8 p.m.
Kamijou Hospital.
Luo Shu led Touka Kirishima through the hospital as if they owned the place, stopping before the staff elevator. He pressed the B2 button three times in succession.
Hum!
The elevator trembled slightly as it descended to B6.
Watching the display show floors like B3 and B4—none of which were marked on the buttons—Touka Kirishima's lips twitched:
"So it's just blatantly hidden inside a private hospital?"
"Otherwise? Hidden away in some remote mountain forest?"
Luo Shu smiled mockingly:
"Give it up. Not to mention the cost of building a research facility in the mountains, even from a concealment perspective, that kind of secret base is extremely poor."
"A remote mountain area that usually sees few vehicles suddenly getting regular supply trucks – isn't that basically announcing there's something suspicious here?"
"So that's why the research facility was built inside a private hospital in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward?"
Touka Kirishima wore an expression of someone learning something new.
"While the location is public, I never said people knew this was a research facility."
Luo Shu stepped out first as the elevator reached basement level 6, saying:
"In the eyes of other authorities, this place is actually a specialised medical facility. Occasionally, some partners would send difficult patients here for treatment."
"By placing questionable things in plain sight, others will assume you have nothing to hide."
As he spoke these words, Luo Shu led Touka Kirishima to a metal door and pressed his palm against the LCD screen by the entrance.
[Fingerprint authentication passed. Iris authentication passed. Please input Dying Will Flames!]
The black LCD screen recessed, revealing a finger-sized hole.
"The security measures are updated this quickly?" Luo Shu was slightly surprised by Verde's efficiency before igniting Dying Will Flames on the Mist Ring on his left hand and extending it towards the hole.
With a click, the hole retracted, and the LCD screen popped back out.
[Dying Will Flames authentication successful. Welcome, Director Luo Shu.]
With a swish, the silver metal door slid open.
Luo Shu guided Touka Kirishima into a spacious room lined with display screens.
"You arrived faster than I expected."
In the centre of the room, a swivel chair turned with a ding.
Seated upon it, Verde faced the two.
"An infant?" Touka Kirishima was utterly bewildered upon seeing Verde's appearance.
"How's progress?"
Luo Shu asked as he approached Verde.
"Based on the Ghoul test subject you provided, I did some preliminary research. Hmph, utterly meaningless as expected."
Verde calmly adjusted his round-framed glasses as he spoke:
"Wasted a full two hours of my time. However, the cost for individual modifications has been reduced to 2 million dollars. The trade-off is that the enhancement effects of the Adjuster Drug have been significantly downgraded to first-generation levels. Barely acceptable."
Luo Shu looked pleasantly surprised but pressed greedily:
"Does this mean the budget can be further reduced?"
"With that effort, I might as well adjust other production lines. That would save more research funding."
Verde snorted coldly, his chubby face turning towards Luo Shu:
"Our relationship isn't close enough for me to waste brain cells on trivial matters."
Luo Shu shrugged at this before gesturing towards Touka Kirishima:
"Here's the candidate I recommended for the Ghoul Normalisation Experiment."
As Luo Shu finished speaking and prepared to introduce Verde, the latter said coldly:
"I have zero interest in worthless genetic modifications. Besides, biotechnology isn't my speciality."
He pressed a button on his armrest.
With a click, an opening appeared on the adjacent wall, and a golden leopard crawled out slowly.
"Weapon No.7, take her to the gene lab for testing."
"Understood."
The leopard spoke in a feminine voice before addressing Touka Kirishima:
"Please follow me."
Touka Kirishima glanced at Luo Shu, who nodded. After a moment's hesitation, she followed the leopard out.
After the pair left the room, Luo Shu remarked thoughtfully:
"That leopard... is it a biological weapon powered by Dying Will Flames?"
"Just a failed product," Verde said with a hint of dissatisfaction. "Biotechnology isn't my field of expertise. Although I've reproduced some aspects of the Box Technology, it's still far from meeting combat requirements."
As he spoke, Verde pressed another button on his chair.
With a click, a metal platform rose before Luo Shu, revealing a Sig-style pistol inside.
"What's this?" Luo Shu examined the pistol curiously.
"A new firearm developed over the past two days. Besides standard ammunition, it can also use semi-attached Dying Will Flames to coat bullets."
