A Minor Problem at the Office / Before Leaving

After they finished speaking, the three of them looked at Suika.

"I'm sorry, I was so excited I forgot about you."

"I am Charlotte, this is Iron Drill, and this is Rag Doll," Outcast introduced to Suika.

Suika smiled and greeted the three of them, then handed her Rhodes Island credentials to the Rag Doll beside her.

"Just call me Suika."

Suika was happy to see Charlotte so cheerful.

"Wow, you're Elite Operator!" The plush toy exclaimed in shock as it opened Suika's badge and saw the Elite Operator Rag Doll.

"Elite Operator!"

The other two also stared in shock at the girl who looked to be no more than fifteen years old.

Although they were just field agents, and field agents stationed there for extended periods, they were not unfamiliar with the structure of Rhodes Island.

Elite Operator are the highest-ranking personnel on Rhodes Island.

Within Rhodes Island, apart from Amiya and Kal'tsit, no one else is qualified to deploy Elite Operator (they are unaware of the Doctor's situation).

In Rhodes Island's biographies, every Elite Operator possesses the ability to change the course of a battle.

Furthermore, they had all encountered some Elite Operator and knew how powerful the other side was.

But the girl in front of him looked completely harmless. Apart from her exaggerated horns and the doll riding on her head, it was impossible to associate her with the words "Elite Operator."

"Don't underestimate me! I came all the way from Rhodes Island, crossing Kazdel and Rim Billiton all by myself!"

Noticing the strange looks in the three people's eyes, Suika calmly raised her gourd and took a sip, feeling a little wistful inside.

Being young can lead enemies to misjudge one's strength, and it can also cause unfamiliar allies to misjudge one's abilities.

The three of them gradually regained their composure after hearing Suika's words.

As someone who could walk alone from Rhodes Island to Steel Carrot City, even if she wasn't Elite Operator, her strength and wilderness survival skills were at least top-notch.

To such a person, one's own doubts can be quite offensive.

"I'm sorry!" Charlotte said, taking the initiative to speak.

"No need to apologize. After all, what I did was indeed misleading, but that was exactly my purpose."

When no one sees me as a strong person, no one will notice my existence, and I can do things more effectively.

After giving the three a brief explanation, Suika sat down next to the fireplace and took out a sake flask.

Want a drink?

The three shook their heads upon hearing Suika's words.

"According to the appointment, an Infected will be coming for a consultation in a little while, and alcohol will affect my judgment," the woman named Rag Doll said.

The other iron diamond smiled honestly.

"I have a very low alcohol tolerance, and I tend to act crazy when I'm drunk. Last time I almost broke medical equipment, so since then, Rag Doll 've been forbidden from drinking alcohol during work hours."

Chapter 488 A Minor Trouble at the Office

Seeing that none of them were drinking, Suika didn't urge them to, and instead started to sip her own drink.

The four men sat around the stove, chatting.

Charlotte mainly inquired about Doctor's situation.

Especially after learning that Suika had also participated in the rescue of Chernobog.

Suika recounted the Battle of Chernobog, but vaguely mentioned her own experiences.

After all, it's quite embarrassing to talk about how awesome you are in front of strangers.

Although Charlotte felt that some details were missing after listening, she didn't pay much attention to it.

Because her attention was entirely focused on Amiya and the Doctor.

Upon learning that the two had returned safely Suika noticed tears of excitement in the corners of her eyes.

Iron Drill further pointed out that the sleeve badge on the Suika Belt marked another symbol outside of Rhodes Island that belonged to the Catastrophe Messenger.

"That's right, I am indeed a Catastrophe Messenger."

"Isn't this just traveling around the world and broadening one's horizons?"

Suika spread her little hands and said smugly.

The three of them also exclaimed in surprise at the opportune moment.

While not as rare as Elite Operator, most Catastrophe Messenger are experienced wilderness survival experts and meteorologists.

The learning environment in Terra isn't exactly great.

Under the pressure of life and survival, most people's academic level is only around junior high or high school.

Therefore, the Catastrophe Messenger can all be considered outstanding human elites.

At her Suika's ability to hold the dual roles of Rhodes Island's Elite Operator and the Catastrophe Messenger made the three of them feel somewhat inferior.

Just then, the office phone rang.

Charlotte frowned after taking the phone, sat back down, sighed, and said to the other two, "The logistics company that handled the delivery just now said that this order is difficult to deliver and they want a higher price."

"Damn it, these guys are just taking advantage of the situation."

Iron Drill said angrily.

"Looks like you're in trouble. Tell me about it."

Perhaps I can help you think of a solution."

Seeing that the three of them looked preoccupied, Suika spoke up.

Charlotte thought for a moment before recounting the whole story.

News of Rhodes Island's new, inexpensive blocking agent spread quite quickly.

After learning the news, many organizations contacted Rhodes Island, hoping to purchase the drug from the Rhodes Island.

