You were told to search and attack, but you're supporting Asara?

"I went to see one of the leaders of the Asara Guard, 'Red Owl' Said, who is based at Dam Zero," Chen Xiao repeated.

Wang Yuhao said in a deep voice, "I need a reasonable explanation, because it will appear in my mission report."

"Relax, everyone," Chen Xiao said, shrugging. "After all, this military satellite communication device was sponsored by our Mr. Said Ziaten."

Mai Xiaowen subconsciously loosened her grip on the knob and warily examined the communicator in front of her.

Only Lina looked at Chen Xiao with some concern.

Seeing how nervous everyone was, Chen Xiao said helplessly, "I have reached a cooperation agreement with Said. After communications are restored, if headquarters agrees, our activities around Dam Zero will not be attacked by Said's guards starting today."

"You can then safely evacuate Asara."

"You personally reached a cooperation agreement with Saeed?" Wang Yuhao astutely grasped the key point: "Without authorization from command?"

Deep blue eyes, hidden behind a protective mask, stared at Chen Xiao: "Go on."

"Said's animosity toward GTI stemmed largely from the battle at the Diamond Queen Hotel, and from someone telling him that GTI orchestrated the fall of Skynet."

Chen Xiao spoke calmly: "I used information obtained through some private channels to help him find the mole and prove that Reis was responsible for the satellite crash."

"Given that GTI is still doing its best to help the disaster victims in Asara, he naturally won't refuse to cooperate."

As she spoke, Chen Xiao winked at Die: "We have to thank Miss Lina for this."

Mai Xiaowen looked incredulous: "Would such a profit-driven warlord be willing to cooperate with us just because we're helping civilians?"

"The warlord is Reis, but Said is different." Chen Xiao waved his hand. "Moreover, during this period when the communication system is paralyzed, we may be the ones who need cooperation more."

Before Mai Xiaowen could retort, Shen Lan interrupted her, "No matter what, let's contact headquarters first."

Mai Xiaowen pouted and lowered her head again to start adjusting the communicator.

The others fell silent, digesting the massive amount of information Chen Xiao had brought.

"Alright!" After an unknown amount of time, Mai Xiaowen let out a heavy sigh and slammed her hand on the table in front of her.

"Hacker's Claw is calling headquarters. Please respond."

The group perked up, then heard a crackling sound, followed by a husky, magnetic voice: "Headquarters received. This is Zoya. It's great to be able to contact you."

After a brief exchange of information about their respective situations, Chen Xiao recounted the cooperation agreement he had reached with Said to Zoya, followed by a long silence.

After a while, Zoya's voice came from the other end: "I'm sorry, Agent Chen, although I've heard about your deeds, after discussion at headquarters, we unanimously believe that the Asara Guard harbors strong hostility towards GTI and should not be trusted."

"I have recruited a new operator through other channels to handle the communications system issue, and it will be resolved soon. Please continue to manage your duties in the Asara region."

"Oh ho." Chen smacked his lips. Zoya's babbling words could be translated into three meanings.

No. I have a way. Just do your own thing.

"New operator, to handle the communications system?" Chen Xiao smirked.

Hoping that the humorous, silent man could get the Skynet terminal to restore communication, GTI is as unreliable as ever.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Zoya..." Chen Xiao mimicked her tone and spoke mercilessly, "From Rometheus to Elie de Mombell, your judgment of people is as bad as ever."

After saying that, Chen Xiao disconnected the call. Zoya was a little confused as she listened to the busy tone on the phone. She had forgotten how long it had been since anyone had spoken to her in that tone.

She rubbed her temples, called over an assistant, and asked him to bring over Chen Xiao's information.

"She shares the same nationality as Wang Yuhao and Mai Xiaowen. She performed exceptionally well during an infiltration operation at Dam Zero, obtaining the important item, Said's personal pocket watch, which allowed headquarters to acquire more information about Red Owl's identity."

"An operator promoted through merit?"

