Arknights, but the family has fallen into decline again, again, and again

"Contact Lungmen. Tell them: We're Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals. We've just broken out of the Catastrophe's affected area and have important intelligence. Tell whoever can make decisions to speak with us."

After some pointless back-and-forth about their respective purposes, requests for instructions, and notifications, they finally got someone on the other end of the line who could make the call.

A crisp female voice said, "This is Lungmen Senior Superintendent and head of the Lungmen Guard Department's Special Inspection Unit, Ch'en. I believe I'm the person you're looking for."

"I'm rather interested in what important intelligence you could possibly have for us—so don't make me come all this way for nothing."

The implication was that if they had come this far and the result contained nothing of value... she might not take that outcome—one she "didn't particularly want"—very well. And the people on the other end of the call might have a "not particularly hopeful" time of it.

Old Ch'en... Then... let's give it a try.

Oute gestured, and Dylan immediately handed him the communicator.

"This is Rhodes Island. During the Catastrophe, we were en route to Chernobog. Unfortunately, we failed to complete our resupply purchases in Chernobog."

"I believe Lungmen has noticed as well: Chernobog's signal activity plummeted after the Catastrophe."

Ch'en said, "No need to be so cryptic. If that's your important intelligence, there's no reason for this conversation to continue."

"Your signal may be poor out in the wilderness, so let me tell you exactly what happened: a group of rioters calling themselves the Reunion Movement captured Chernobog."

She added, with a faint edge to her voice, "It was even on the news."

You called everyone here just for that? Nobita's information network really is terrible!

Oute replied, "No. I said, no."

"What?"

"Superintendent Ch'en, I said no. Chernobog did not fall to the Reunion Movement—at least, not entirely."

"Lungmen is some distance from where this Catastrophe occurred. It's only natural that you lack much firsthand information and would find it difficult to reach the correct conclusion."

Ch'en realized that this man actually knew what he was doing. "Are you implying that Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals has firsthand information? From the name, I thought you were a pharmaceutical company."

"Our headquarters is a landship. To calculate our routes, we do have a fairly professional Catastrophe department. But that isn't the focus of this conversation."

"The focus is that, combined with Chernobog's current condition, this firsthand information reveals some unsettling facts." Oute paused.

"Oh? Go on."

But Oute did not continue. Instead, he said, "We are willing to sell this information to Lungmen in the format and at the price of a standard Catastrophe investigation."

What did he mean by selling it "in the format of a standard Catastrophe investigation"?

What exactly was standard about it?

Ch'en had her doubts, but she had indeed realized the potential value of this information.

"You really know how to keep people in suspense. But you're in luck. I'll buy it."

For a mobile city like Lungmen, Catastrophe investigation expenses were already part of the budget... Besides, the year was nearly over. Even the Guard Department needed a reason to make a last-minute expenditure.

"Authorization received! Heading for the Lungmen Guard Department!" Dylan excitedly drove the aircraft toward Lungmen's checkpoint.

It was now three in the afternoon on December 25. Lungmen's upper ranks might already have realized that a tide of refugees was coming, but the guards at the checkpoint clearly had yet to learn of it through official channels.

With the Emergency Handling Act not yet activated, they were still lax and mild-mannered.

So long as you weren't Infected.

Yes. For the Infected, survival only came in three options: difficult, even more difficult, and hell.

Still, with Ch'en's authorization, no matter how displeased the guards were, they had to obediently let Rhodes Island through despite its abnormally high infection rate.

"Blaze, what do you think of those guards?" Oute asked.

"Compared to other places, their policies toward the Infected are much more lenient. They merely register them... Considering that everyone in Yan has to be entered into the household registry, this can hardly even be called discriminatory."

Oute sighed. My brother still doesn't know me that well.

"I was asking how good those guards are in a fight."

Blaze laughed. "Hey! Lungmen clearly hasn't taken this seriously yet. Those guards definitely aren't their best."

Oute nodded.

"If they could independently reach the correct conclusion without sufficient intelligence, that itself would be abnormal. We arrived rather quickly. They have not yet obtained enough intelligence from the Reunion Movement."

"Doc Otter, are you saying they have informants in the Reunion Movement?"

"If I put on a mask, I can be Reunion Movement too." Oute was concise.

After the wild, deliberate growth fostered by Black Snake, the Reunion Movement had completely lost its organization... Only the personal troops of its various leaders still maintained close ties among themselves.

It could be said that any organization or individual could easily obtain a great deal of intelligence from the Reunion Movement. And that was one of the tricks Black Snake, who intended to burn everything after reading it, had laid down in preparation for the Reunion Movement's destruction.

After everyone else had passed completely through the checkpoint, Dylan drove Bad Boy back to Rhodes Island. He and Bad Boy still had more live-combat testing to do.

Waiting across from the group was a strikingly sharp-looking Draconian beauty.

