Deity Investigation Report

Chapter 302, Secretary No. 5

"you……"

Before everything happened, Han Su used forceful methods to wake up the second companion who came out of the castle. Then he watched as the other's face kept changing, and he broke out in a cold sweat. Even the skull under his skin faintly revealed a crystal-like color.

This color seems alive, transforming from a slightly dull state back into its crystal-clear and pure appearance.

Crystal Skull?

Han Su was slightly surprised, not expecting to encounter a familiar sequence.

This young man was one of the four children he had rescued from the castle; his surname was Wu and his name was Wu Qi.

In the initial information Wei Lan provided to himself, his identity was listed as the secretary to the director of the independent administrative office of Bailashan Town.

The two friends she mentioned who were staying in the Baila Mountain area were him and Hou Zhizhu.

However, after seeing Hou Zhizhu, Han Su realized that the pollution here was too severe, and the people who remained here had their wills distorted. Hou Zhizhu was at least a security company employee, while Wu Qi was just an office worker, so he was probably even worse off.

Because of this idea, I hadn't originally planned to wake him up during this action; waking him up afterward was also an option.

Only now, having guessed that someone in Qinggang was remotely controlling the situation here, did they realize his identity.

Perhaps they will know something.

Upon seeing that this person possessed the characteristics of a crystal skull, his doubts deepened.

The Crystal Skull possesses extremely strong properties, enabling it to resist many forms of contamination. So how was it so easily corrupted?

"One of our own!"

Watching the man's eyes shift from fear to shock, and then to confusion and urgency, Han Su finally spoke in a low voice:
"I was the one who rescued you from the castle."

"Also, Hou Zhizhu, An Wei, and Xue Zhi, who is now a kindergarten teacher, were rescued with you. You should still remember them."

"I've now awakened Hou Zhizhu, and he's infiltrating for me. An Wei's identity is special, so I left her until the very end. I've come to you to ask if, as someone in the administrative system, you know anything about the mastermind behind these plans?"

"..."

"The...mastermind?"

Wu Qi spoke in a hoarse voice, letting out a strange laugh: "I am the mastermind behind it all..."

"what?"

Han Su was genuinely taken aback by these words, but he didn't make any special move.

There was no indication that upon hearing him say he was the mastermind, they were on high alert or even prepared to attack him.

"I should say that I was the one who started this whole thing..."

Wu Qi's mind was in a state of extreme confusion, but he could still immediately tell from Han Su's micro-expressions and reactions that this person trusted him exceptionally and had no hostility whatsoever.

Only then did he struggle to regain his composure, quickly saying, "It can't be said to be me. I'm just a member of the Crystal Pyramid, carrying out the will of those above, wanting to capture that old fox..."

"But an old fox is an old fox. I fell into his trap and became a pawn he planted on Baila Mountain..."

"..."

Han Su's expression hardened slightly: "The old fox you're talking about is..."

"Secretary No. 5, Chen Gang!"

Wu Qi's face was grim as he spoke in a low voice: "He was also a professor of the Crystal Skull, and a chosen assistant for the God's Descent Project by the Guardians of the World. Previously, the Skull of the Knower used me as a medium to convey something to him."

"I originally intended to persuade him of some things, but unexpectedly, the effect was surprisingly good. He took action, but this person was too ambitious, and the methods and plans of his actions were beyond my control."

"Secretary No. 5..."

Han Su was taken aback by the information in his words. He never expected that the matter would point to the most mysterious person in Qinggang.

The Disaster Management Bureau is either the ultimate person in charge of all the mysterious affairs in Qinggang.

In a sense, the person with the most power.

……

……

"Alarm! Alarm!"

"A critical vulnerability has been detected in the Qinggang Reality Defense Center processor. Please patch it immediately!"

"Unauthorized data access detected. Please handle immediately..."

"Alarm canceled, all normal. Alarm canceled, all normal. Please return to your posts in an orderly manner..."

Within ten seconds, alarms in various parts of Qinggang were thrown into disarray.

Some people thought everything had returned to normal, but others immediately realized something was wrong. The council chamber hadn't even finished its meeting yet, so how could the problem be solved so easily?

There is only one possibility: even the alarm system has been hacked or even tampered with by the other party.

This problem is terrifyingly serious!
Under this emergency, not only were the people in Qinggang with seven red chairs summoned to discuss the issue, but even the three important figures with black chairs had to take it seriously.

Mr. Xu, the owner of the black chair on the left, was drinking coffee when he heard the news. After a few seconds of silence, he put down the phone and picked up his cup again.

The owner of the chair on the right hurriedly made a phone call to the person in the black chair in the middle: "You didn't say before that it would be necessary to go this far. Are you now preparing to relinquish all authority over Qinggang? You trust the Copper Script believers that much?"

In response, Chen Gang, or rather Secretary No. 5, appeared relaxed and nonchalant: "After all, only when Qing Gang is driven to the brink will those people agree to unlock Miss Ai's body, right?"

