The system is four years ahead of schedule, but Weird is still a cub.

“Furthermore,” Chen Su leaned forward slightly, his tone more sincere, “this incident has fully exposed the rampant activities of the Twelve Branches and the lack of coordination among our various parties. Headquarters believes that Dajing and Rongshi, as the front line in the fight against the monster organization, should establish a closer and more direct… ‘strategic partnership’.”

He specifically emphasized the word "direct," implying that he was bypassing certain cumbersome procedures and potential obstacles.

"For example, we can establish an efficient and confidential communication and collaboration channel for intelligence sharing, high-level monster sample research, and joint strike operations against the core cadres of the twelve groups." Chen Su looked at Shen Ge with anticipation in his eyes.

"Rong City has top-notch combat capabilities like Captain Shen, excellent leadership like Minister Deng, and a world-class research team like Director Li's. Da Jing has an even larger resource pool, a wider intelligence network, and... experience in handling international affairs. Only by combining these strengths can we completely eradicate this cancerous tumor, the Twelve Branches! What do you think, Captain Shen?"

Shen Ge watched Chen Su's performance quietly.

The other party's intentions were clear: under the guise of "cooperation," they wanted to silence any potential trouble from Rong City, while also trying to get a share of the future "cake," and perhaps even to use this opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Shen Ge's abilities and Rong City's true intentions.

Of course, none of this will be "free".

After Chen Su "bound" himself to the Rongshi Special Operations Department, he naturally had to shoulder the responsibility of blocking those people from Dajing who had been causing trouble for the Rongshi Special Operations Department for years.

In other words, whether it's the Special Operations Department of Dajing targeting Rong City in the future, or if some people want to cause trouble for Deng Yuqi and Shen Ge as before, they will have to get past Chen Su first.

On the surface, Chen Su was seeking "cooperation" with the Rong City Special Affairs Department, but in reality, he was also "showing loyalty" to Shen Ge and completing his decision to choose sides.

"I will convey Director Chen's 'sincerity' to Minister Deng," Shen Ge said calmly, neither agreeing nor refusing.

"The Special Operations Department of Rong City operates on the highest principle of combating the supernatural and protecting the people. We are willing to cooperate with any force that shares the same principles, as long as it is beneficial to this goal."

He deliberately emphasized "principles." Shen Ge just wasn't interested in playing games with people like Chen Su, but that didn't mean he couldn't.

Even though he was the company's top salesperson back then, he still has this much "business" skill.

Chen Su's smile widened, as if he had received the answer he wanted: "Of course! Of course! Fighting against the supernatural and protecting the people is our common principle and mission!"

"Then... I'll wait for good news from Minister Deng and Captain Shen!" He knew that Shen Ge's decision not to refuse on the spot was a way to give him and the headquarters a way out, and also left a "window" for future action.

As for how far this "cooperation" can go, it depends on the subsequent game between the two parties and... how much real "sincerity" he can show.

Watching Chen Su's departing figure, Shen Ge's eyes turned slightly cold. The entanglement between the Da Jing headquarters and the Monster Association was far from over. As long as the Monster Association was not eradicated, this problem would never be solved.

Especially considering the dirt she got from "Yu", the Monster Association's infiltration is far more serious than Deng Yuqi imagined!

Chen Su's eagerness to distance himself and seek "cooperation" only made him more wary.

On his way back to the dormitory, Shen Ge ran into Li Xiang, who had come to see him. After Li Xiang explained his purpose, Shen Ge, having nothing better to do, followed him to the weapons research lab to "observe" for a while.

Shenhou's strangely shaped, supernatural sniper rifle has been disassembled into pieces. The core "bone-like bizarre flesh and blood" symbiotic barrel is carefully fixed in an isolated energy field. Li Xiang and several top weapons experts are conducting a final analysis of it.

"The frequency resonance spectrum of the strange energy is out... This core... It's practically a tailor-made amplifier for 'stagnation penetration'. No wonder Shen Hou was able to blow up Captain Shen's red mist secondary armor with one shot!" An expert pointed to the complex waveform on the screen and couldn't help but exclaim.

Li Xiang's eyes burned with intensity. He controlled the mechanical arm to remove a tiny crystal fragment with an unstable, ghostly glow at its edges and fused it with the main body of the Red Mist Armor. This scene reminded Shen Ge of the scene in "Avengers: Infinity War" where Tony installed the Infinity Stones into the gauntlet.

"The core challenge lies in how to make the Crimson Mist Ghost Energy mimic the structure and frequency resonance of this 'ossified flesh and blood'... or rather, how to make the Crimson Mist Armor 'grow' something similar, or even 'ossify' it, thereby significantly increasing its defensive capabilities in an instant."