Her features were exquisite, but her face was rigid, her brows tightly furrowed, and she did not smile. Even the ponytail swept from one side across her chest failed to lend her even a trace of the gentleness one might expect from a refined lady.

Her Guard Department uniform hung open, but the impressive curves beneath were completely concealed by her shirt, tactical harness, tie, and badge.

Her shorts and short boots should have fully displayed her dazzlingly pale, long legs, but the vicious-looking greaves always stole the eye first.

At her slender waist hung two longswords, one red and one black, at the small of her back. Their hilts pointed in the same direction, drawing attention away time and time again.

She stood with her right hand on her hip, looking as though she might draw one of those swords at any moment and point its tip at someone while speaking.

"Conventional" Catastrophe Investigation Report

This woman, who was clearly beautiful yet gave off nothing but ferocity, was Ch'en.

She had sounded extremely capable during the recent call, as though she possessed endless energy. But using Specter's eyes, Oute could easily catch the exhaustion permeating her entire body.

Yes, Oute had realized that every time he entered or left Hamlet, the Proxy Protocol was severed directly.

Because of that, he now dared to borrow Specter's formidable physical abilities as one of the Abyssal Hunters in everyday life, without worrying about Specter's troublesome attempts to keep him around.

Oute could not help speculating about Ch'en's exhausted state.

Had she already noticed something, yet found no leads at all and worked herself into a nervous wreck?

It was not impossible.

"You're Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals?" Ch'en took a report from another guard. After flipping through it, an almost imperceptible surprise entered her voice. "What kind of company employs this many Infected?"

As a reformist, her remark at this moment should have been a fairly pure expression of surprise. Unfortunately, most people who said such things meant them as mockery.

Oute anticipated Blaze's reaction and stepped in front of her before she could get angry.

"If you wish, you can call us a charitable enterprise. Blaze, give me a business card."

"..." The big cat froze. "Yes, Doctor."

Ch'en accepted the card from Oute. Even Oute himself could hear the astonishment in her voice. "A pharmaceutical company specializing in Originium Infection!?"

Oute had casually updated the old business card, which had said nothing of the sort.

She seemed thoughtful. "No wonder you said you could be called a charitable enterprise."

"Then, Miss Ch'en, would you be interested in donating to our cause?"

"Personally, I am somewhat interested, but I'm working right now." Ch'en extended a hand. "At the moment, I'm more interested in your 'conventional Catastrophe investigation report.'"

Oute handed her a thin report.

"This thin? I remember that thing being rather thick."

"There is a thicker version, but it's too technical. Ordinary people would miss the important points instead. After reading this briefing, it won't be too late to purchase the full report."

Keeping her in suspense again?

Ch'en's brows tightened further.

Her eyes flew over the pages as she read aloud several conclusions that concerned her. "...A conventional Catastrophe? With sufficient equipment, the prediction success rate is approximately 97.25 percent?"

"Then why did Chernobog..."

Oute nodded.

"When the Catastrophe occurred, we happened to have people inside the city. We can say with full responsibility... that Chernobog's military and police forces had massive personnel shortages."

"Chernobog's upper ranks were nowhere to be found either. A reasonable guess is that they fled in advance. They abandoned their city and fled before the Catastrophe arrived."

"That makes no sense!" Ch'en rubbed the bridge of her nose. "If they fled in advance, that means they predicted this Catastrophe."

"And if they predicted the Catastrophe, they had more than enough time to alter their route!"

Just like Lungmen now.

"Even taking the most generous view, even if their Catastrophe department was utterly incompetent and severely derelict in its duties, and Chernobog did not have enough time to leave the Catastrophe zone..."

"Even if it had suffered heavy losses, as long as Chernobog remained in their hands, they would still be Ursus nobles! But now that they abandoned the city and fled, neither the king, the parliament, nor the ordinary noble circles would pass up such a good chance to tear into carrion!"

Oute said, "Those political factors are for Lungmen to consider."

"We are only a company. We have no desire to involve ourselves in politics."

Ch'en shook the briefing in her hand, the paper rustling sharply.

"And yet you specifically sought out a political figure to sell this report to."

Oute immediately said, "Wonderful. May I take that as Lungmen genuinely being interested in this conventional Catastrophe investigation report?"

Ch'en folded her arms. "We will indeed purchase this report... as a supplement to Lungmen's investigation into this Catastrophe."

If Rhodes Island truly had no interest in politics, then the word "supplement" would serve as cover for them, a gesture of goodwill. But if Oute was playing petty tricks and keeping something up his sleeve, then those words were a warning.

Oute did not care in the slightest.

At present, all he needed from Lungmen was a port where they could dock, and a market for purchasing and selling goods.

"Excellent! After Chernobog's fall, we need to find a new partner along our route. Would Miss Ch'en be interested?"

Ch'en reflexively replied, "You should discuss that with the Lungmen Governor."

Hm? The Lungmen Governor?

A flash of realization crossed Ch'en's brow.

She abruptly changed course. "However, I can take you to meet him."