"When Abyss Studio came to Qinggang to sign the contract, they lent us this mysterious machine and gave us their seal, but they also gave those people the power to control us."

"If those sitting in chairs in Qinggang were united enough, they could also restrain Abyss Studio. Unfortunately, everyone has their own ideas. So, if we want to sit down and talk with Abyss Studio, we need to make some preparations."

"..."

The person on the other end of the phone was even more anxious: "I expressed my support a long time ago for you to talk to Abyss Studio."

"After all, it's been ten years. It's been a damn long time. We've only paid the price. They've done a very poor job."

"But it's just a talk!"

"We have absolutely no intention of breaking ties with Abyss Studio, or rather, with Guardians of the World. More importantly..."

"No matter what, we can't let Qinggang get caught up in this war with the Bronze Church. It will cause everything to spiral out of control, and neither side will let us off the hook..."

"..."

"War will always come; there's no escaping it."

Chan Kong smiled: "So, of course, we can only look to the future."

The other party angrily retorted, "Speak like a human being!"

"Now I'm actually starting to wonder if the decision we made back then was the right one..."

Chen Gang was not swayed by the other party's provocation. Instead, he sighed softly and said, "Back then, we were too eager to cross that threshold as soon as possible, and we were too terrified of the most ferocious tide in history that was about to come."

"So we all signed the silent covenant, hoping that the divine descent plan would allow me to survive the tide and elevate my status."

"That decision bound us to the extremely dangerous Abyss Studio and also put Qinggang on the gambling table."

"Even now, I still understand us who signed back then, and I'm sure we made the right decision. But now I'm starting to have some doubts about Abyss Labs."

"That woman was incredibly disrespectful to us, even harboring a hidden hatred. And most importantly, the 'Divine Descent' plan, though delayed by ten years, hasn't been declared a failure, but its importance is rapidly diminishing..."

“I even suspect that one day, the higher-ups might decide to destroy the whole plan.”

"And when that time comes, I have no doubt that we will be among those destroyed."

"..."

It was precisely his somewhat lazy and indifferent tone that affected the person on the other end of the phone, who suddenly became a little worried:

"Do you already know something?"

Chen Gang was silent for a while before chuckling softly and saying, "You know that I was originally a member of the Skull of the Knowers. I have already broken away from that mysterious organization and have gained self-awareness, but at certain times, I can still dive into their subconscious ocean."

"Not long ago, when I was diving into that ocean to search for relevant knowledge, I fell into a deep trance, in which I saw some fragmented images."

"I saw that Qinggang and Abyss Studio had a falling out and started a big battle. The four city-killing priests of Abyss Studio attacked Qinggang at the same time, and even attracted the roving knights in the end."

"However, the roving knights did not side with Abyss Studio, nor with Qinggang. They simply committed destruction, killing Ms. Shen and also destroying Qinggang invisibly."

“I suspect that I saw a vision of the future at that time, so I’m always afraid of that day coming. But sometimes I feel disoriented, as if that day has already come. But no matter what, I’m just afraid of it.”

"I don't want to be a victim, so I have no choice but to take the initiative to do something." "..."

"But, but this..."

The person on the other end of the phone probably wanted to say that people who believe in crystal skulls aren't very bright.

It's perfectly normal for you to see illusions.

Even if you've broken away from the Crystal Skull organization, there's no guarantee that the skull at the source might still have some influence on you.

But he couldn't say that directly, so he calmed down a bit and tried his best to persuade her: "However, dealing with the Bronze Church is a very bad idea."

"It's fine to let them put some pressure on Abyss Studio, but if they really threaten the altar at the foot of Qinggang, then all the reasons for the failures will be pinned on us..."

"Most importantly, you also used such a madman..."

"The An family's daughter is out of control; she even snatched the seal from Old An's hand just now..."

"..."

"That's precisely the crux of the problem."

Chen Gang chuckled softly and said, "Do you know why Shou Shiren divided the seal into three parts back then?"

"Since they've already given us this machine, which can concentrate all authority in one person's hands, to put it bluntly, they want to use us but won't give us real power."

"In that case, it's quite simple to do what you need to do."

The voice on the other end of the phone suddenly rose: "You orchestrated Lao An's affair?"

Chen Gang laughed and said, "I don't want to be a sacrifice, but that doesn't mean none of us can be sacrifices. Sometimes, being scattered means weakness!"

The person on the other end of the phone suddenly sensed something was wrong: "Wait, you mean..."

"my friend……"

Chen Gang chuckled softly and replied, "My friend, you are a victim too!"

"you……"

A gasp rang out from the other end of the phone, as if the phone had been thrown away in fear. But a smile appeared on Chen Gang's face, and his voice seemed to have an invisible allure. Even his skull appeared faintly to be visible beneath his flesh.

Crystal Skull followers, and those who have reached the divine path, possess the most corrupting influence of all anomalous creatures.

Seeing the crystalline color emanating from his skull would corrupt one with that color; hearing the words he spoke would corrupt one with his voice; and being seen by him would corrupt one with his gaze.