"During the last Fireworks Operation, I assisted Lena Van der Meer in the ground search and rescue operation in the Asara region. Later, at Dragon's request, I was assigned to a three-person team to storm Red Rat's Nest."

Zoya felt inexplicably uneasy as she looked at the rather thin resume.

"After the communication system crashed, the operation report has not been sent back yet, and there is no more information."

"More investigation is needed."

······

"Why are you all looking at me like that?" Chen Xiao asked, puzzled by the strange looks on everyone's faces.

"You've got guts." Wang Yuhao gave a thumbs up: "This is the first time I've ever seen someone use Rometheus as an example in front of Zoya. That's a real stab in the heart."

"But who is this Ashmonbel?" Mai Xiaowen asked curiously.

"He's her newly recruited operator, a pretty humorous guy." Chen Xiao spoke vaguely, then added deliberately, "His jamming device can greatly reduce the sound he emits and mislead devices like your signal decipherer; he's good at infiltration and stealth."

Mai Xiaowen's eyes widened in surprise: "Coming for me??"

"Mechanically speaking, it does somewhat counter you, but your data throwing knife can destroy his jamming devices, so it's not entirely uncounterable."

Chen Xiao offered Mai Xiaoshu some words of comfort.

"That's good then." Mai Xiaowen breathed a sigh of relief: "Wait a minute, how do you know us so well!"

"Because I'm the 'Prophet'," Chen Xiao said, pointing to himself. "There are no wrong code names, only wrong names."

Chen Xiao had no intention of pretending to be an ordinary person in front of them. Everyone in GTI had unique skills, and in the team, being normal would be the biggest abnormality.

Mai Xiaowen shrank her neck: "No wonder I felt creeped out when I talked to you, like you could see right through me."

"Don't you have any special equipment?" Wang Yuhao frowned. "From the first time we met, your equipment seemed rather..."

"Stingy, huh?" Chen Xiao added without any hesitation what Wang Yuhao hadn't said: "I don't really have any tactical equipment to help me, but just like how the instructor's gear ultimately relies on his physical abilities, I trust my brain more."

"At the very least, you need something to protect yourself," came the voice from beneath the dark blue mask.

"Perhaps." Chen Xiao shrugged, giving them a gentle heads-up: "Speaking of which, I'm quite interested in Hafk's brain-computer interface device."

"Are you crazy?!" Mai Xiaowen and Wang Yuhao exclaimed at the same time, and even Lina, who was standing next to them, changed color.

"Anyone who wears that thing will become Hafk's puppet, manipulated at will, turning into a madman who only knows how to praise Jacob!"

"Listen, Chen Xiao." Mai Xiaowen's face was extremely serious: "I once conducted an undercover operation in Bakshi. I happened to pass by a house, and inside there was a man praising Rometheus like a madman."

"I tried to get him to reveal some truths with the idea of ​​gathering intelligence. Soon, from the broken words of this man on the verge of collapse, I pieced together the fact that he had a daughter who went blind at the age of three."

"He heard that Relink brain-computer interfaces could generate images directly on the human brain, bypassing the retina, so this father signed up for the project. After confirming his participation, he spent all his savings to buy his daughter a brain-computer interface."

"When he was lucid, he told me personally that while this thing could selectively enhance a subject's abilities, it would also manipulate the recipient's thoughts, turning them into a puppet obeying Hafk!"

"I later found his daughter, and even that child had become seriously ill due to the rejection reaction after the brain-computer interface implant, and her family could no longer afford to treat her."

Mai Xiaowen said, enunciating each word clearly, "So I couldn't agree more with your assessment of Rometheus. My only regret is not shooting him dead at the Tower of Babel!"

Wang Yuhao stepped forward and gently patted the emotionally agitated Mai Xiaowen.

Chen Xiao knew this was true, of course, and he also knew that this father should now be a poppy in the outer trenches of Bakshi, and would never be able to show his daughter Leila the sika deer he had tamed for her.