"Little Seven, based on the microstructure and the energy resonance model, and combined with the existing 'corruption blood' and 'endless' characteristic database of the Red Mist Armor, simulate the possibility of generating a stable 'energy crystal cannon base' at the shoulder or arm armor position, requiring the launch channel function to have energy compression and 'stagnation penetration' effects."

"Simulation started... Database comparison in progress..." Xiaoqi's voice rang out steadily, and countless data streams scrolled rapidly on the virtual screen.

"Solution being generated..."

"Option 1: Pure energy simulation, success rate 17.3%, excessive energy loss, poor stability;"

Option 2: Biomaterial-induced growth requires a specific catalyst.

"Option 3:..."

Xiaoqi developed dozens of solutions through extensive data simulation.

After reviewing the options, Li Xiang's gaze lingered on Option 2: "Media catalyst? Can bone fragments or blood samples from Shenhou be used as a medium?"

"Analysis of the blood samples of the Shenhou monkey shows that its bone metallization process involves an unknown catalytic enzyme. It is affected by strange cells and its body has become completely monstrous. There is indeed a strong correlation."

“Using its bone powder as a ‘seed’ and combining it with the red mist’s strange energy to induce growth, the theoretical success rate can be increased to 42.7%. However, there is a risk of uncontrollable mutation, which requires the master’s powerful strange energy to suppress and precisely guide it,” Xiao Qi quickly reported.

“42.7%... Worth a try!” Li Xiang slapped his thigh.

"Old Shen's physique is monstrous; suppressing this risk is no problem. Immediately prepare the 'seed' culture medium and the strange energy induction program."

"Old He, remove the shoulder armor modules from the main armor of the Red Mist Armor. We need to perform a 'grafting' surgery. Hurry!"

?

? ?
???

Shen Ge: With a success rate of less than 50%, how can you say that suppressing this risk is no big deal?
Brother, did you ask me?
……

……

Two days later.

Deep containment area, highest-level interrogation room. Youji was strapped to a specially designed psychokinetic chair, the electrodes on his helmet flickering dimly. His eyes were unfocused, his body occasionally twitching uncontrollably, and he uttered incomprehensible babbling. The expert in charge of psychokinesis, sweat beading on his forehead, carefully adjusted the induction intensity.

“…base…coordinates… ‘nest’…in…in…” The rooster uttered a few words intermittently, its voice unclear.

The interrogators held their breath, and the recorder's fingers hovered over the keyboard.

"Which base? What is 'Nest'? What are the specific coordinates?" the presiding officer pressed, his voice urgent.

"Coordinates...coordinates are..."

The rooster's pupils contracted sharply, as if it had seen something utterly terrifying. It struggled violently, crying out, "No! I can't say! Chief... Chief... It's... It's listening!"

Before the words were finished, the Rooster's body suddenly stiffened, its eyes rolled back instantly, and thick, black liquid emanating a faint, eerie energy rippled from its seven orifices. The monitoring instruments immediately sounded a piercing alarm!

"Oh no! The mental defenses have been forcibly breached! The backlash from the strange energy?" the expert exclaimed in alarm.

The expressions of Deng Yuqi and the others behind the one-way glass wall changed drastically.

"Immediately terminate the induction and activate the highest level of the strange energy suppression field! Team Leader Tu, Team Leader Wang, Team Leader Zhao, you are in charge of handling this, medical team, take aim!" Liu Jiayi ordered sternly.

However, everything happened too fast.

The rooster's body seemed to have been drained of all its vitality, quickly shriveling up, its skin turning a deathly gray. The overflowing black liquid, upon contact with the air, writhed as if alive, attempting to spread outwards, emanating a chilling malice and a sense of pollution.

Fortunately, the highest level of the strange energy suppression field was activated instantly, and with the joint efforts of the three captains, Tu Doupi, Wang Han, and Zhao Long, the spreading strange flesh and blood were firmly suppressed around the Rooster corpse.

"Damn it!" Deng Yuqi slammed her fist on the control panel. "It's that vicious security measure again!"

This method is exactly the same as the one used to kill the monsters who were captured before, which is obviously the final insurance set up by the monster organization to prevent the leakage of core information.

"Report! The Rooster's vital signs... have completely disappeared!" the medical officer reported gravely.

The interrogation room fell into a deathly silence.

The only clue seems to have gone cold again.

Just then, a communication came from the interrogation room monitoring "Yu": "Report! 'Yu's' emotions are fluctuating drastically! She...she's laughing!"