Rhodes Island accepted a portion of them after screening.

This incident stemmed from a batch of potions destined for a mine.

It's important to understand that while Originium Inhibitor aren't particularly expensive, Rhodes Island's production capacity is ultimately limited.

Moreover, even though Rhodes Island has lowered the price of the Inhibitor to the lowest possible level, there are still Infected who cannot afford the medication.

Therefore, incited by people with ulterior motives, some Infected committed the act of robbing PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) medication.

To avoid this situation, Rhodes Island usually chooses to send the drugs secretly.

This means that if others don't know which box the medicine is in, they won't be able to make targeted preparations.

But for some reason, the news was leaked after the batch of medicines arrived at the office.

It's important to know that Rim Billiton is a country with a significant number of Infected.

When they learned that Rhodes Island had a batch of highly effective Originium Inhibitor, many people got their hands on them.

Charlotte and her friends' previous logistics partners said they could deliver the goods, but they all demanded a price increase of five to ten times or more.

However, Rhodes Island already sells these potions at low prices, so they don't make much profit. If they have to pay such high logistics costs, they won't just fail to make a profit, they'll actually lose money.

Charlotte and her group naturally objected, and a stalemate ensued.

"Then why don't you contact the mine manager and have him arrange for the transportation of this batch of medicine himself?"

Suika is acting strangely. This matter seems very risky, but the risk can be completely transferred to the mine.

After all, Rhodes Island's own logistics are definitely trustworthy.

If the news leaks out, it seems highly likely that something went wrong at the mining site.

In that case, let the people at the mines bear these risks themselves.

After all, Suika is a good person, but she's not a saint.

In such a situation rife with doubts, it's natural to choose the option that benefits one's own side.

"Who says there isn't? But the person who ordered this batch of medicine was the mine's doctor, who recently became Infected due to an accident."

The mine manager stated that the reagents were not ordered from his partner, and his people would not be responsible for transportation.

At this point, Charlotte slammed her hand on the table in anger.

This kind of thing is actually quite common; most mines have their own partners who supply Originium Inhibitor.

The other party buys the drugs from the partners at a low price and then sells them to the miners at a high price. In this way, the money that the workers work so hard to earn ends up back in the hands of these mine managers.

The doctor's actions were cutting off the management's source of income, so naturally the other party wouldn't be willing to help.

Or perhaps he was the one who caused this drug exposure.

After hearing the other two's explanations, Suika finally understood the ins and outs of the matter.

"Since we're already here, and this has happened, let me handle it."

Seeing this, Suika spoke up.

"No, that's too dangerous."

Even though Suika is Elite Operator, she is all alone.

Based on Charlotte's findings over the past few days, there are at least five organizations outside Rhodes Island keeping an eye on it.

Sending Suika alone to deliver the medicine under these circumstances is tantamount to sending her to her death.

In her view, Suika's ability to become Elite Operator is likely related to her identity as Catastrophe Messenger, meaning she is a scholar-type operator.

Furthermore, when discussing the Chernobog incident, Suika deliberately omitted mentioning her crucial role in it, which further convinced the three that their thoughts were correct.

"But I'm really strong!"

Suika wasn't annoyed, after all, the other person genuinely cared about her, so she patiently explained...

"There are indeed Elite Operator on Rhodes Island who aren't very good at combat. But I'm different; combat is exactly what I excel at."

Suika pointed to her head and continued...

"Hmm, do you guys know about the Elite Operator Logos?"

The three nodded. Logos had been here on a mission before, and the three of them had the opportunity to interact with him. His strength and nonchalant attitude in the face of danger left a deep impression on them.

"Logos has never won against me in a one-on-one match."

He wasn't holding back or letting them win; he suffered crushing defeats every single time.

Seeing the three people's disbelieving looks, Suika pointed to the backyard and said...

"Since the patient hasn't arrived yet, shall we practice in the backyard? Don't worry, I'll hold back."

Seeing Suika's persistence, Iron Drill stood up with a smile and said he would give it a try.

He then took a shield and a one-handed hammer from the wall not far away.

"Your move looks familiar, did you learn it from ACE?"

Suika's eyes lit up when she saw the other person's actions.

"That's right, I was in Captain ACE's team for a while." Iron Drill replied, raising his shield warily as he heard Suika's words.

Chapter 489 Before Leaving

"Very good, very spirited!" Suika satisfaction as she watched Iron Drill, holding a large shield and walking slowly toward her with a solemn expression.

Then, without haste, he clenched his little fists.

Just as the opponent was about to reach attack range, he suddenly took a step forward.

"A punch delivered with full force!"

Half an hour later, Iron Drill woke up amidst the worried gazes of the Outcast and the Rag Doll, and the apologetic look from Suika.

What just happened?

He tried to recall, but found his memory to be hazy.