two items—a multi-terrain boot and underwear that maintains a constant body temperature for a fixed period—are
both excellent items. However, Guan Tong feels he doesn't need them right now. Previously, he would have saved his Ascension Coins to buy them when needed. But
the experience with the food box makes him wonder: are all items limited? If each
item, like the food box, doesn't initially show a limit, but only reveals the remaining quantity when it falls below a certain threshold, it would be disadvantageous for Guan Tong.
Unlike many people who spend over ten hours online every day, he spends most of his time developing his mental strength and resting.
The advantage of this is that his emotions are relatively stable, and his daily biological clock is relatively normal. But the disadvantage is that he doesn't receive the latest information very quickly.
Therefore, if a new item quickly sells below the threshold and starts showing a limit, Guan Tong might find himself in the predicament of needing to buy it only to find it sold out when he finally opens the shop.
Moreover, the store lacked a "limited quantity reminder" function, and Guan Tong didn't want to check his terminal every few days.
After a moment's consideration, he spent 120 Ascension Coins to buy the expensive [Constant Temperature Technology Underwear - Basic Model].
After that, the remaining 70 coins wouldn't be enough to buy another 100 [Multifunctional Marching Boots]. However, he could create his own bound coins, so he could make up the 30-coin shortfall without relying on rewards.
Guan Tong then closed his personal terminal and went out to get something to eat. After being hungry for three or four days, a little milk and a piece of chocolate wouldn't be enough to fill his stomach.
...
On the internet, which Guan Tong didn't often check, after the third apocalyptic rule ended, a major discussion erupted regarding the three-day rule interval.
"A fourth rule will be released in three days?! Are you kidding me?!"
"Why so fast...didn't it take a month last time?"
"The Fire Stealers aren't going to let humans rest at all! They're torturing us in every way imaginable!"
"It can be as long as a month, as short as three days; it seems the interval between events is completely unpredictable."
"What are you guys planning to buy from the new items in the shop?"
"No need to ask, it's definitely the Gene Optimization Fluid!"
"I also think this is the most important thing; it can improve genes!"
"Let's wait and see the results from the countermeasures research lab..."
"I'm not waiting! Don't wait until it's sold out; this will definitely be the most sought-after!"
Someone started a product poll, and over 95% of people chose the [Gene Optimization Fluid], showing that everyone's opinion was basically the same.
It was generally believed that improving genetic defects was a long-term benefit to one's body. But the other two items were, after all, external objects.
However, the discussion forum was quickly flooded with a post.
The post titled: "Why is my personal terminal malfunctioning? Am I the chosen one?!" The poster
wrote in the thread: "After the rules ended, I silently chanted 'personal terminal' but it didn't work; the terminal interface didn't even display. Has anyone else encountered this? Or is it a bug? Could it be that the Firebringer will send me a compensation package later, making me invincible?"
The post received numerous replies immediately after it was published.
"??????"
"Personal terminals can malfunction? This is the first time I've seen this."
"OP, post your numeric ID, I'll add you as a friend and see if that works."
"Waiting for you. Remember to kick me when you receive the compensation package."
"If you become rich, don't forget me, OP!!!"
The first few replies were mostly filled with questions and requests for help, but when the thread reached over a thousand posts, a reply appeared that shocked many people.
"What is the OP fantasizing about? I guess it's because your mental power has decayed to 0, and your personal terminal has automatically shut down."
This reply received hundreds or even thousands of sub-replies.
"Holy crap! Really?!"
"Personal terminals automatically shut down when mental energy decays to 0?!"
"Is there a reliable source?! Urgent!!!"
"Don't scare me like that! My mental energy has also decayed to single digits after failing this challenge. If it decays again, will I be unable to open my terminal either?!"
The original poster's reply quickly sparked heated discussion across the internet.
As more and more people who had failed the challenge revealed they couldn't open their terminals, this claim was finally confirmed by multiple sources.
Three hours later, the Post-Apocalyptic Rules Countermeasures Research Lab officially announced that their experiments confirmed the claim was correct.
Once mental energy decays to 0, personal terminals will automatically shut down.
This terrifying fact, once verified, immediately caused a huge uproar worldwide.
Especially those Ascendants who had failed the challenge twice in a row and whose mental energy had dwindled to almost nothing, were plunged into unspeakable fear.
In this post-apocalyptic era, being unable to use a personal terminal meant being abandoned and eliminated by this era.
