Lu Luo was somewhat speechless. He had never heard of these things, but that didn't stop him from realizing the moment he laid eyes on them that they were difficult to obtain.

"What the hell is 'The Lord's Pride'? Don't tell me it's something from the body of a Lord Exotic Species! I can't even solo kill a Lord Exotic Species to this day, and you're asking me for 22? I'll give you one word, haha!"

[The Lord's Pride refers to the most dominant part of each Lord-class Exotic Species, like Ganmu's Gluttonous Tongue or the Nightmare Emissary's Nightmare Tentacles.]

Realizing it was indeed from each Lord's body, and that he freaking needed 22 of them, Lu Luo was immediately unsettled.

"Isn't 22 a bit much? And what about that Heart of Calamity? Don't tell me it's an Eighth Order heart! I'm not buying that."

Lu Luo was a sensible person. While it was true that high demands were difficult, they often also indicated great power! If the talent was powerful enough, drawing a big pie in the sky wasn't an issue—he had waited years in the past just for a taste of that pie.

[The Heart of Calamity is not an Eighth Order heart but refers to the core of an Exotic Species, which, well, is quite similar to a heart.]

Such lofty demands gave Lu Luo a rough idea about one thing: these requirements were probably for a non-believer's ascension to Grade S.

So, could it be assumed that a Grade S Sequence corresponds to an Eighth Order Calamity?

"Are these demands benchmarked against Grade S?"

[Indeed, they are the requirements for a non-believer to advance to the Grade S Sequence.]

And what about the Ninth Tier? The Wasteland isn't just capped at Eighth Order Exotic Species; there's also Leviathan! The power of that thing, it's said to be indescribably tremendous. Although Lu Luo currently had no intention of tangling with it, that didn't hinder his speculation.

"Could there also be a disc or something on Leviathan? Sounds a bit far-fetched."

Having successfully evolved his Sequence, Lu Luo let his thoughts wander, considering questions he never would have thought about before. These questions were complicated with no clear beginning, and Lu Luo needed to sort them out slowly.

For instance, in the Southern Ring, after he killed the spider, Noah clearly mentioned the Doomsday Disc and confirmed he possessed the Doomsday Disc. Moreover, Noah said that the Exotic Species wanted the Dawn Disc, not the Doomsday Disc.

The Dawn Disc releases the Doomsday Factor, which equates to a Lord-class Exotic Species. The Dawn Disc emits the power of Holy Light, which is a staple of the Dawn Church. But Holy Light isn't exclusive to humans. Exotic Species can also master it and do quite a number with it.

So, Lu Luo was asking himself one thing: The name Doomsday Disc was directly told to him by the Observer using a borrowed disc. But that thing in the Inner Ring known as the Dawn Disc, is it inherently called the Dawn Disc? How do the people in the Inner Ring know to call it the Dawn Disc? Did the Dawn Disc convey the name through dreams or consciousness invasion, telling humans? Or did humans name it the Dawn Disc because they yearn for dawn?

[Are you playing mental acrobatics here?]

"To be frank, indeed, it does feel quite messy!"

Lu Luo sensed the Doomsday Disc within himself.

"If I have the chance to enter the Inner Ring, it would be nice to touch the Dawn Disc."

Even though Discs are said to be immeasurable above Sequences, the Doomsday Disc might provide information about the Dawn Disc. If he could come into contact with the Dawn Disc, perhaps he would gain a lot of information and understand many things he previously couldn't fathom.

「...」

To adapt to his body and adjust his condition, Lu Luo secluded himself for cultivation in his office for three days.

THUD, THUD, THUD! A loud knocking interrupted Lu Luo's train of thought.

"Lu Luo, it's been three days, are you dead?"

The shouting of Bai Yuetong came from outside the door. Although her tone was a bit off, Lu Luo was sure she was worried about him. Uh huh, Dumb Hair's shouting is just her being concerned, no doubt about it.

"Not dead, coming out now!"

As Lu Luo opened the door, Bai Yuetong waited with a skeptical look on her face.

"Why don't you let others watch when you're cultivating every time?"

"Others seclude themselves for cultivation too! What's so strange about that?"

"Something's fishy. Are you using cultivation as an excuse to do some indescribable things in your room secretly? Like peeking at some hidden books or discs? And then do some indescribable things?"

