Chapter 297: Speculation

“Three key figures from different countries have been assassinated by the Chameleon. Some say the Chameleon is an individual, others think it’s a team.” Zhou Rui said as she handed the reports to Yang Bo.

Yang Bo looked carefully at the documents, noticing that a prince of the Azure Blue Empire had been assassinated at the scene where the words ‘Chameleon’ were written in blood.

This prince was assassinated in his own study. It was heavily guarded outside, and while there wasn’t any surveillance inside the study, there must have been some outside. Plus, there were guards at the door.

A high-ranking official from the Crimson Federation, essentially the top official of one of its capital stars, was also assassinated. The same three words were left at the scene. This one died just before a meeting, in a bathroom, which had surveillance coverage outside, but no targets were caught.

It seems the victims had no clue what the killer looked like. Their expressions were all natural, and the cause of death was a hole in their brain.

Additionally, an A-rank general from the Crimson Federation, who was also a disciple of an Ancient Martial Arts sect, was found dead in his lover’s house. His lover was also killed, and his post-death expression appeared very peaceful.

Over the last hundred years, the Chameleon has killed more than a dozen government officials and wealthy businessmen. The combined bounty across the galaxy’s three major nations has reached approximately 12 billion, with the Azure Blue Empire alone offering 5 billion.

“Some suspect the Chameleon might have the invisibility superpower.”

“Invisibility has appeared several times throughout history. Each time, it’s brought chaos and bloodshed, nearly pushing the galaxy’s three major nations to the brink of collapse.”

“As for how invisibility works, no one knows. However, it’s said that a ninja sect has secret techniques related to this ability, but these sects are so hidden that they’re nearly impossible to find.”

“Some even claim these sects have their own planets somewhere in space, undetected by the three major empires. There are even rumors that one of those planets is filled with female slaves.”

“Historically, many female celebrities and public figures have mysteriously disappeared without a trace. But as you know, the galaxy is so vast that many missing persons cases are never solved. Even space fleets disappear sometimes due to pirate attacks or disasters, and their wreckage is found drifting in space years later.”

“There are also rumors of extraterrestrial species hunting humans. The existence of these species is a top-secret issue for the three major nations, and we don’t know the details. But what’s certain is that these extraterrestrial creatures exist, and they’re incredibly powerful.”

After reviewing the Chameleon’s assassination records in detail, Yang Bo didn’t find anything suspicious. He couldn’t access the complete files, and if there were any leads, the sharp minds out there would have already found them.

Suddenly, Yang Bo thought of the Invisible Mouse. If he had the blood of the Invisible Mouse, he was certain it could be used to make an invisibility potion. How effective the potion would be, however, remained unknown.

“I do have a lead. I need to get the records of everyone who’s recently brought pets onto March Planet.” Yang Bo’s mind raced. If there were invisible mice, could there be other animals with invisibility as well?

On the Alliance side, pets had a high status. As long as the necessary documentation was complete, they were exempt from inspection. Bringing a potion might not be possible, but bringing a pet and then mixing the potion yourself? That was doable and much safer.

Of course, that was just Yang Bo’s guess. Zhou Rui, hearing this, was stunned and asked with some confusion, “What does this have to do with pets?”

“Don’t ask what you shouldn’t know,” Yang Bo waved her off.

Zhou Rui nodded, “Understood.”

Yang Bo also suspected that the stealth was due to some special material used in an Energy Suit. But any suit entering any nation would be registered, making it too much of a risk.

Either way, there were just a few possibilities left. It wouldn’t be hard for Zhou Rui to check up on it.

“I’ll handle it right away. It’ll take about two hours.” Zhou Rui, now involved in security matters, found it wasn’t difficult to look through records of people entering the port.

Yang Bo nodded and went back to drink with the two women. Of course, he didn’t drink much. The bar smelled awful, and Yang Bo felt as if he were in a bathroom.

His sense of smell was too sharp. Yang Bo just loosely held the two women’s waists without making any other moves.

Annie glanced at Yang Bo, her mind scheming. The man had enough money for a comfortable retirement, but how much exactly? Though he seemed a bit older, Yang Bo was disguised as a financially-independent middle-aged man.

“John, with all that money, have you ever thought about becoming a superhuman?” Annie leaned a little closer, taking advantage of Yang Bo’s arm around her and whispering her question.