Chapter 39 Division and Sealing
The impact of shutting down personal terminals far exceeded many people's imagination.
It drastically undermined humanity's collective consensus.
Before this situation arose, all living humans could be called "Ascended Ones," the only difference being their level of mental power.
Furthermore, the post-apocalyptic rules white paper included methods from the countermeasures research lab to increase the upper limit of mental power. Therefore, many optimistically believed that being slightly behind initially was not a big deal, and they could gradually catch up.
But the shutdown of personal terminals completely shattered this illusion.
Imagine those who can no longer use personal terminals—do they still have the right to call themselves Ascended Ones? Will others still acknowledge them?
If this continues, it won't be long before a huge, irreparable gap forms between Ascended Ones and ordinary humans.
Not to mention, the newly added [Gene Optimization Fluid] in the Ascended Shop further fueled this division.
The appearance of this item blatantly reveals that Ascended Ones who purchase and use it will be genetically superior to other humans.
The Firebringers, with just a hidden function and a single item, tore away all the veils of affection between humanity.
It was as if they were telling all of humanity in the most blatant way: you will inevitably diverge.
This sparked massive online conflicts across the world's internet platforms.
Some Ascended Ones used malicious language to mock those unable to use their personal terminals, saying they could no longer be called Ascended Ones, but only "primitives.
" "Primitives" wasn't the worst of it; some even used insulting terms like "inferior goods" and "low-class horses."
Such behavior naturally provoked a backlash.
Those whose mental energy had dwindled to zero and whose personal terminals were shut down were not just a few individuals; globally, it was a sizable group.
They would never accept becoming inferior, so they not only attacked those Ascended Ones who spoke disrespectfully online but also called for collective action.
Furthermore, Ascended Ones with low mental energy were also targets for their recruitment.
One user whose terminal was closed replied to a mocking Ascendant, "What you say about me today might come back to haunt you tomorrow. What will you do when your mental power dwindles to zero after failing a rule challenge?" Indeed
, many with low mental power are themselves on the verge of reaching zero. Perhaps after one or two more declines, their personal terminals will also close.
Therefore, many of them are willing to speak out for those whose personal terminals are closed, knowing that doing so is also for their own future, who might fall into the same predicament.
Faced with this situation, the official government of the Northern Star Kingdom quickly issued a statement.
A solemn declaration stated that every citizen is equal and equally important.
Anyone inciting hatred or division will be considered a criminal and will be severely punished!
This statement suppressed the various outrageous opinions online.
However, the outrageous opinions within each person's heart will inevitably take root and sprout uncontrollably.
...
Limei Hotel, first-floor restaurant.
Guan Tong and Xu Xiaotian sat at a table with many dishes, all delivered by official transport drones.
The department responsible for providing this food is the Life Support Department, a new department established by the government after the arrival of the apocalyptic rules.
After the various "dark factories" produce goods, a portion of them are transported to the Life Support Department. The Life Support Department then uses transport drones to deliver the goods based on the users' online requests.
The entire process requires very little human intervention, only a small number of people to coordinate and manage.
Of course, large-scale mechanization means a lack of individuality; the food Guan Tong and Xu Xiaotian are currently eating is all pre-made.
"Brother Tong, did you know?" Xu Xiaotian said, munching on a chicken leg, "The internet is buzzing about how zero mental energy leads to the shutdown of personal terminals!"
"I saw it," Guan Tong said. He was currently eating a simple fried rice; after being hungry for so long, he felt that this kind of home-cooked food was more comforting than rich, meaty dishes.
"I didn't expect the Firebringers to have this trick up their sleeve. Tong-ge, what do you think will happen to those who can't use personal terminals anymore?"
"I don't know."
Guan Tong isn't a god; how could he predict the subsequent developments of this matter?
However, he vaguely felt that this incident might become some kind of trigger, causing some serious incidents.
"I don't want to see everyone cursing at each other. We're all humans who have barely survived; why attack each other?"
Xu Xiaotian shook his head and started talking about something else: "By the way, Tong-ge, I bought the new gene optimization fluid in the store this time. After drinking it, apart from my mental strength limit increasing by 3 points, it doesn't seem to have changed anything else."
3 points?
Guan Tong remembered that his previous increase was 20 points, which shows that the quality difference between the original fluid and the ordinary optimization fluid is indeed huge.
"Tong-ge, have you drunk it? How do you feel?"