As Bai Yuetong spoke, she even raised an eyebrow. And who did she learn that from? She's becoming too much to handle.

"COUGH COUGH! What nonsense are you talking about? With my looks, do I need to watch stuff? If I crook a finger, girls would line up from the Circular gate all the way to the Third Ring, get it?"

"Psht, you're all talk. I've never seen you take any real action."

[Heh, she even purposely thrust her chest out, acting as if she's on the same level as Qi Xinzhu!]

If Lu Luo were not so focused on Qi Xinzhu, he would've dealt with her long ago, always trying to seduce him while Qi Xinzhu isn't around.

Gathering his thoughts, Lu Luo said calmly, "Next, I'll deal with some leftover issues from the company. After resolving these issues, I may have to go out alone for a while."

Going out again? Bai Yuetong's mouth pouted slightly. Although she was mischievous and arrogant, she never interfered with Lu Luo on matters of principle. If Lu Luo really wanted to go, she would definitely not oppose, but she would also definitely be unhappy.

On the other side, Gu Fangyi, who had not received any news, also sent an inquiring look. The meaning was simple: Why not take me along?

"Brother Gu, I'm afraid I can't take you with me this time; the situation is a bit different. The Dark Energy Level of the Fourth Ring has fundamentally changed, and you can maintain a relatively fast pace of cultivation there. Moreover, the changes in the Fourth Ring have just begun. The entire social environment will become unstable, uncertain, and may even undergo sudden, massive changes. Just relying on their strength might not be safe enough, which is why I asked you to stay behind. I need to go out this time out of necessity. You know about the incident on December 19th; I need to rapidly accumulate power. So this time, my actions might be more solitary and more ruthless."

"Additionally, Fatty Ding and Brother Seven will be coming back. Besides them, some members from Hunter Team 13 will join us, and there will be a complete new integration of personnel in the company. But don't worry, although these Hunters from Team 13 are very strong, they will still start as Investigators. The seniors will remain seniors; I'm just trying to find a place to take them in."

"Take them in?" Zhou Kai didn't quite understand Lu Luo's meaning.

"Many members of Hunter Team 13 followed Ludie, but now Ludie is gone. Team 13 has disbanded, and they're unwilling to join other Hunter teams, preferring to resign and come to me instead. The situation in the Fourth Ring is unclear for the time being; it's wiser for Transcendents to stick together."

"I see, I roughly understand now."

Lu Luo took a sip of water and, after pondering for a while, continued to speak slowly.

"Alright, let's settle my departure like this for now. And Brother Kane, how's the investigation I assigned to you last time coming along? If you have results, you can share them with the others."

"Based on multiple investigations, collecting evidence, and retrieving bank statements, two individuals have significant issues. One of them, He Hai, has already resigned following the incident at Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals, and here's some of his information. However, the other has remained."

Two moles? Lu Luo frowned.

"Give me the information on the person who resigned first, then explain in detail what's the situation with the one who didn't leave."

"The one who hasn't left is a low-level female Investigator named Tang Pan. She's one class above us and is now facing graduation. She's very different from He Hai, the mole from Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals. The large transactions in her account all occurred before and after the Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals incident. The timing doesn't coincide with any major event; activity only happened during our uneventful periods."

Zhou Kai pulled out Tang Pan's information, which displayed a very ordinary-looking woman, the kind that would quickly blend into a crowd.

Could her transactions be unrelated to us? This was Lu Luo's last question.

"I don't think so. Tang Pan comes from a very poor family, with a younger brother in school and parents who have unstable jobs. Plus, my investigation shows she doesn't have any high-income sources. She's also quite capable within the company, skillful in her duties, and very dedicated to her job. Considering everything, she's in dire need of money. No money, no resources, no connections. According to benefit's law, the sudden appearance of multiple large deposits indicates there's definitely a problem with this person. She's from the fourth batch of employees, joining around the time of your speech. So I'm not quite clear on what her purpose is."

Lu Luo nodded. After his speech? A woman flashed through Lu Luo's mind quickly. The woman who adjusted her own miniskirt and had even made advances on him, what was her name?

[Believer of Light, Yu Luo.]

Right, it was Yu Luo; the last tracker was also her—this Yu Luo seemed very focused on him!

"Have that Tang Pan come in."

"Alright. Tang Pan, come in for a moment, the boss has some questions for you."

