Chapter 124
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Chapter 124: The Revelation from the Banquet
“As for the last one, Starfall, I have never seen this superpowered individual, but I do know about her abilities.
“Holy Shield is the most powerful protective force in Hope City, while Starfall is the ultimate weapon of Hope City. Starfall has the ability to summon meteorites, but it is said that she has a hard time controlling both the power and the impact point…
“Her ability requires a long time to charge, and it can cause a wide-ranging strike, which, of course, does not distinguish between friend and foe… So, I don’t know who has seen her use her abilities, but if Hope City were to face destruction, she might summon a massive meteor from the universe capable of causing a mass extinction on this planet.”
Ji Yongxing listened, captivated like a child entranced by a story, almost drooling at the excitement.
He suddenly felt as small as a bug in front of these powerful figures.
But even a bug has its strengths. Ji Yongxing felt satisfied with his current knowledge path, though he couldn’t help but envy the great powers that could move mountains and fill seas.
After digesting this for a moment, he turned to Zhou Zhuo and asked,
“How will Mr. Disaster Core solve my problem?”
“As far as I know, Disaster Core can infuse a large amount of energy into an object in an extraordinary form. If you just need a single-use battery that lasts for seven days, I think he can manage that.”
“Can he achieve a slow energy release?”
“As far as I know, it seems he can’t, so you’ll have to find another solution for that part.”
“You mean I have to attach a bomb to the back of the power armor and ensure the energy inside releases slowly to keep it running?”
“Not a bomb—it’s electricity… Well, I suppose it could be considered a bomb, which is why we need your cooperation. If slow release were possible, why wouldn’t someone have used it long ago?”
Ji Yongxing fell silent, pondering for a few seconds before asking again,
“Does Ms. Infinite Scroll have any relevant knowledge?”
Zhou Zhuo looked at Ji Yongxing with a helpless expression.
The young man quickly understood his teacher’s meaning:
If she had the knowledge, it wouldn’t be your turn to offer suggestions.
“…Then I’ll think of a way to solve the slow release problem; otherwise, I’d just be wasting Mr. Disaster Core’s time.”
And his own life.
Ji Yongxing stood up and left Zhou Zhuo’s office. Regardless, this trip was worth it; not only had he heard fascinating stories, but he had also found a new direction for his research.
—
On the evening two days later, Luke arrived on time at a restaurant in the commercial district of the inner city.
The decor here was undeniably luxurious; no matter how the world changed, such places would always have their audience.
Luke presented the invitation letter and was guided by the staff into a private room.
Upon entering, he found four people already seated.
Luke quickly matched their builds and faces with the blurry figures in his memory, correcting his initial associations.
He flashed a childlike smile and greeted each of them in turn.
The four individuals sitting here were the remaining members of the first team who had sent him the letter two days ago.
Unlike his memories, the four of them were no longer young, their faces bearing the marks of time’s passage.
“Things must not have been easy for you lately?”
Luke took his seat, and the first to speak was Fortress, who wore a look of concern.
He was an elderly man with a yellowish complexion, looking as though he had just come from a construction site.
Luke nodded silently and began to converse with the others.
The dinner dishes were quickly served, and the room gradually became lively.
After the initial awkwardness and sadness, everyone seemed to return to Luke’s childhood, reminiscing about the past.
Luke himself cherished the memories related to his father and enjoyed the pleasant conversation with the four.
He ate heartily, his appetite having noticeably increased since the surgery; what once filled him now only satisfied him halfway.
After a few drinks, Luke felt a bit warm and casually removed the thin jacket he was wearing.
It was summer, and the jacket was only worn by Luke to appear more formal; underneath, he had on just a short-sleeve shirt.
Recently, Luke had been taking the medicine provided by Nia, a drug developed by the Department of Life Technology that gradually made scars disappear, preventing the risk of wounds reopening under special circumstances.
For superpowered individuals, any risk should be minimized as much as possible. The medicine was effective but hadn’t completely erased the scars.
Returning to his seat, Starfall immediately noticed the scar on the inner side of Luke’s right arm. Her expression hardened as she glanced at the three other people around her.
The harmonious atmosphere froze for a moment before everything returned to normal.
Luke, at the center of the storm, remained oblivious to this shift.
After a while, Disaster Core raised his glass and said sincerely,
“Ever since your father became Holy Shield, I haven’t seen him drink. Honestly, maybe the pressure of his powers isn’t as great as mine… I certainly couldn’t have endured it for so many years.”
Following his words, Luke’s thoughts drifted back to his childhood.
His memories of that time were not very clear.
His mother had passed away during childbirth.
Luke’s recollections of early childhood were mere vague fragments.
Most of them consisted of his father, a few uncles and aunts present now, and some rarely seen rooms with white roofs.
Rooms like that were everywhere, just as his own bedroom was decorated similarly now.
Luke couldn’t understand why he had such memories, nor did he think to explore it further.
Dinner ended with heartfelt concerns expressed, and Luke set off on his way home alone.
The cool evening breeze helped dissipate some of the effects of alcohol.
He recalled that his father indeed had a small wine cabinet, but it was filled not with fine wines, but with empty bottles and wine utensils.
“Ever since he became Holy Shield… Ever since he became Holy Shield…”
As Luke strolled forward, he felt he was overlooking something.
It wasn’t about his father; it was about… the [Followers] organization.
The first activity of the [Followers] appeared during the incident at the research institute.
That was a significant time marker.
The development of that incident was indeed strange, but Zhao Kai had secretly conducted experiments behind the scenes and had already destroyed the experimental data.
Now, labeling him as selfish or reckless was of no use.
But…
What if the data was not destroyed by Zhao Kai?
Just as Disaster Core had mentioned during dinner, the end of any routine undoubtedly indicated the occurrence of something.
So, using this incident as a time marker and pushing backwards…
It was akin to how Luke’s father enjoyed drinking before becoming Holy Shield but abstained entirely afterward.
If something that was once common stopped happening after the incident at the research institute, or if its form changed, it could potentially be related to the [Followers]!