“No,” Yang Bo said casually. “Being a resident has so many benefits, plus the failure rate of the second Gene Serum is too high. With that money, I’d rather enjoy my life. As a resident, I don’t even have to pay taxes.” Yang Bo tightened his grip, enjoying the feel. He hadn’t touched many women in this world…

Moreover, for the second Gene Serum, you needed government approval. If it succeeded, you’d be registered, and officially no longer a resident. The people working for Fat Boss at his company had all redeemed theirs through hard work and company points.

Though gene injections were available on the black market, the people who knew about them weren’t ordinary folk. Plus, you couldn’t trust anyone in that world. They might disappear as soon as you transfer the money. Plenty had been scammed, and the quality of those injections was questionable at best. You might not even know what you were injected with.

For ordinary people, it was impossible to verify the authenticity of the injections. The only reliable option was to go through the government.

“But what if it succeeds? You could land a great job, and more importantly, extend your lifespan,” Annie argued.

Yang Bo chuckled, “Annie, you’re too young. The failure rate for the second Gene Serum is 90%, with an 8% mortality rate. The success rate is less than 2%.”

“Once you become a citizen, I’d have to pay taxes on my house and on everything I buy. Then, I’d be forced to work. And all the money I earn from working will need to be taxed.”

“I barely have enough money to last until retirement. After that, I can move into the Welfare Institution. Doesn’t that sound perfect? Right now, I can eat whatever I want, whenever I want.” Yang Bo was being honest.

For ordinary people, there’s really no point in going for a second gene evolution, unless you’re rich. But if you’re rich, you’re not exactly an ordinary person anymore.

“I see.” Annie moved away a bit.

Yang Bo had no real interest in Annie. She was just like a girl you’d hire at a bar, someone you only keep around because of the atmosphere. If he really wanted something physical, the streets had better options.

Under bar lighting and after a few drinks, everything feels more tempting. But once you get them out and into a room, you might find yourself disgusted the moment the lights come on.

The magic of makeup was just too powerful.

After a couple of hours drinking, playing some games, and dancing around, Yang Bo excused himself to use the bathroom, eventually making his way back here.

“Third Master, these are the records of the people who’ve brought pets into March Planet within the last month, along with their addresses. 90% of them are tourists, and the other 10% are locals. There are 352 in total,” Zhou Rui said as she handed the files to Yang Bo.

Yang Bo hadn’t realized so many people brought pets with them. He looked over the files in detail, seeing all sorts of pets – mice, snakes, and even some bizarre ones he’d never even heard of. Some were genetically engineered, others were natural. They ranged from cute to downright ugly.

After committing every single pet to memory, Yang Bo gave the files back to Zhou Rui with a nod.

“The five people next door to me are from the Brotherhood. Their target is the Evidence Center. Be prepared, they’re planning to act during the hurricane. It’s rumored that another group will strike the Military’s top officials at that time as well.” Yang Bo added.

Zhou Rui’s shock was palpable. Could the Brotherhood be this unlucky? Last time it was the A-rank Silver Butterfly who met the Third Master, and now these poor souls had moved in next door to him?

What rotten luck these people had.

“Look into the owner of the apartment. It’s probably connected to the Brotherhood,” Yang Bo ordered.

Zhou Rui was thrilled. With the Brotherhood leaving traces on different planets, finding a clue could secure her some serious merits.

Right now, such information could be exchanged for a lot of money, and maybe even some equipment from the March Planet officials.

“Third Master, here’s the information on the two ladies,” Zhou Rui said, handing Yang Bo another file.

Yang Bo muttered to himself, opening the file. Sure enough, it contained details on the two women, even their shopping habits.

“Tsk tsk, so much for privacy laws, huh? All just a sham,” Yang Bo murmured. Of course, he knew that even if internet companies protected personal privacy, there were still the delivery services to consider. Drones needed maintenance, after all, and people were involved in that.

“Mhm, mhm,” Yang Bo grunted twice, not needing to say much as a strong presence.

After flipping through the files, Yang Bo put them down and left, sighing internally, “You gain some, you lose some.”

Annie and her friend had been searching for work for a long time but couldn’t find any suitable jobs. The main reason was that both of them had joined a same-sex association and gotten married to each other, which scared off many companies.

Add to that the resident status, and their resumes already had too many red flags. Sure, in the media, it seemed like a lot of women were engaged in activism through various associations, but behind closed doors, even bosses like Fat Boss didn’t want to hire them. You might end up with someone who causes more problems than they’re worth.