Upon hearing Zhou Kai's call, Tang Pan approached the conference room where Lu Luo and the others were with some restraint, standing at the door and bowing her head.

Lu Luo examined the woman up and down with a scrutinizing gaze. He noticed that although Tang Pan was very reserved, she didn't show any sign of nervousness when called in by Lu Luo. This was enough to indicate she had excellent mental fortitude, and the reserve she showed didn't seem genuine.

"Your name is Tang Pan, right?"

"Yes, boss."

Tang Pan fiddled with her hair, a gesture that made her look as if she was being bullied by Lu Luo and the others, appearing somewhat wronged.

[Psychologically, this is considered a submissive gesture, which most of the time, when performed by a woman, tends to lower a man's vigilance.]

However, Lu Luo wasn't buying it because he himself was an expert at being undercover. He had grown tired of playing the "who's the undercover" game in his previous life, so he spoke very assertively, then asked a wrong question.

"Was it Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals that sent you to be a mole?"

"What? Boss, what are you talking about? I didn't. I really haven't betrayed the company."

Tang Pan's expression became agitated, and all of this was observed by Lu Luo.

[Her heartbeat sped up slightly, and her breathing became a bit hurried. These reactions were genuine.]

Lu Luo nodded while pacing around Tang Pan, beginning to exert an invisible pressure on her.

"If it wasn't Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals, then was it Hongtu Wubei? Clinging to powerful backers, huh!"

"I really didn't!" Tang Pan got more agitated; she truly felt that Lu Luo was framing her.

But Lu Luo didn't care whether his accusations were right or wrong; he just continued to emphasize.

"You did. Stop pretending."

"I didn't."

"You did."

"I didn't."

"You did! I said you did, so you did!" Lu Luo said fiercely.

"I told you I didn't!"

"How much did Yu Luo pay you?"

Lu Luo changed the direction of his questioning, and Tang Pan subconsciously blurted out.

"40,000, uh!"

She suddenly paused, but then she quickly added, "Boss, listen to me explain. I really didn't betray the company, truly, I didn't."

Lu Luo didn't care about Tang Pan's explanation at all; he merely smiled casually and then asked another question.

"Did she ever threaten you? Like, tying up your family and threatening to kill them all if you didn't agree?"

Tang Pan was slightly taken aback. Lu Luo's suggestion was a bit exaggerated; after all, Yu Luo was a Priest of the Church. Moreover, as a Believer of Light, she was known to be amiable. How could she do such a thing? Tang Pan, who held a good impression of Yu Luo, immediately shook her head in denial.

"No, Priest Yu Luo has never threatened me."

Hearing her say this, Lu Luo's face showed a satisfied expression.

"That's right. I also think that Ms. Yu Luo, as a Believer of Light, wouldn't do anything unbecoming of her status. Since you say you haven't betrayed the company, can you tell me what you consider to be betrayal? Tell me about it."

Tang Pan looked somewhat dazed. She had anticipated this situation long before, and after a brief moment of thought, she gradually calmed down.

"I haven't given her any of the company's materials, nor have I told her any important company information, like business channels and such. So, I believe I haven't betrayed the company."

"Oh, our company's important information and business channels... it's normal for a Believer of Light to be uninterested in those. But since she's not interested in those things, what does she usually ask you?"

"This..."

Tang Pan started to hesitate, but Lu Luo didn't give her time to think.

"I'll give you one last chance. If you keep wasting my time here, I won't mind having a real Hunter deal with you."

"What she asked me about is actually some gossip and personal questions."

"Gossip and personal questions?"

"About your relationship with Ms. Qi Xinzhu and your relationship with Ms. Bai Yuetong. Whether there's been any intimate actions between you, whether the relationship has progressed to that certain point. Also, how I felt as a woman after interacting with Ms. Qi Xinzhu and Ms. Bai Yuetong."

Is she targeting Bai Yuetong and Qi Xinzhu?!

Qi Xinzhu is the Church's Saintess, and Bai Yuetong is the daughter of Bai Qingshuang. Both of them have significant connections to the Church. And although Yu Luo seems flirtatious and somewhat fishy, she is indeed a genuine Believer of Light. Typically, the lineage of Believers of Light tends to side with the Pope; this woman's issue seems pretty big!