Xu Xiaotian directly assumed that Guan Tong had bought the gene optimization fluid. This was because from netizens to the official, everyone believed that this product was the most cost-effective item in the Ascension Store; buying it was definitely the right choice.
"It might take some time to show more benefits," Guan Tong said. "After all, optimizing genetic defects isn't something that can be done overnight."
"That makes sense. Let's wait and see. But the interval between rules this time is too short, only three days! It doesn't feel like enough time to rest!"
Guan Tong said, "You have instant noodle props, so the [Fasting Therapy] rules shouldn't put too much pressure on you, right?"
Xu Xiaotian was a little embarrassed: "Uh, that's true. But the survival pressure isn't too high, but the mental pressure is quite high! Especially after encountering… that thing!"
Seeing his lingering fear, Guan Tong knew he was talking about being kidnapped.
Buzz buzz buzz!
At this moment, Guan Tong's phone vibrated in his pocket. He took it out and looked up at Xu Xiaotian, saying, "Speak of the devil."
"What do you mean???"
"Nothing, it's a call from the Public Security Bureau."
Half an hour later.
Guan Tong and Xu Xiaotian arrived at the Yunhua City Public Security Bureau together. A police officer led them into a small conference room and told them to wait a moment, as the director would be there soon.
Not long after, Li Meng pushed open the door, nodded to the two of them, and sat down.
Xu Xiaotian asked curiously, "Um, Director Li, did you call us here because the kidnapping case has been solved?"
"Yes and no," Li Meng said directly, getting straight to the point. "The local kidnapping gang in Yunhua City, led by Shen Zuohu, has been wiped out, but as far as I know, similar criminal gangs are operating in other cities."
Guan Tong said, "So someone is remotely controlling gangs in various cities?"
"Yes."
"Wow!" Xu Xiaotian blurted out, "Who has such great abilities? To remotely control gangs in various cities to kidnap people!"
"Shen Zuohu has identified someone. But this person is in the capital and has a complex network of connections. Without solid evidence, we can't act rashly and alert them."
"I called you here today to inform you before leaving. Because the criminal gang's connections are complex and numerous, your case probably won't be closed in the short term and will be temporarily shelved."
"But you don't need to worry about retaliation here. At least Shen Zuohu and other core members of the gang are guilty of serious crimes. Especially Shen Zuohu, murder, kidnapping, operating a criminal gang… he'll be executed soon for multiple crimes."
The two fell silent upon hearing this. They hadn't expected that a kidnapping case would involve so much.
Guan Tong then asked, "Director Li just said before leaving… does that mean you're leaving Yunhua?"
"Yes," Li Meng said, "I received orders from my superiors this morning to be transferred to a working group in the capital. The purpose is to continue investigating this large-scale kidnapping case involving high-level mental power users that spans multiple cities."
Chapter 40 The Ability to Transform Shadows
After returning from the police station, Guan Tong sat in his room, reviewing the events of the past few days.
Ever since those two gangsters randomly found his house, his life had become much faster-paced.
Especially since this kidnapping case was far-reaching, not an isolated incident, but a major case involving multiple cities and remotely controlled by an upper echelon.
On his way back, Guan Tong had pondered how such remote control was achieved. In the post-apocalyptic era, why would gangs in various cities risk kidnapping people and going against the authorities?
It could be bribery, but not money, which is now largely useless; it could be gold.
It could be coercion, threatening to kill them if they didn't comply.
Or it could be a combination of both, using both carrot and stick.
"If it's bribery, the ones currently holding the most gold are definitely the authorities. Next are probably some hidden tycoons, large business owners, and big capitalists,"
Guan Tong thought, recalling how often he read news reports. It's said that some large business owners or capitalists hold a small percentage of their assets in cash,
instead possessing substantial holdings of high-quality assets such as company stock, gold, and prime real estate. Faced with this super black swan event of the apocalypse, even if their cash becomes worthless, their gold and prime real estate retain high value—
in fact, it multiplies several times over.
Guan Tong had previously seen online that after transportation resumed, a large number of people across the country flocked to major cities.
Many believed that in the face of a disaster of this magnitude, only large cities could provide timely and effective official aid.
Smaller cities and even villages would quickly become abandoned. Perhaps the authorities didn't want to do this, but it wasn't a matter of choice; given insufficient resources, they had to prioritize large, densely populated cities.
