The whole nation: You're put to survive on a desolate planet, you'll be running an alien b

The morning light pierced through the heavy blackout curtains, casting pale patches of light in the small living room. The rain outside had finally stopped, but the city sky remained gloomy, like a rag soaked with dirty water, hanging low above the towering buildings.

Li Haotian sat on the sofa, holding a cup of black coffee that had long since gone cold. The television screen opposite him was playing the morning news on a low volume, yet every word was clear, like a cold pronouncement.

"...According to preliminary police investigations, the well-known biotechnology company 'Tianqi Biotechnology' is suspected of large-scale illegal fundraising, tax fraud, and conducting unauthorized human clinical trials. Last night, joint law enforcement agencies raided and sealed off the company's headquarters and affiliated laboratories located in the High-tech Zone Biotechnology Park..."

The scene shifts to last night's events. Red and blue police lights pierce the darkness as fully armed SWAT officers cordon off the once-iconic glass building with long police tape. There are no monsters, no gory mutants, and no mysterious void forces. The camera only shows "suspects" in white coats being taken away, and sealed boxes labeled "dangerous goods" being carried out.

The news anchor's voice was serious and impassioned, carrying a sense of righteous indignation: "This is an extremely egregious case of economic crime. In pursuit of exorbitant profits, the company disregarded the safety of the test subjects, even falsifying multiple medical reports. Currently, twelve key executives involved, including Chairman Zhao, have been criminally detained, and the case is under further investigation."

Li Haotian put down his coffee cup, his fingertips gently tracing the cold ceramic rim, a faint, sarcastic smile playing on his lips.

"Illegal fundraising", "unauthorized experiments", "economic crimes".

This official narrative is flawless. It eliminates all supernatural elements that would cause public panic, packaging a thrilling hunt and counter-hunt into a news story about a "corrupt company being investigated," a topic of casual conversation among the public. Ordinary people see the swift and decisive action of the state apparatus, a victory of justice over evil. Only those who witnessed the carnage in that underground base last night know the abyss behind that so-called "illegal experiment."

"You made a decision pretty quickly."

Su Wan leaned against the doorframe, holding a tablet computer in her hands, her eyes bloodshot. She had clearly not slept all night, as her oversized hoodie looked somewhat loose.

"Dragon Shield is very efficient." Li Haotian didn't turn around, his gaze still fixed on the blurred images on the screen. "They need to give the public an explanation, and they also need to give the capital behind Apocalypse Bio a way out. Since it's an 'economic crime,' they only need to arrest a few scapegoats and put them in jail. As for those shady 'technologies,' they will naturally be sealed away as evidence in the top-secret archives."

"But at least it cuts off their reach." Su Wan walked into the living room, plopped down in the chair opposite Li Haotian, and tossed her tablet onto the coffee table with a thud. "Apocalypse Bio has collapsed; at least half of that underground supply chain is paralyzed. This is the first domino to fall, isn't it?"

Li Haotian turned his head and glanced at the scrolling subtitles at the bottom of the screen, which listed a long list of Tianqi Bio's subsidiaries, with each name followed by the words "Suspended from Business" or "Under Investigation".

"The dominoes have fallen, but the hands that pushed them haven't broken yet." Li Haotian's voice was deep, carrying a coldness born from a deep understanding of the world. "Tianqi is just a shell, an execution layer responsible for monetizing shady technologies. As long as the funding chain behind it continues, as long as the 'mother' that provides the source of the technology is still there, even if Tianqi Bio is burned to ashes, in less than six months, another 'Diqi Bio' or 'Shuguang Bio' will appear on the market."

As he spoke, he reached out and gently rubbed the little black cat, who was yawning and lying on his knees. The fierce battle last night had also exhausted this ferocious creature; at this moment, it was just lazily squinting its eyes, making soft purring sounds, like an ordinary big cat.

Upon hearing this, Su Wan's tired expression eased slightly, and a sharp glint flashed in her eyes. She picked up her tablet again, quickly swiping the screen to bring up a complex chart of fund flows.

"I know. So last night I did a deep tracing of the last bit of residual data from their truncated servers, as well as the encrypted ledgers that hadn't been destroyed yet."

She handed the tablet to Li Haotian and pointed to the node at the very top of the network on the screen.

"Look here. All of Tianqi Bio's funds, whether it's the original registered capital, the so-called 'research funding' later on, or even the illicit money they obtained through illegal channels, after being laundered through dozens of offshore companies, ultimately converge into the same account."

