This man, Howard, was Zhao Pengcheng's sole contact. After Zhao Pengcheng accepted the special mission, Howard became the only person in the organization he could contact. The Dream Corridor was also given to him by Howard; the other end of the corridor connected to Howard's dream space. After Zhao Pengcheng went to prison, Howard shut down the connection at the other end of the corridor and stopped contacting him. It's unclear why he suddenly appeared today.
Despite Zhao Pengcheng's best efforts to conceal his abilities, Howard could immediately tell that his Mental Power was stronger than before. His comment about "human prison conditions being quite good" was clearly a joke, and this improvement had obviously caught the other's attention.
Zhao Pengcheng didn't want Howard to know he had received guidance from a human, so he said, "It's the same everywhere; only humans are affected by the environment."
Howard said, "Very good, you haven't been affected by humans. Many of our comrades have been affected by the host's body and memories, causing fluctuations in their will and affecting their mental strength. The leader is very worried."
Zhao Pengcheng asked, "Has this happened before?"
Howard said, "Who knows? When human civilization ends, we'll be gone, and these things won't stay in our memories."
Zhao Pengcheng said, "We have no memory of it."
Howard said, "That's right, we don't have memories because we don't need memories to pass on civilization like humans do. And just because you and I don't have memories doesn't mean the entire race doesn't."
Zhao Pengcheng said, "Are you talking about the leader?"
Howard smiled, whether unwilling or reluctant to discuss it, and changed the subject, saying, "You completed your mission excellently, proving the organization made the right choice."
"Everyone is the same; the organization can do a good job no matter who they choose."
"Very good. Your will is as hard as steel, and your strength is also considerable, at least much stronger than when I last saw you. This shows you have potential. The organization will not give up on talent like you."
Zhao Pengcheng didn't know how much Howard had seen through him, and hoped he hadn't seen through all his strength. He had reacted quickly enough; if Howard had seen the scalpel, the unusual fluctuations remaining on it would have aroused suspicion. He felt he needed to learn more about how to conceal his strength in the future, and if only he could appear harmless like Qingmu.
"Is there a new mission?"
"You will," Howard said. "But I'm not here today to assign you tasks. I'm here to tell you to conserve your strength; the organization hasn't abandoned you."
Zhao Pengcheng sensed something was amiss in Howard's words and asked, "Teacher, please just say what's on your mind."
Howard nodded and said, "Something went wrong. Our access to Earth has been sealed off, and for a long time to come, we'll likely be fighting alone."
"You mean... our other comrades won't be coming to this planet anymore?" Zhao Pengcheng was a little surprised.
"It's only temporary," Howard said.
Zhao Pengcheng understood that since Howard had specifically brought this up, it wouldn't be a short-term matter.
How many of our people are there on Earth now?
"Only the leader knows the exact figures, but compared to the total population of the Earth, they are pitifully small."
"But we should already have control over a large number of important figures. In the human population on Earth, five percent of the population controls ninety-five percent of the world's wealth, and power is even more concentrated than wealth," Zhao Pengcheng tentatively stated. "By controlling these five percent, we can control the Earth."
"You're right, but five percent is still a lot of numbers!" Howard exclaimed.
Zhao Pengcheng thought about it and agreed. Five percent was 380 million people, exceeding the total population of the United States. The channels for invading humanity were unstable; not too many could arrive at once, and even after entering Earth, they would need to find opportunities to parasitize, with a high chance of failure. Earthlings also possessed powerful consciousness, especially scientists and soldiers with unparalleled willpower. Politicians and businessmen were easier to break through, but there were always exceptions—outstanding politicians and wealthy individuals with strong willpower and vast knowledge—that would leave them helpless. It was said that Elder Xia of Wuzhong had always been a target of the organization's attention, and Zhao Pengcheng wondered if that famous old man had now become one of his "comrades."
"So what's our next strategy?" he asked.
"Wait for the right opportunity."
How long will it take?
"It won't be long. With a leader, that door will soon reopen," Howard said. "But before that, we need to preserve our strength and unite as much as possible to dismantle humanity and seize resources. The only thing to worry about is not being discovered and eliminated by human scientists."
Zhao Pengcheng seized the opportunity and tentatively asked, "I really long to fight alongside the leader. It would be great if I could attend one of the organization's gatherings. Are there any of our people in the prison?"
"Besides you, the only other comrade in this prison has already sacrificed himself." Howard narrowed his eyes as he looked at Zhao Pengcheng, a subtle spiritual energy emanating from his gaze.
Zhao Pengcheng knew Howard was referring to the prison guard who died at his hands, but he couldn't admit it. Howard's Mental Power pressed down on him like a storm cloud, making him feel extremely oppressed. He knew that if Howard's Mental Power surpassed his own, then in the dream world, his consciousness and memories would be laid bare. Everything that formed a memory in Howard's mind, even events that occurred in dreams—such as his meeting with Qingmu and the stab he delivered to the prison guard—would be known to Howard.
Therefore, he had to hold on.
Fortunately, Howard's Mental Power didn't seem stronger than his; perhaps he hadn't unleashed his full power, and it seemed he was just somewhat suspicious. Zhao Pengcheng's Mental Power, however, was indeed much stronger than before. He feigned surprise and exclaimed:
"Sacrifice? How could he have been sacrificed?"
Howard withdrew his Mental Power and said, "We must have encountered a master cultivator among humans. The leader discovered long ago that the greatest threat to us from humanity is not those scientists, but a very small group of people who place great emphasis on mental cultivation."
"Fortunately, there aren't many people like that," Howard continued. "We need to pay special attention to these kinds of people in the future. If you spot any, be sure to report it to the organization immediately and don't provoke them rashly. There might be such people in your prison."
"I understand, I'll be careful," Zhao Pengcheng said. "But teacher, can I leave here? Although you don't say it, I know that with the passage closed, fighting alone, and waiting for an opportunity, it means I might spend my whole life in prison."
"Hmm..." Howard pondered for a moment, "Staying here isn't a solution. But getting out won't be easy either! It'll be very troublesome to clear your name. Although we can use the power of the higher-ups, that would be too easy to expose us."
Zhao Pengcheng said, "If the organization agrees, there's no need to use the power of the higher-ups."
Howard asked curiously, "What are your thoughts?"
"A prison break," Zhao Pengcheng said.