There are now reports online that the free housing application policy in the capital, Yong'an, has been suspended. This is because the sheer number of people flocking to the capital after the disaster, leading to an overwhelming number of applicants, caused vacant housing to be quickly allocated. Although
the government still supports real estate transactions, those selling properties in the capital are now only accepting gold transactions.
This has caused the actual value of gold to continue to soar. If he used it to bribe gangs in other cities, he might be able to get them to work.
After all, gangs are made up of people, and people need to solve their sense of security first. Currently, the city that can provide this sense of security is undoubtedly the capital, Yong'an.
Therefore, perhaps gang leaders from all over the country want to quickly acquire a large sum of gold to buy a house in the capital and live there.
Guan Tong didn't have too many thoughts about this.
Although Yunhua City, where he lived, couldn't compare to the capital, it was still a large city, and it was pretty good in all aspects.
Moreover, he believed that the idea that "living in the capital would be safer" was more of a psychological comfort.
"Personal terminal."
Guan Tong opened the storage box and took out the [Constant Temperature Technology Underwear - Basic Model] that he had bought earlier.
Because the appearance could be customized, he simply set it to a pair of black boxer shorts.
The underwear felt very smooth to the touch, with a silk-like feel. He put it on, moved around a bit, and felt very good.
"I can use this to replace my everyday underwear," Guan Tong thought. "Once I buy the [Multi-Terrain Marching Boots] later, I'll have a replacement for my everyday shoes."
He figured that later on, every Ascended One might be decked out in shop-made items from head to toe. There was no way around it; the shop's products were comfortable and had special functions.
He then took out the [Wordless Book] and placed it on the table.
Opening the first page, the words "Physical Guan Tong" appeared before his eyes.
"The first word-adding experiment was a success, which means adding words is feasible."
"However, anything too outrageous probably won't work."
Guan Tong felt that if he added "Invincible" before "Physical Guan Tong," it would definitely be useless.
The reason is simple: writing the words is fine, but making them detach from the page and become reality requires mental energy.
With his current mental energy limit of 119 points, even with optimism, he didn't think he could make the concept of "Invincible Physical Guan Tong" a reality.
"The more exaggerated and powerful the concept, the more mental energy it consumes to convert it into reality. And..."
Guan Tong's thoughts stirred, and the shadow immediately detached from the page, standing to one side of him.
Guan Tong manipulated it to go to the window and touch the shadow on the window. Sure enough, the ability of the unmaterialized shadow to merge with the shadows of other objects had disappeared.
Now the shadow had a physical form, but it had also lost the abilities of its non-physical state.
"I wonder if it's possible to switch between a physical and an intangible state? That way, I can switch to whichever state I need."
Thinking of this, he mentally commanded the shadow: "Convert to an intangible state. "
The next moment, he was pleasantly surprised to see the shadow quickly "shrivel up," returning to its previous intangible state in just two or three seconds! It actually worked!
"Return to physical state!"
With Guan Tong's next command, the intangible shadow filled its hollow again, becoming a full physical state.
While excited, Guan Tong glanced at his mental energy consumption.
Sure enough, switching between physical and intangible states consumed mental energy, about 20 points at a time.
...It was totally worth it!
Guan Tong felt that even if it doubled to 40, he would accept it!
Because this ability to switch between physical and intangible states had so many practical uses.
He could already think of many: for example, to enter a locked, sturdy room, he could have the intangible shadow go in first, and then materialize it to unlock the door from the inside.
For example, when Guan Tong encounters an enemy, he can hide in the shadows and manipulate his non-materialized shadow to silently circle behind the enemy, then materialize it to launch a surprise attack, achieving remarkable results.
"It seems that any ability that a shadow once possessed can be retained and will not be permanently lost with changes in form... This is really good. From now on, I'll call this ability 'Illusion and Reality'."
Illusion refers to the non-materialized shadow; Reality refers to the materialized shadow.
Having developed the Illusion and Reality ability of his shadow, Guan Tong's confidence soared.
He felt that the [Wordless Book] in his hand had extremely high expandability. As long as he tested it enough times, he would definitely be able to develop more practical and powerful abilities.
There are multiple development directions for just "shadow," not to mention the many other blank pages.
If it weren't for his insufficient mental energy, Guan Tong really wanted to write a page a day, writing a new ability every day to see if he could achieve it.
"Unfortunately, the interval between rules this time is too short. The Fire Thief will release the fourth apocalyptic rule in three days... I don't have much time left for development, only today and tomorrow. The day after tomorrow, I have to conserve my mental energy to deal with the unknown new rules."