Targeting Clown Buggy

Cao Song was only temporarily fooled; the threat still existed.

Zhou Qi naturally knew that killing to silence was the best method, but this was Earth, not the One Piece.

He couldn't bring himself to let someone die without any psychological burden.

"What level of secret is it?" Sun Kangle asked. "When doing security work, multiple layers of secrecy are usually used to cover up a secret. As long as it doesn't involve core secrets, it's harmless even if some are exposed."

"Then it must have touched upon core secrets!" Zhou Qi thought for a moment and said.

Teleportation is the first layer of secrecy. The fact that one can teleport with just a photo is the second layer. The cutting ability of the teleportation gate can be considered the third layer.

The teleportation gate can travel to other worlds, even to the 2D world. This is undoubtedly a secret that is as core as it gets!

And medicinal ingredients that do not belong to this world undoubtedly have a high possibility of being exposed!

The possibility of gold being exposed is actually very small.

"Is that so..." Sun Kangle was silent for a moment. "Then we can only 'silence' him!"

"Huh?" Zhou Qi was stunned. "'Silence'?"

"This is WeChat. That keyword will be flagged by the system. It's best not to say it!" Sun Kangle said. "It's what happens to pigs during festivals."

Understood.

He hadn't even thought about killing anyone, and Sun Kangle was already suggesting it!

"If it's truly a core secret, then without a doubt, we must make him 'silent'!!" Sun Kangle said. "Think about how Zhang Mazi made Hu Wan keep his secret?"

Zhou Qi had naturally seen such classics. The answer was to shoot him.

"If you don't 'silence' him, there's a possibility he'll expose it. It could be intentional exposure, or he might just blurt it out while eating, drinking, and bragging. Being noticed by the country is actually okay, but I fear being noticed by foreign spies. At any moment, they could come at you with a volley of bullets. You have to know, to curb our rise, they are capable of anything!"

"But the net of heaven has wide meshes, though its rinses are fine. How can it be so easy to 'silence' someone?" Zhou Qi was speechless. "And this is WeChat, our chat records are backed up by Penguin. If the police uncle checks them, we'll be exposed..."

"What's his name, what's his identity, tell me, I'll handle it!" Sun Kangle said.

"Hmm?" Zhou Qi was surprised. "Are you sure?"

"Of course, I'm sure. Didn't I say it? I dare to do anything!" Sun Kangle said. "Consider it my pledge of allegiance. You also have my secret now, so you won't be afraid of me betraying you..."

Zhou Qi was speechless. "Is it that serious?"

Sun Kangle asked, "If a genuine Sunflower Manual suddenly appeared before you, would you practice it?"

"This..." Zhou Qi hadn't expected this. He hesitated for a moment.

As he was now, he definitely wouldn't practice it, but before he could open the teleportation gate, he really couldn't say for sure.

"I would practice it!" Sun Kangle said. "If the price of practicing is castration, then I will castrate myself. If a cultivation technique appeared before me, but it was for ghosts, I would commit suicide and become a ghost to cultivate!"

"This world is too boring. No superpowers, no internal energy, so bland that not a single ripple is stirred..."

"Do you know why I studied intelligent manufacturing? It's because I want to create something different, like artificial intelligence..."

"But I know it's futile. The more profound the knowledge, the more you'll understand how difficult it is to replicate those seemingly simple technologies..."

Zhou Qi blinked. He felt a sense of resonance.

His past self, had he not had similar thoughts?

But now, he had obtained it, while Sun Kangle had not.

He didn't think Sun Kangle was extreme; on the contrary, he found him very real. At least, his past self, no matter how much he yearned, couldn't have said it out loud two months ago.

Moreover, was Sun Kangle the only one like this in the world?

Absolutely not. If he brought back a Devil Fruit at this time and auctioned it to the world, even the most garbage Zoan type, even the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Commoner, could fetch an astronomical price!

"I have yearned for too long. As long as there is a glimmer of possibility, I will go through fire and water without hesitation!"

Zhou Qi was somewhat speechless, but also somewhat amazed by this ability and determination.

Perhaps it's true that talented horses are common, but a discerning judge is rare!

"Stop thinking about nonsense. 'Silencing' people, killing people, I was just joking!" Zhou Qi said. "Since you understand factories, how about this: the government has also allocated a large piece of wasteland to us. Go and survey it. I'm planning to build another factory there to produce stockings..."

"Huh?" Sun Kangle was stunned. "Wait, no..."

Weren't we discussing important matters? Why are we switching to producing stockings again?

"I was joking with you, and you took it seriously... Zhou Qi said. "I really don't have a cheat. I did get a windfall, though. As for my actions, they aren't as noble as you think. I'm just imitating Haha Fish and wanting to run a humane company. However, given your reminder, I think it's indeed necessary to proceed step by step..."

"Heh, Haha Fish? You shouldn't make up a name when you're lying to me!" Sun Kangle casually searched and found that there really was a studio with that name.