Li Haotian's gaze was fixed on a very conspicuous English word—"Divine Grace Trust".

"Divine grace and trust?" he uttered the word, raising an eyebrow slightly.

“That’s right. It’s registered in the Cayman Islands, a typical tax haven structure,” Su Wan explained, her tone tinged with suppressed excitement. “This trust fund was established a full twenty years earlier than Tianqi Bio. Its operating model is extremely secretive, like a black hole that only throws money around. I can’t find out who its actual controller is; all the board members are virtual identities held on behalf of others. But one thing is certain—it’s not just funding Tianqi Bio.”

Su Wan zoomed in on a section of the screen with her finger. The densely packed lines resembled a giant spider web, spreading outwards and connecting all sorts of companies around the world.

"Pharmaceutical companies, private security firms, and even several seemingly unrelated deep-sea salvage companies are all injecting funds into it or receiving its investment." Su Wan took a deep breath. "This is the real monster. Apocalypse Bio was just a bug that accidentally fell into this net, and now, we've finally reached the edge of the net."

Looking at the name "Divine Grace," Li Haotian felt a strange sensation welling up inside him.

From "God doesn't accept orders" to "divine grace and trust," these people hiding in the shadows seem to enjoy using such lofty terms to glorify themselves. They see themselves as gods with absolute power, manipulating life and technology at will, looking down on mortals tearing each other apart over scraps.

"It seems that our bait caught not only a big fish, but also an underwater cable." Li Haotian straightened up, his drowsiness gone, replaced by the focus of a hunter discovering new traces.

"This 'divine grace trust'..."

Su Wan paused for a moment, then continued, "While I was tracking it, I noticed a strange timing. Within half an hour of the Tianqi Biological Base being destroyed last night, this trust fund made a large-scale emergency transfer of funds, as if... it was cutting off contact, or as if it was injecting capital into the next project."

"They're scared." Xiao Hei suddenly raised its head, its eerie green eyes fixed on the screen, as if it too had sensed the presence of some kind of prey.

"No, they're not afraid." Li Haotian shook his head, tapping his knee lightly with his fingers. "They're cutting their losses. In the eyes of capital, life has no weight, only profit and loss. In their view, last night's loss is nothing more than a bad debt on the balance sheet. As long as the 'core assets' are still there, as long as that so-called 'god-making' plan is still underway, all these losses are acceptable costs."

He stood up, walked to the window, and abruptly pulled back the curtains. A blinding flood of sunlight rushed in, illuminating the dust motes floating in the living room. Outside, the city continued its bustling traffic, the hurried passersby oblivious to the undercurrents unfolding beneath the surface. At the newsstand, several citizens pointed at the front-page headline about the "Apocalypse Biotechnology Seizure," their faces reflecting both contempt for the unscrupulous businessmen and relief at the impunity.

This world operates under the sunlight, following the rules of mortals. But Li Haotian knows that in the shadows where the sunlight doesn't reach, another set of rules is in effect.

"Su Wan, make a backup of this document and send a copy to Qin Yue." Li Haotian looked out the window, his back as straight as a pine tree. "Since the official report says this is an 'economic crime,' let's go with the flow and, from an economic perspective, meet this 'divine favor.'"

"What do you want to do?"

"Since Shen'en Trust is an offshore fund, there must be traces of fund flows." Li Haotian turned around, his eyes flashing with a cold light. "As long as money is moving, there will be ripples. What we need to do is follow these ripples and blast out the old shark that's lurking beneath the surface."

He picked up his coat from the sofa and casually draped it over his shoulders.

"The reversal of public opinion is just the prelude; next, it's time for the real trial."

Seeing the almost overflowing fighting spirit in Li Haotian's eyes, Su Wan's lips unconsciously curled up slightly. She closed the tablet, hugging it to her chest as if holding a gun about to be fired.

"Understood. I'll keep an eye on this net, and once that fish bites, whether it's from the deep sea or a divinely blessed one, it won't get away."

Li Haotian nodded and glanced down at Xiao Hei at his feet. Xiao Hei stood up, stretched, and revealed its sharp claws before quietly following behind him.

The door was pushed open, and a cool breeze blew in from the hallway, dispelling the stuffy air inside.

Li Haotian strode out, his footsteps echoing in the empty corridor. Although the news behind him continued to reiterate the official conclusions, he knew that the real battle had only just begun. The ruins of Apocalypse Biotechnology revealed only a corner of the vast empire hidden behind this world.

The first domino has fallen, but the chain reaction has only just begun to spread to the bottom of the abyss.