Lu Luo picked up a pen and paper and rapidly wrote down a note.

"Call Yu Luo. Tell her to go to this address. There's something important that's not convenient to say now; it needs to be discussed with her in person tonight."

"Boss! This..."

"What, you don't want to?"

"I do."

Tang Pan picked up the phone and dialed the number she had used to contact Yu Luo before.

"Hello, Priest Yu Luo? I've made a significant discovery, but I can't talk about it right now. Come to this address tonight, and I'll tell you all about it! Yes, yes, that's the place. You must come tonight!"

Tang Pan diligently finished the call and then quietly looked at Lu Luo. However, Lu Luo, who was contemplating, didn't pay any attention to her, and at that moment, no one else spoke. Seeing that she was continuously ignored, Tang Pan let out a sigh of relief, thinking she was now out of trouble.

"Boss, if there's nothing else, I'll get back to work."

"Work?" Lu Luo asked, lifting his head with a hint of surprise.

Seeing the surprised look in Lu Luo's eyes, Tang Pan was even more perplexed.

"I still have a case in hand, and it's close to being closed..."

Lu Luo nodded as if he had suddenly realized something.

"Brother Kane, have someone take over the case she's working on, and then send her to the Security Bureau."

Zhou Kai's expression was somewhat hesitant, not because he questioned Lu Luo's approach, but because he felt that sending her to the Security Bureau wouldn't be very useful.

"Although she leaked information, at most it's a case of corporate espionage. With the evidence we have, we can't really do much to her, right? And when dealing with traitors, if we don't set an example, it'll be hard to lead others in the future!"

While Zhou Kai was slick in his ways, his approach to handling traitors was still to eradicate them completely. In the current environment of the Fourth Ring, this kind of action was all too easy.

However, Lu Luo shook his head, looking at Tang Pan.

"Well, although she struggled a bit, after she was discovered, she cooperated relatively well. And she has met all my requirements, which is somewhat helpful to us."

"Brother Luo, you mean to let her go?"

Zhou Kai couldn't quite accept this, and not just him—Gu Fangyi and Bai Yuetong, standing beside him, also found it hard to swallow. This world's attitude towards traitors is many times harsher than Lu Luo's stance. Still, they decided to listen to what Lu Luo had in mind.

"Didn't I say to send her to the Security Bureau? As for her charges... Tang Pan conspired with extremists from the Church, leaked Hunter secrets, attempted to undermine the relationship between the Hunters and Circle Studio, and sought to dismantle the organizational structure of the Hunters. We request that the Hunters deal with her seriously. If those aren't enough, just make up a couple more and add them!"

This works too? Lu Luo's words seemed to provide Zhou Kai with a sudden revelation.

"I see! Understood."

Tang Pan, at the side, was stunned. Dismantling the organizational structure of the Hunters? She never had such intentions; all she wanted was to make some money. Just a little bit of money. Everyone in the Wasteland was making money, so why couldn't she? It wasn't fair.

"Lu Luo, you can't do this. I didn't do any of those things. What right do you have to treat me this way?"

Lu Luo tapped on the table while squinting at Tang Pan.

"Actually, when you were doing those things, you must have already considered various consequences, right? You also said that Yu Luo didn't threaten you; you just wanted to make money, that's all. Don't make excuses for your ignorance and greed. Some things were set in motion the moment you made your choice."

"What are you talking about? Have you lost your mind, Lu Luo? I told you, I never betrayed the company. I was just sharing some gossip with her. Even if I didn't tell her, someone else would have, so why couldn't it be me?"

By this time, Lu Luo had already stood up and walked to the door. He really had no interest in a minor character like Tang Pan.

"Did you skip your history lessons? Before the AI crisis, there was a crime called espionage. Many espionage charges were nothing more than a couple of seemingly insignificant photos or a few seemingly inconsequential words. A couple of words, a few photos—what crime could they constitute, you tell me?"

"No, this is different..."

Tang Pan wanted to say something more, but Gu Fangyi didn't give her the chance. A chop with the edge of his hand on Tang Pan's head rendered the woman unconscious.

Lu Luo moved his mouth, finally uttering, "Brother Gu, that's not how you knock someone out."

"I know," Gu Fangyi replied indifferently.

"Then why did you hit her head?"

"I despise traitors. I'm in a bad mood and needed to vent."

"Alright then."

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