"Why should I?" Lin Xin retorted.
This was her money! Her hard-earned money!
Lin Qi looked directly into Lin Xin's eyes. The Spiritual Power of a Tier One Wizard subtly emanated from him, its pressure bearing down on Lin Xin.
Cold sweat beaded on Lin Xin's forehead.
This pressure felt strangely familiar to Lin Xin.
Her teacher had a similar pressure about him.
'An Extraordinary Profession!'
'My older brother must be some kind of Extraordinary Professional.'
'Which one?'
'A Martial Artist?'
It was the only conclusion Lin Xin could draw.
Lin Qi's fanatical obsession with Prosthetic Body implants was a hallmark of the Martial Artist profession.
Martial Artists were all madmen.
Their minds were filled with nothing but stats; as long as something could increase a Martial Artist's combat effectiveness, they would stop at nothing to get it.
Martial Artists were the primary consumers of High-tier Potions and Prosthetic Bodies.
'Looks like my brother has completely degenerated into a lackey for Liu's Heavy Industries.'
Lin Xin's heart grew heavy.
According to her teacher, not a single one of the megacorporations was any good.
Prosthetic Bodies, in particular, were tools developed by the megacorporations to target and control the common people.
'The Alliance's mission to save the world is a long and arduous one.'
Lin Xin nodded with grim determination. 'So what if I have to spend all my money on a membership upgrade? I'll just have to endure the humiliation and carry on. The next time I see Teacher, I'll just ask for another million-credit chip.'
Her attitude changed so quickly that Lin Qi couldn't understand what she was thinking.
[Email received from "Highest Level"]
Lin Qi opened the door and said to Lin Xin, "I want to see your new gear within 24 hours."
With that, he once again grabbed the back of Lin Xin's neck with one hand and tossed her out.
He closed the door.
Lin Qi had always trusted Guang Ling's technology.
Even though the room had no network coverage that Lin Qi was aware of.
But he could still connect with the "Highest Level" secure email server just fine.
This most likely involved a special network secretly maintained by the megacorporations.
This network very likely had complete regional coverage.
Considering this network's signal, Lin Qi began to suspect that his deeply hidden identity as a Wizard might not be an absolute secret.
He opened the email sent by Guang Ling.
"With the consent of the other members, the Highest Level security meeting has been moved up. It will convene tonight at 00:00, Asian Administrative Region First Standard Time."
He felt conflicted. When things got dangerous, he still had to rely on intelligence from the "Highest Level" Mercenary Corps.
'In the end, it's still a matter of not being powerful enough.'
'Perhaps I should accelerate my exploration of the Doomsday World. After the meeting tonight, I'll need to bring more critical items with me.'
He turned his attention back to the items in his workshop.
The first batch of "H-L-023" micro-nuclear powered prosthetic hearts—personally designed by Lin Qi and produced by Liu's Heavy Industries—had already been prepared for him by his father.
Doctor Lin knew his son well. The brat was incredibly prideful and wouldn't let anyone else interfere, even when it came to a prosthetic implant for a vital organ.
Given Lin Qi's personality, Doctor Lin wouldn't offer to help unless asked.
He took the micro-nuclear powered heart out of the metal box.
This modification was much simpler than the last.
Or rather, it required almost no modification.
Drawing on his wealth of design experience, Lin Qi had already included a port for the power supply on the custom-built spinal connector.
In other words, the installation point for the micro-nuclear powered heart.
Once installed and paired with his full-body L-Class prosthetic modifications, this micro-nuclear powered heart would be able to unleash its terrifying energy output without restraint.
It was originally intended as a last resort for survival, but now it seemed perfectly suited for the environment of the Doomsday World.
It would be enough for Lin Qi to face down a horde of Zombies and plunder massive quantities of Crimson Crystals.
The main objective for his return to the Prosthetic Clinic was complete. Next, he would need to design and build a collection robot on the fly, tailored to the conditions in the Doomsday World.
In addition, Lin Qi had also prepared a two-by-one-meter "briefcase" that housed a miniature production line, integrating casting, stamping, assembly, and etching functions.
This was a valuable piece of equipment, worth nearly as much as an A-Class Prosthetic Body.
If he could bring this to the Doomsday World, he would be able to gradually establish a small base there.
By leveraging the fact that time freezes in the other world after he crosses through the [Door], Lin Qi could have double the time to develop his resources.
With everything prepared, Lin Qi sat down quietly, lost in thought as he awaited the start of the "Highest Level Security Meeting."
March 2, 2089, 12:00 AM.
[Xiaoai Reminder: Received request for "Highest Level Security Meeting." Connect?]
As always, the off-grid environment Lin Qi had created was no obstacle for Guang Ling. Lin Qi accepted immediately.
After all, it was Lin Qi who had initiated this meeting.
Inside the completely sealed conference room, Guang Ling, in the "1" seat, was already waiting.
"5" Lin Qi was the first to connect to the conference room after Guang Ling.
He was followed closely by "3" Capitalist.
Then came "2" Master Ma.
The four of them sat in silence for a full five minutes before "4" King Arthur belatedly logged into the meeting.
Guang Ling was as composed as ever. "It seems our Wizard has run into some trouble."
Lin Qi gave a slight nod. Shrouded in darkness, the subtle movement only caused a faint shift in the shadows.
Guang Ling then looked toward "4." "Perhaps our Wizard isn't the only one in trouble."
The latecomer, King Arthur, seemed to be caught up in some trouble himself, having been five minutes late to a scheduled meeting.
King Arthur, lacking Lin Qi's composure, slammed his hand on the table, then quickly retracted it, rubbing his palm.
'Damn this conference room. Why is the table so hard?'
King Arthur took a breath and said, "There's big trouble in the two southeastern cities of the Asian Administrative Region, and I've been dragged into it."
'The two southeastern cities of the Asian Administrative Region?'
Lin Qi's heart tightened.
The Liu Clan's Red Fruit City and the Si Clan's Greenfield City. Those were the two southeastern cities.
Capitalist, in the "3" seat, cleared her throat. A young girl's voice rang out, crisp and clear. "The trouble with the Liu and Si Clans began to show signs at the start of this year. It's likely related to certain Intercontinental Influences."
"And from what I know, several T1 Mercenary Corps have already appeared in both cities. The possibility of a large-scale firefight cannot be ruled out."
"However, according to protocol and the restrictions imposed by the Eastern Alliance of the Asian Administrative Region, any engagement will be limited to below City Destruction Level. The use of weapons S-Class and above will be strictly prohibited."
"The Asian Administrative Region isn't like other places. There's a Lion in charge here; things won't descend into total chaos."
"3's" intel was as precise and strategically insightful as ever, just like when she'd revealed the mastermind behind the Witch Hunt.
King Arthur shook his head emphatically. "Capitalist, you're not in the southeastern cities, you don't understand. This time, the core heir of a megacorporation was successfully assassinated. I'm already trapped in Greenfield City—the [Iron Curtain System] has been activated."
"The perpetrator is suspected to be a Tier Four Extraordinary Professional from the Assassin Alliance."
"If a Tier Four Extraordinary Professional is involved, there's no way the fighting can be kept below S-Class."