Deng Yuqi and Shen Ge immediately switched the surveillance footage.

Inside the special containment room, "Yu" looked towards the one-way glass, a strange smile on her face that mixed mockery, sorrow, and a hint of relief. Her lips moved silently a few times.

Cheng Shengnan, an expert in lip reading, immediately deciphered: "She's saying... 'Did you hear that? It's listening. Who's next?'"

A chill instantly crept up everyone's spine.

The rooster's terrified cry before its death, the eerie hints from "Feather"... what exactly is that "It"? Could it really be as "Feather" said, that somewhere, the "Chief" or that mysterious "It" is "listening" to everything that is happening here?
The interrogation did not go smoothly. Deng Yuqi told Shen Ge, Lin Yin and others what happened in the interrogation room. Lin Yin believed that the leader of the Twelve Branches, "Crow", was probably at the level of a seventh-order Ghost King. Only in this way could the Rooster be killed under such circumstances.

But Shen Ge had a different opinion. He even thought that the "it" mentioned by the rooster and "feather" might not be a "crow," but more likely...

New God!

Deng Yuqi was shocked by Shen Ge's conclusion, but now that the clues had run dry, she could only hope that "Yu" would stabilize before questioning her.

After exchanging the latest twelve intelligence reports from the Information Department, Deng Yuqi and Cheng Shengnan were about to leave together when their assistant reported that Chen Su wanted to see her, clearly wanting to reach a further agreement on the previously proposed "cooperation".

"Director Chen, we've discussed the 'strategic partnership' framework you proposed internally." Deng Yuqi pushed a document in front of Chen Su.

"In principle, the Fukushima Special Task Force does not rule out any cooperation that is conducive to combating the supernatural and protecting the people. This is our preliminary draft of cooperation intentions."

"..." Chen Su was somewhat helpless upon hearing this. He could only say that as expected of someone from the same department, their way of speaking was exactly the same as Shen Ge's.

Chen Su took the document, quickly glanced at it, and his smile faltered slightly.

The draft is written in a grand and dignified manner, emphasizing principles such as information sharing, joint action, and technological assistance. However, when it comes to core interest clauses such as resource allocation, sample sharing, and the right to lead actions, the wording is extremely vague.

Almost all of it is platitudes like "on the basis of mutual consultation" and "handled flexibly according to the actual situation." The most crucial point is that the draft does not mention at all the "resource support" promised by the Rongshi Special Policy Department!
“Minister Deng, this draft… is very constructive. However, to show the sincerity of the Dajing headquarters, I have also brought a ‘gift’ with me this time.” Chen Su put down the document and tried to maintain a smile.

He handed over an encrypted USB drive and continued, "This contains the latest preliminary report from the Dajing Headquarters Intelligence Analysis Center regarding the twelve known peripheral outposts, suspicious fund flows, and some suspicious individuals within the international anti-treachery organization."

"Although it doesn't involve core secrets, I hope it will be helpful to the crackdown operation in Rong City." Chen Su deliberately emphasized the words "secret" and "help," hoping that Deng Yuqi would understand his meaning.

But Deng Yuqi was a shrewd old fox. She took the USB drive and handed it to Cheng Shengnan behind her, revealing a perfectly timed "surprise" on her face: "Director Chen, you're too kind. This intelligence is indeed very valuable to us."

Then, changing the subject, she launched into her signature move: "However, cooperation is all about mutual benefit. Rong City has just experienced a major battle, and its resources have been depleted, especially in the research and development of inhibitors for the new type of monster armor and the maintenance and upgrading of high-end supernatural equipment. There's a significant shortage here..."

Chen Su cursed the old fox in his heart, but his face was full of understanding: "Understood, completely understood! Headquarters has also taken into account Minister Deng's difficulties."

“In that case, I will coordinate immediately after I get back, and the list of follow-up support materials will be sent over within three days to ensure that Minister Deng is satisfied, including a batch of urgently needed rare and strange energy metals and high-purity strange energy crystals.”

"Thank you very much, Director Chen." Deng Yuqi's smile became more sincere. "In addition, regarding the joint operation, we have indeed recently identified the coordinates of a suspected important transit point of the Twelve Branches and are preparing for a precision strike. If the Dajing headquarters is interested, they can send a capable team to participate in the observation and learning, and share practical experience."

Chen Su's eyes lit up: "Observe and learn? That's great! Minister Deng, rest assured, we will strictly abide by the operational discipline of Rong City and will absolutely not cause any trouble!" (End of this chapter)