……

……

“I even feel that sometimes, it’s not that I’m too ambitious…”

"It's because you're all too cowardly. You only complain about what others haven't given Qinggang, instead of fighting for it yourselves!"

"Qinggang, it's clearly very powerful..."

Today, Qinggang is like a deserted place. Along the long street, the power lines are crackling and sparking, and the images of celebrity spokespeople are flashing on the large screens on the street.

Each highly confidential database was freely entered and exited by a certain mad consciousness.

She glimpsed countless secrets and was even amazed by Qinggang's vast resources and deep foundation.

Because she started participating in discussions with her father at a very young age, Anwei felt a heavy pressure from an early age. The fear of dealing with a tiger for its skin and being constantly on edge was already ingrained in her bones. Therefore, she has always been accompanied by repression.

But now, I suddenly realize that Qinggang has so much capital, so why is it living so uncomfortably?

His father and several other uncles and elders had always hoped that Qinggang could be upgraded to a first-tier city, while they themselves hoped to make contributions, gain the recognition of the nobility, and thus truly escape their status as ordinary people.

But given the enormous cost, why not try to fight for it yourself?
Thank goodness for Uncle Chen...

He thought of the uncle who, three years ago, had seen through his ambition and would wait for him in some unexpected corner after he was bullied by his foolish brothers and sisters, to talk to him and engage in conversation.

He is the most mysterious Secretary No. 5 in the eyes of others, and also the real decision-maker in Qinggang, but he is willing to guide me and become my mentor.

He did not try to corrupt himself, but he convinced himself with his reasoning.

Therefore, it's time for me to replace some of the rotten things...

This insane idea grew stronger and stronger in her mind until she successfully infiltrated the Qinggang Council, to the containment chamber specifically used to house mysterious machines.

This was originally a separate containment system outside of Qinggang.

However, even though all the locks were placed on Miss Ai, Qinggang still needed her to handle some matters.

Therefore, this containment chamber also leads to a line connecting to the physical defense line, allowing it to operate at the lowest possible power.

At this moment, the back door that had been left open became Anwei's opportunity. Previously, the Lilac Mansion, which was responsible for protecting this dangerous barrier, had already prepared the back door here, as if it were waiting for her in the manner of welcoming a divine messenger.

"The Mother of Machines is synchronizing its three-dimensional consciousness..."

"..."

"..."

"It's done!"

In the town square of Baila Mountain, when the priest Songchai stood next to the mechanical Buddha, he kept a close eye on her, who was entangled in countless data cables and wires. In his plan, this was the only variable and the only thing he needed to worry about.

The wrinkles on his face only smoothed out when Anwei suddenly uttered a cold, electronic voice that didn't sound like hers.

At the same time, he also turned to look in the direction of the Electronic Secret Society.

He sighed softly, "Successfully summoned the consciousness of the Machine Mother to descend, and has been lurking in Qinggang for so many years, secretly investigating everything about the Machine Mother and the Abyss Studio!"

"Both the secret of the Bronze Altar and the emergence of that successor were discovered by him, so you all should have no objections, right? Our old friend is the second high priest of the Bronze Scripture..."

The Electronic Secret Society is one of the two altars among the seven auxiliary altars that has never been revealed.

Before this, no one knew that the altar belonged to the Lilac Mansion.

The members of the Mechanical Soul, the Pillar of Civilization, and the Key to the Future were not surprised by the news, nor did they show any resistance. They simply exchanged glances, then shook their heads with wry smiles: "It seems we only have one chance left?"

The old gentleman in the Lilac Mansion did too much; according to their agreement, they really couldn't compete for it.

So, I only have one chance left?

They looked toward the group of scientific giants, and finally someone spoke up in a low voice: "Since he still refuses to come out, let's go over there!"

"and many more……"

But just as they finished speaking, someone suddenly said, "It seems they're coming?"

……

……

"so……"

Meanwhile, at Baila Mountain Farm, Han Su frowned after listening to Wu Qi's explanation: "To put it bluntly, all the things you've planned are just because the person above you doesn't feel safe."

"So he wants to concentrate all the power in his own hands, trying to give himself the right to negotiate with Abyss Studio, or even the Guardians above him?"

Wu Qi said, "Of course, you're also important. One of the key points is to get rid of you."

"After all, you're always wandering around and causing quite a bit of trouble, especially with your complicated relationship with the Abyss Labs. They find it an eyesore."

"..."

"Fine……"

Han Su had no other opinion on this, but after thinking about it for a moment, he said, "But what does that secretary think?"

"Even if he wants to break ties with Abyss Studio, what does it mean to give all the benefits to the Bronze Inscription Church?"

"What benefit could he possibly gain from the completion of the gate between reality and illusion?"

"..."

"The gate between reality and illusion must be built; this is the most crucial step in the plan."

Wu Qi sneered: "But who said all the benefits should go to the Bronze Script Church?"

"You underestimated the ambition of this bigwig in Qinggang, and you also underestimated Miss An, who volunteered to help him carry out this plan. She's a madwoman..."

(End of this chapter)