It was a game studio located in the UK, with works like Starbound and Stardew Valley. Since 2021, this company has implemented a four-day, eight-hour work week. This April, after a company-wide 10% salary increase, they announced another increase of £4,000 (32,000 RMB) in August.

Haha Fish's management stated: People shouldn't grind themselves to dust when working to achieve results. Don't let those old fossils tell you that only overtime makes employees care more about their work.

They also said that after implementing the four-day, eight-hour work week, employees were inspired to greater creative enthusiasm.

"This..." Sun Kangle looked bewildered. There really was a company doing this, and it seemed to be working well?

"No, no, they are a creative company that makes games. You're a manufacturer that makes meager profits. How can that be the same?" Sun Kangle instinctively retorted, but with a precedent, he was no longer so firm.

"Could it be that he really isn't cheating?" He scratched his head and suddenly thought of something. He quickly went to check the chat records.

As expected, Zhou Qi had never admitted to cheating and had been fishing for reactions.

Instead, he himself fell right into the trap, not to mention how excited he was. He was even provoked by Zhou Qi to the point where his chuunibyou was triggered.

"Holy crap!" Sun Kangle's face turned bright red instantly, wishing he could die on the spot. The worst part was that this wasn't a face-to-face chat, but on WeChat.

Chat logs are saved!

I can't show my face anymore!

On the other side, Zhou Qi, who had closed the chat interface, breathed a sigh of relief. He almost got exposed. If he hadn't seen a funny meme in the group chat at the last second, which contained information about the Haha Fish, he wouldn't have known how to cover it up.

As for self-destructing?

Self-destruction is impossible, it will never happen in this lifetime.

As for things like top universities in Beijing or MIT, I can't control them, but as I meditate, I'm also getting smarter!

I'm not as good as you guys now, but in a few days, a few months, I'll catch up.

Let alone a few years from now!

Who knows who will be looking down on whom then!

"Hmph!" He wasn't discouraged; instead, he became more determined!

"But, Cao Song..." Zhou Qi fell into deep thought.

All that talk about "heaven's net has wide meshes, but it lets nothing escape" was a joke. If he made a move, he guaranteed the police wouldn't find any clues.

But making a move was easy; making the decision was hard.

After all, Cao Song might be exposed, but he wasn't actually exposed. Even if he was, Zhou Qi could just play dumb.

But if he made a move, he would be crossing a line. In the future, when faced with problems, he might gradually start thinking about solving them by killing.

And then, slowly get used to it...

Zhou Qi didn't reject killing, but he was afraid that his state of mind couldn't handle the urge to kill.

"A harmonious society shaped me, and it saved you!" Zhou Qi sighed, ultimately unable to bring himself to do it.

"Qi-kun, it's time to eat!" Tashigi's voice came from outside the door.

Zhou Qi quickly looked up, "Oh, coming!"

He also opened the portal. This was an agreement between him and Smoker: once at the appointed time, he would open a door to exchange information.

Smoker did have a Den Den Mushi, but only one. He was already applying for another one.

Koshiro also had one, but it was a dedicated line Den Den Mushi, and he was also applying for one from his superiors.

Zhou Qi was already searching for technical data on signal towers.

As soon as the door opened, three bounty posters were thrown over, one for each of them, along with Smoker's voice.

"He's the only Devil Fruit User in the East Blue right now, and his strength isn't great. Although Mr. Koshiro's team hasn't been assembled yet, the two of us are enough. Shall we use him to practice?"

"No problem!" Koshiro glanced at the bounty poster and then smiled and nodded.

"A Devil Fruit User in the East Blue at this time, it couldn't be..." Zhou Qi quickly picked up the bounty poster, and then his mouth twitched.

As expected, blue hair, a clown hat, a big red nose, and a crossbone pattern on his forehead.

This person was none other than a former cabin boy on Captain Roger's ship, the future Shichibukai, one of the Four Emperors, Buggy!

Bounty: 15,000,000 Belly!

"Zhou Qi?" Smoker looked at Zhou Qi again.

"I have no problem either!" Zhou Qi nodded. Buggy wasn't a good person either; he liked to abuse the weak and would bomb towns with Buggy Dama if he disagreed with someone.

Although he was a plot character, Zhou Qi wasn't a fan, so he had no psychological burden in killing him.

What if killing him made the plot unpredictable?

Don't be ridiculous, I've already intercepted the Mera Mera no Mi, the plot has long since changed.

"Buggy is currently staying in Tiger Town and is expected to spend the night there. We'll make our move tonight and try to avoid exposing the Door-Door Fruit!" Smoker said, "What do you guys think?"

"I have no problem..." Zhou Qi didn't want to delay his meditation time, but then he thought, two Logia Types, one great Sword Saint, how long would it take to capture Buggy?

Since it wouldn't take long, he naturally agreed.

"I have no problem either!" Koshiro also nodded.

"Then it's settled!" Smoker said, then waved his hand, "That's all!"

"OK!" Zhou Qi closed the portal and continued eating!