Chapter 321: Pursuit of Perfection

The helicopter droned through the city sky, heading straight for a remote factory in the southern part of Satellite City Seven.

Even though Central City’s population clearly dwarfed Qinggang’s, giving even the satellite cities a crowded feel, the lights blazing from countless high-rises at night made the city seem incredibly full. Still, pockets of sparsely populated areas existed, dotted with various factories and warehouses, seemingly a result of urban planning.

For Central City, Satellite City Seven wasn’t exactly an industrial zone, more like a dock connecting to the main district.

The helicopter landed in an open space before what looked like a large-scale factory. It boasted tall smokestacks and cooling towers resembling fortresses which constantly vented thick white steam. The array of factory buildings gave off an imposing, albeit mysterious, vibe.

The chopper touched down on the clear ground in front of the office building. Chen Jing immediately led Lu Xin into a hidden area.

There, Lu Xin saw rows of heavily armed soldiers standing guard, securing every passageway.

…

“After you were taken away by the police cars last night, Li Gang moved the convoy along with the materials and physical evidence you gave him. Fortunately, it seems the Black Table changed their minds and didn’t attack them again. They made it through the night safely.”

Chen Jing recounted the events for Lu Xin, “Once I arrived with my team, we met up with them and initiated communication with Central City.”

Lu Xin felt a measure of relief but was also puzzled. “Why did they have to wait for you to arrive before contacting Central City?”

Chen Jing just smiled without answering.

Entering the factory complex, Lu Xin noticed that while the chemical plant looked somewhat dilapidated from the outside, the interior was remarkably clean and advanced. Cool-toned flooring and light sources concealed within the walls gave the vast area a cold, high-tech feel. Thick tempered glass partitioned the huge complex into numerous rooms of varying sizes.

However, a quick glance revealed plenty of shattered glass, along with bloodstains and chalk outlines of human figures.

These silent traces told anyone passing by that a fierce battle had taken place here not long ago.

Currently, many people in black protective suits moved about, collecting various pieces of evidence. Inside a room near the entrance, a photo of Boss Gao Ting was taped to the wall. A man in a white coat with exceptionally thick hair was reviewing a file.

It was none other than Mo Yi, the genius researcher and one of the Qinggang Six Monsters.

“Even he’s here?”

Lu Xin was somewhat surprised. Weren’t the Qinggang Six Monsters Qinggang’s most valuable assets?

To ensure their safety, even leaving the Main City required a dedicated military escort.

And now, one had actually come all the way to Central City?

“After receiving your message, Qinggang took this very seriously. I led the team, bringing along two Ability Users, one researcher, two investigation teams, and four lawyers. We arrived in Central City around midnight last night and immediately got to work.”

Chen Jing seemed to notice Lu Xin’s astonishment and explained softly.

Then she turned to Xia Chong. “When are you planning to handle this matter?”

Xia Chong remained silent for a moment before saying, “I’m waiting for instructions from the higher-ups and need to submit my final report to them.”

“Alright.”

Chen Jing smiled. “When you report to your superiors, don’t forget to tell them that Qinggang is paying very close attention to this incident. And it’s not just Qinggang; many groups and organizations aware of the White Tower Town forbidden experiments are also watching closely.”

Xia Chong’s expression didn’t change upon hearing Chen Jing’s words. She just gave her a deep look and said:

“Does Qinggang distrust Central City that much?”

“Not only did you bring so many people, but you even waited until you arrived to hand over the crucial evidence.”

Chen Jing simply chuckled at the question. “Central City has a lot of people.”

“And where there are many people, there are many troubles.”

“Qinggang’s request is quite simple. We just want to ensure that these forbidden experiments receive the outcome they deserve!”

…

Xia Chong’s gaze lingered on Chen Jing’s face for a moment, then swept over Lu Xin and Gecko beside him. Lu Xin was listening intently, seemingly very concerned about the issue. Gecko, the instant he felt her gaze, quickly averted his eyes from her smooth calves, nonchalantly pretending to survey the surroundings with a perfectly natural expression.

“This matter will receive the outcome it deserves.”

She said no more, just pointed coolly towards a room inside the factory. “For now, you can rest there. And think carefully if there’s any information you’ve forgotten to share with us.”

“Especially you.”

She looked at Lu Xin. “You’ve clashed with the Black Table before. Their Ability Users’ specific abilities, logic chains, and any other information you have – organize it all. This is extremely important to us.” After a pause, she added, “Since we all share the same goal, I hope there won’t be any more incidents of withholding information.”

Hearing this, Gecko looked a bit worried and glanced discreetly at Chen Jing.

Lu Xin, however, didn’t seem to notice anything amiss and replied with a gentle smile, “Okay.”

His compliant answer seemed to momentarily startle Xia Chong.

She gave Lu Xin one last look and left.

…

In an office seemingly prepared specifically for the people from Qinggang, many were already seated. Lu Xin saw the two investigation teams standing guard with guns at the office doorway. He recognized the captain of one team – Cheng Hui, with whom he had collaborated several times before. He wondered if Chen Jing had brought him along partly because they were acquainted.

The others were sharply dressed men in suits whose aura clearly set them apart from everyone else in the office.

Li Gang was also sitting in this office, talking with these men.

So these are the lawyers from Qinggang?

He acted politely. Thinking that he was still technically guilty—having fired a gun in Central City—and wondering if he’d need these lawyers’ help after everything was settled, perhaps even needing them to keep him out of detention, he greeted Cheng Hui then stepped forward to shake hands with the lawyers. “Thank you,” he said gratefully. “After all, I did shoot people in Central City. I might need your help with what comes next.”