Take the bathroom incident at a company, for example. It all started because one female worker claimed she identified as a man. That led to the company having separate men’s and women’s bathrooms.

The company quickly created a gender-neutral bathroom. The woman then complained that having a separate one was discriminatory.

In the end, the company had to remodel all its bathrooms into individual stalls. But then she said it was discrimination to use the same bathroom as some men.

That same woman eventually got elected as an official on one of the capital stars… and received a massive payout from the company.

There were environmentalists too. Once, they complained about the company keeping plants indoors. They said keeping plants confined like that was inhumane.

In the middle of the night, the company had to remove all the plants, only for the activists to later claim the company was neglecting its workers.

So, many large companies lean toward hiring people without any obvious agendas. The moment someone seems like they’re carrying any personal baggage, companies steer clear, because you never know what kind of drama they’ll bring.

Annie and her friend had joined the association during their time at the Welfare Institution and received a lot of bonuses for participating in activities. However, after becoming adults, it was all downhill. Despite having a high resume score, no company was willing to hire them.

Annie wasn’t too thrilled about living in Welfare Housing either. Although many objected to the Welfare House policy, it didn’t change anything. Even the officials were afraid they’d stir up trouble if they lived there.

Annie ended up marrying her friend out of necessity and collecting the Alliance’s subsidies, renting an apartment together instead.

“All things considered, it’s better than how many people on Earth live. They might as well treat the marriage like they’re just roommates,” Yang Bo thought, now seeing things from a different perspective.

Yang Bo and Annie headed back. As luck would have it, they ran into Whitehead and his group at the apartment entrance. Yang Bo felt like if looks could kill, he’d already be dead.

In the elevator, Yang Bo said his goodbyes, and once alone, he pondered over the files on the pet owners.

“Based on my experience, I can eliminate reptiles.”

“Next, I’ll rule out large pets. If there were a large invisible animal, the Chameleon would be able to make plenty of gene injections and take more jobs. Plus, large animals are too conspicuous, and monitoring them is much stricter.”

“I’ll also remove the overly peculiar ones since bringing strange pets out in public would likely result in complaints or inspections.”

Alliance pet policies were odd. Every animal’s environment was strictly regulated. If someone brought a highly unusual pet into public and frightened people, it’d be a major incident. First, the pet owner would be required to pay mental compensation, the pet would be confiscated, and the owner would be investigated. Scaring others with your pet? Totally the owner’s fault.

“The fourth group I’ll exclude are the genetically engineered ones.” Yang Bo thought for a moment.

“But pets are implanted with chips. Am I wrong?” Yang Bo began doubting his own thoughts.

“Once the game is over tomorrow, I’ll check out the area around Wang Muxue’s place.” Yang Bo decided to scope out the target’s surroundings since, if he were an assassin, he’d scout out the location beforehand himself.

Invisible, Yang Bo returned to his residence, seeing no success with his Invisible Mouse breeding program. However, the other sand mice had bred successfully, and there were now dozens of them.

These little things were quite cute, especially before they shed their baby fur. Fuzzy and adorable.

“I wonder if they taste any good?” Yang Bo considered, looking at the sand mice that resembled bamboo rats. These little guys weren’t as lean as their wild counterparts due to the nice environment they lived in. They were chubby and, though skittish, had grown friendly with him over time, squeaking whenever they saw him as if begging for food.

“Nevermind.” Yang Bo decided to wait a bit longer. If they didn’t pan out, he’d release them onto the mountain behind his house, which was his territory anyway.

Meanwhile, down in the apartment building’s lounge, Annie and Xia curled up on the couch, frustrated, throwing their wristwatch aside after receiving yet another rejection email. “Annie, some guy asked me out today. He even offered to pay,” Xia said.

“Aren’t you afraid of getting caught?” Annie asked after hearing this.

“He said he knows a special hotel for that. I want to save up enough money to buy a Gene Serum. We’re getting older.”

“But if you get caught, it’ll be bad. Plus, John said the failure rate for the second Gene Serum is really high.”

“But there’s still a small chance of success, right? The guy told me the payout would be five times higher if you join.”

“If the association finds out, they’ll kick us out…”

“Annie, what’s the point of the association anyway? It was just to get extra credits for graduation. Now, we’re stuck relying on the government’s meager support. Heck, buying a piece of starlight fruit takes months of saving up…”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Just do it. Worst-case scenario, you go to prison. I heard they teach useful skills in there, and when you get out, the community will help you find a job.”