In the dimly lit secret chamber.

"Have you really been turned or not?"

The examining officer asked mechanically.

Liu Zhaoshan closed his eyes to adjust his emotions, then spoke as calmly as possible: "I have not been turned. My mission was to go to Shell City to preach our preferential treatment and the high-quality life in the Shuanghe Region. It was after infiltrating Shell City that I was captured by the enemy."

"Then I was shuffled around, first sent to Steel Refining City, then to Jade City in the Sand Port Region, temporarily placed in a Mushroom House. Throughout this time, I never rebelled; I simply had no opportunity to escape, hence I stayed put without any action."

"Why did you write this? This is a handbook promoting the Wasteland Development Company. Explain this!"

The other side slammed a stack of papers onto the table, speaking sternly.

Liu Zhaoshan patiently explained: "Our enemy is the Development Alliance, the core of which is the Wasteland Development Company, and the absolute core of the company is its chairman, Zhou Yi."

"Air raids and sea assaults have failed to breach their defenses, indicating that we are up against a formidable foe. Only by understanding our enemy can we devise ways to counter them."

"While in Jade City, I was assigned daily local labor and continuously observed the various situations there and conversed with locals, gathering this valuable firsthand information."

"What's written here is all factual."

The examining officer sneered: "Factual? It seems to me you've already been enticed and bought by the enemy..."

Suddenly, the door at the back opened.

The examining officer looked back, his face changing color rapidly, and he hurried out the door.

After a short while.

It wasn't him who returned, but a Water Octopus sitting in a wheelchair.

Liu Zhaoshan quickly stood up: "Greetings, officer!"

As a preacher, he was very familiar with the core ranks of the Shuanghe Region.

This was Lin Qin, the earth official in charge of strategy and planning for the Shuanghe Region, second only to General Bai Xing.

"Don't be nervous, I've come to understand the situation."

Lin Qin's voice was steady.

"Sit down and talk."

"Yes!"

Liu Zhaoshan sat down straight.

"You even tried to persuade Zhou Yi to defect?"

"Yes... although now it seems a bit too audacious in hindsight," Liu Zhaoshan said, his face embarrassed.

"Having sharpness and ideas is a good thing."

Lin Qin extended a suction cup tentacle, picking up a few sheets of paper that were bound together on the table: "I've read this, it's well written. You've observed attentively and gained a deep understanding of the Wasteland Development Company's situation. Well done."

Liu Zhaoshan felt slightly relieved.

"But what I'm really interested in is this title."

Lin Qin's tentacle pointed to the text on top: "Liberating all Humanity - On Zhou Yi and his Wasteland Development Company," but in the text, you have completely omitted this point. Why?"

"Regarding that part of the content, I learned of it during my dialogue with Mr. Zhou; I didn't write it down. The main reason is that that part is too..."

"Against common sense?"

"Yes."

The other party let out a chuckling laugh.

"Tell me, what did you and Zhou Yi talk about?"

Liu Zhaoshan recounted every detail.

The more Lin Qin listened, the more silent they became.

"The granary is full and one knows etiquette, with ample food and clothing one understands honor and disgrace... so you mean to say, the core system of the Wasteland Development Company is to liberate humanity, to stimulate human potential, and he is very optimistic about the prospects of humanity. Is that the gist of it?"

"I think so."

Liu Zhaoshan said.

The Water Octopus earth official gazed at the young officer before them: "Do you believe it?"

"I did not at first."

Liu Zhaoshan spoke firmly: "Because I didn't think that a strong and outstanding ruler would entertain such impractical ideas."

"However, later, after I participated in the local labor, I compared what Mr. Zhou said to the local situation and discovered a very frightening fact..."

Remembering those scenes, Liu Zhaoshan's face became complex.

"The work I did was very basic and simple, including twisting grass ropes, shoveling snow, and polishing wooden boards and sticks. I learned that the largest local industry of the company was the Guangtai Dam, employing two thousand people, all humans, followed by the delivery center, farmland, Breeding Platform, and Mushroom Forest."

"The local people, unlike many others – including those from our Shuanghe Region, had a spirit of vitality and a level of relaxation I had never seen before. Perhaps it is precisely because of such an environment that people are able to create Jade Soup, Desperate Machines, and the Flame Cup."

"An environment and remuneration rich enough, combined with honors like the 'Wasteland Invention Award'... made me have to admit, maybe Mr. Zhou really is doing such things."

Lin Qin pondered.

"Focusing on cultivating and uplifting humanity... It seems this is truly the core system of the Wasteland Development Company."

The Water Octopus then asked, "What else do you know about the airborne operation on Jade City this time?"

Speaking of this, Liu Zhaoshan's face showed bitterness.

"Officer, I really had no idea."

"I was just twisting grass ropes when I was suddenly taken to a room in Jade City; after a bumpy ride, my comrades and I realized we had taken off. We flew very high, nothing other living being was visible from the windows, we only saw a plane en route."

"I thought we were surely doomed at first. Unexpectedly, we were actually sent back."

"Did the company tell you anything?"

Liu Zhaoshan shook his head: "Nothing at all. I have never seen a flying Alien, and found it utterly incredible; it seems the company still has many hidden technologies not yet displayed..."

"Officer, there's another very important point. I've mentioned the 'Sea Crossbow' before; now, outside Jade City, a tall bridge has been erected, leading all the way to a distant market town and city. From the scale and basic structure, I suspect that could be the Sea Crossbow that the company salvaged from the sea floor."

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