Taken Advantage Of

Marquis clearly knew about Billy's plan.

He looked at the silent Billy and sneered. "Billy, can you really bear to throw your nephew out there to test those hyenas?"

Billy's eyes were icy. "Since Brian doesn't have that kind of talent, he needs to be prepared to sacrifice for the family. Take the equipment and leave Los Angeles first. If he successfully joins that new department, come back then."

"Alright." Marquis nodded, then seemed to recall something and reminded him, "You underwent a second blessing. You may have become stronger, but the risk of losing control is greater too. Don't go hunting again anytime soon."

"Got it!"

Billy spoke coldly, then turned and left.

A few days later.

Near the end of the month.

On September 27, Brian finally received news that the Criminal Experiment Team was recruiting.

This recruitment drive was handled directly by the Z government, which sent recruitment emails to the registered professional talent mailboxes of everyone on record with the Z government, along with an application website.

At the end of the email.

It clearly stated.

No matter which government department you had previously worked for.

As long as you passed the assessment, you could be directly transferred to the newly established Criminal Experiment Team, NW.

NW was its abbreviated code name.

Faced with this situation.

The higher-ups at the Forensic Bureau could not stop it even if they wanted to.

At most, they could privately approach their veteran employees, make empty promises, discuss terms, and try to reduce the loss of staff.

But during this period.

The police had intercepted all autopsy rights for homicide cases.

No one was stupid. Everyone could see how powerful the new department was.

People climbed upward, while water flowed downward.

They were all working for the Z government anyway. Aside from those with no ambition, no one was willing to give up this opportunity.

That included some certified forensic examiners.

They wanted to get ahead too!

Naturally, Brian signed up at once.

These past few days.

He had not received a single new obsession.

The chance of ordinary people who died in normal accidents producing obsessions was far too low.

Even without his uncle's threats now.

In order to obtain more obsessions and grow stronger.

Brian was ready to give it everything he had to join NW, the new department.

Brian was a legitimate Z government employee.

His application review.

Was approved immediately.

According to the email.

Brian had to arrive at the Ace Training Camp in the suburbs at exactly ten o'clock tomorrow morning, September 28, for an interview.

He had heard of that training camp before.

Ace Training Camp had been established in 2003. It was located quite far from Los Angeles and had never been publicly used.

Now it seemed it had been established specifically for the Criminal Experiment Team.

He just did not know why it had been placed in the suburbs.

But that was not important.

Once he joined, he would gradually learn the reason.

Since he still had time today.

Brian decided to visit the pet hospital and see how Little Thirteen, the puppy that had cost him an "exorbitant" amount of hard-earned money, was doing.

Brian was still quite grateful to the puppy's mother, the big dog.

Her gift had not only restored his body to that of a normal young man, but had also granted him powerful Scent enhancement.

As long as Little Thirteen survived.

Brian would not mind raising it until it died.

He was also curious about Laura, the female doctor who had helped fulfill the big dog's obsession.

After all, the puppy had practically been clinging to its last breath back then.

How had Laura gotten it eating again within just one or two hours?

Now that he had Scent enhancement.

He could use this chance to investigate.

When he arrived at the pet hospital.

Brian was dumbfounded to discover that it was not open.

Not only was it not open!

The fucking roller shutter had been covered in paint and spray-painted graffiti—words like bitch, scammer, and all sorts of curses!

A bad feeling rose in Brian's heart.

He hurriedly called Laura, the female doctor, only to find that her phone could not be reached at all.

"She didn't run off, did she?"

Brian quickly got out of the car and asked the people nearby.

The result was a bolt from the blue: after scamming a bunch of people into topping up prepaid accounts, this private pet hospital had shut down and fled!

The timing of its disappearance.

Was exactly the day after he had paid Little Thirteen's medical bills thirteen times!

"Fuck!"

Brian punched the colorful roller shutter!

The person was gone!

The dog was gone too!

Had he seriously been used for free?

Seeing Brian's furious expression, the owner of a nearby shop shook his head and said to the waitress beside him, "Another unlucky guy who got scammed. I hope he didn't top up too much money."

The waitress's eyes lit up when she looked Brian over.

She immediately abandoned her boss and eagerly ran over to Brian. "Did that female scammer trick you into topping up a lot of money too?"

Brian glanced at the waitress's utterly ordinary face and shook his head. "It's not about the money."

Other people had topped up their cards.

He had topped up his sperm!

How could that be the same?

As a professional vehicle appraiser.

Laura's freeloading had been the greatest insult to his professional pride!

"This isn't over!"

Brian gave the sign of the private pet hospital one final look, then turned and left.

The next day.

Brian got up early. After carefully dressing himself up, he followed the address in the email and drove toward Ace Base.

More than an hour later.

Brian drove through the mountains, already cursing under his breath.

Damn it.

He still had not seen the sign mentioned in the email.

If he kept driving forward.

He would be leaving Los Angeles County!

Why the hell had those bastards built the base in such a remote place?

Had they not considered transportation and construction costs?

Ahead of and behind Brian, dozens of cars were traveling along this mountain road, which normally saw very little traffic.

After another four or five minutes of driving.

At last, a large, shabby sign bearing the NW logo appeared in Brian's view.

The sign looked like it had been made from old wooden boards.

The NW logo on it looked damp, as though the paint had not fully dried yet.

Below the sign was an open clearing, where traces of recent clearing work could still be seen.

More than a dozen cars of various kinds had already claimed parking spots.

Beside them stood a group of bewildered men and women, staring around in confusion and wondering why no one had come to receive them.

Brian had arrived fairly early.

There was still space for his car.

Those who came later.

Could only park along the roadside.

By the time it was nearly ten o'clock, the small clearing was already packed with people, while a long stream of parked cars lined the edge of the road.

Brian made a rough estimate.

There had to be four or five hundred people.

Quite a few of them were colleagues from the Forensic Bureau.

Though they were all technical staff like him.

Not a single certified forensic examiner was in sight.

He did not know whether they had been specially invited or had truly decided not to change jobs.

In an unfamiliar environment.

People instinctively chose to stick together in groups.

Very quickly, the four or five hundred people formed dozens of groups, large and small.

That also made Brian realize.

NW was recruiting from a very broad range of fields this time.

At exactly ten.

Just as everyone's patience had nearly run out.

Buzz, buzz, buzz~

At last, movement came from the distant sky.

Everyone looked up.

More than a dozen camouflaged transport helicopters burst out from the distant mountains and flew toward them.