Although Lu Xin had lived as a minor company employee in Qinggang Satellite City No. 2, he knew that after the Red Moon incident, order had collapsed for a time. Even now, the Wasteland remained chaotic and dark, rendering lawyers useless there. But within the high-wall cities, lawyers held very high status and influence, often involved in major affairs between Alliance members.

This was a consequence of the Alliance’s unique current state.

Because of the Research Institute’s existence, behemoths like Central City hadn’t produced authoritarian strongmen. Instead, rules based on regulations and decrees were established early on as constraints. Not just Central City, but all high-wall cities joining the Alliance signed documents and adopted Central City’s laws and statutes. While minor differences might exist, the major standards were identical.

Consequently, the status of lawyers was greatly elevated.

Conflicts between cities often boiled down to who could better interpret and utilize the laws and clauses.

Of course, this also led to what Chen Jing called ‘Central City having a lot of people’.

A place that was vast, powerful, and accustomed to operating according to laws and clauses would naturally seem crowded with procedures and personnel.

This was precisely why Qinggang sent Chen Jing over.

…

Seeing Lu Xin extend his hand, the lawyers quickly stood up.

An old lawyer with graying hair leaned forward, shook Lu Xin’s hand, looked him up and down, and then smiled, crinkling the corners of his eyes. “Watch your words. You were merely handling an urgent pollution incident. What does that have to do with shooting people?”

Lu Xin paused. “But I… I fired more than twenty shots…”

The old lawyer frowned slightly. “Your work involves high confidentiality, so I don’t know much. But I do know that when dealing with extremely urgent events, deploying large-scale destructive weaponry can be understandable. What’s shooting a few people compared to that?”

“We came because such incidents are becoming more frequent, and the Alliance is already considering establishing a series of rules and regulations. Of course, since these laws aren’t finalized yet, things can seem a bit messy. However, Central City is where the rules are made. All major high-wall cities follow Central City’s regulations, so naturally, they must abide by them too.”

“So…”

He smiled. “Just focus on your work. We’ll handle the legal side.”

“I’ll do my best to get you a heroism medal!”

…

Lu Xin was dumbfounded, suddenly filled with profound respect for these men.

…

“Morning!”

Just as he was thinking, Mo Yi, the genius researcher from Qinggang, walked in holding a stack of assessment reports. Without looking up, he greeted Lu Xin, “The initial assessment results for the woman are out. I’m analyzing them now.”

Hearing this, everyone in the office immediately looked up.

Even the lawyers, who weren’t very familiar with these kinds of special pollution incidents, paid attention.

Chen Jing asked, “What are the results?”

“We can confirm her body underwent a series of modifications, including enhancement injections and the influence of some kind of parasitic item. Right now, her physical functions and coordination have reached a near-perfect state…”

Mo Yi frowned. “However, this perfection isn’t tailored to her.”

“True perfection should be what best suits the individual. Normal enhancement, for instance, involves meticulous calculations to achieve a stable balance in physical attributes. But she was only physically enhanced, neglecting the connection with her own brain. Consequently, while her physical functions appear stronger, her cognitive perception of her own body is prone to feelings of unfamiliarity.”

…

Listening to his explanation, several people frowned slightly.

Lu Xin felt overwhelmed, unsure even where to begin asking questions.

Chen Jing cut straight to the point: “What was the purpose of modifying her?”

“We still have very little information…”

Mo Yi shook his head, then a slight smile appeared on his face. “But that doesn’t stop me from making a reasonable inference…”

“Judging from the secret experimental base hidden within this chemical factory and this physically modified woman, I have reason to suspect this secret base was researching the perfect body – a type of physical enhancement. As for why she was targeted, I believe her natural condition was, to some extent, closer to the concept of a perfect body…”

“Perfect body?”

“Yes.”

Mo Yi explained with a smile, “Let me explain this concept another way.”

“Have you noticed how, regardless of gender, some people just have good figures…”

He glanced at Chen Jing, then patted his own plump belly, “…while others have poor figures?”

The people around listened, slightly bewildered. What kind of topic was this?

“Biologically speaking, this difference doesn’t imply superiority or inferiority, nor is it purely genetic…”

Dr. Mo chuckled, smoothing his thick hair. “After all, the same genes can result in being fat or thin depending on age and lifestyle habits. Take me, for example, I had six-pack abs when I was young…”

The older people present nodded in deep agreement.

The younger ones displayed a clear, yet restrained, sense of pride.

“But a good figure always possesses a fatal attraction, drawing people instinctively.”

“On one hand, this can be understood as biological instinct. On the other hand, it can also be seen as a kind of mental influence.”

Dr. Mo smiled. “It’s because of these differences that after the understanding of mental alteration emerged, someone made a prediction… that someone was me… If a god were ever to truly appear in this world, what would it look like?”

“I believe a god would definitely be perfect.”

“Both in body and appearance!”

“This isn’t to say God is fixated on looks, but rather, as a divine being, it would inevitably tend towards perfection in every sense…”

“So, regarding this secret base, we could say they were researching physical enhancement drugs, or trying to crack the secret of why people become madmen, or even that it was a plastic surgery clinic… But in reality, it was researching the body of a god!”

…

When he finished speaking, the office fell rather quiet.

Aside from the lawyers, who merely felt their horizons had been broadened, Chen Jing and the others subtly changed expression.

They simultaneously thought of someone.

Qinggang’s Doll…

If a god tends towards perfection in all aspects, then wasn’t the Doll already, in some ways, approaching godhood?”