"In semi-attached mode, the bullet's power is three times that of a full-power round. Additionally, due to the Dying Will Flames, it has certain disruptive effects on spiritual entities and bio-energy within organisms."
"Of course, bullets entirely composed of Dying Will Flames are possible, too. But tests show the weapon would be ruined after 200 rounds."
"Though if your Flame pressure is strong enough, each shot could pack mortar-level power. I wouldn't recommend artillery shells, though - the barrel would explode after one shot."
Verde gestured for Luo Shu to pick up the pistol, adding:
"These will be distributed to all SDS departments starting today. Take some from the equipment room later. Remember to have your subordinates submit test reports after use."
Noticing Luo Shu's slight surprise, Verde adjusted his glasses smugly:
"Compared to biotechnology, mechanical engineering is truly my forte."
Luo Shu infused the pistol with Dying Will Flames, testing its feel before remarking:
"Are you secretly Doraemon?"
"I wish I were."
Verde chuckled at his own joke before changing topics:
"By the way, have you met Meer from Intelligence?"
"Why do you ask?" Luo Shu turned to him curiously.
"Nothing major. She asked me to prepare matching AT Roller Shoes for you two. Since it wasn't unreasonable, I obliged."
Luo Shu's mouth twitched oddly. "I thought you supported me pursuing Lacus?"
Verde adjusted his glasses again, his tone meaningful:
"Human gestation lasts ten months, Luo Shu-san."
"One can't expect a healthy male to remain celibate throughout."
"To prevent wasting your genetic potential, I proposed an alternative to Siegel. If approved, approximately eighty women should suffice for rotation."
"Verde." Luo Shu's expression froze. "The fact Siegel hasn't killed you proves he's extraordinarily patient~~"
'Suggesting that Lacus's father arrange eighty women for his future son-in-law? Only you could propose that, Verde!'
"Thank you for the compliment," Verde replied calmly. "Now wipe that drool off your mouth."
"What?" Luo Shu instinctively touched his lips, realising too late he'd been tricked.
"Hmph. Men."
Verde turned back to his wall of screens, adding:
"You can leave now. That genetically modified individual requires special treatment and will likely need adjustments in the underground hospital all day. Results won't be visible until after 8 am tomorrow."
"If you don't want to smell disinfectant here, I suggest you leave quickly."
"Oh, by the way, I reviewed your fake corpse proposal, but the cost is too high. I should have mentioned - your body is more valuable than you imagine."
"Dying Will Flames as life-flowing energy are too precious to waste on dying lab animals. I'll solve this another way for you, so don't worry."
"Another way?" Luo Shu blinked unnaturally. "Do you have machines here that produce Mist Flames?"
"Developed several Box Weapons. Having them create fake corpses is more efficient than you doing it alone. Respect technological power, Luo Shu-san."
Hearing Verde's words, Luo Shu's mouth twitched as he couldn't help retorting:
"But this is clearly black technology, isn't it?"
"Superficial terminology."
Verde scoffed mockingly:
"For humans, any advanced technology that existed before their birth is 'normal' technology. Anything after, no matter how reasonable, gets labelled black technology."
"A tedious intuitive judgement."
Verde looked up at the display screens showing row upon row of equipment production lines:
"Still not leaving? If you're truly bored, you could donate some blood for me to study your physical data."
"I'll pass on that."
Luo Shu holstered his pistol in his inner shoulder holster, placed his regular handgun on a nearby platform, then headed for the door.
Before fully exiting, he paused:
"Thanks for this."
"Empty words are less useful than blood samples."
Before Verde finished speaking, Luo Shu had already left the room and entered the corridor.
"Tch." Verde clicked his tongue and resumed monitoring the experiment's progress.
...
Tokyo, Adachi Ward. A dilapidated apartment building from the last century.
Room 303.
Takatsuki Izumi, her face masked, hands gloved in black, and body completely concealed in a hooded black coat, calmly pushed open the apartment door.
As the door opened, a cool female voice came from near the window:
"I believe I mentioned not to disturb me during meals."
"Takatsuki Izumi."
At these words, Takatsuki looked up, meeting the gaze of the figure leaning against the window frame.
Bathed in cold moonlight, a silver-haired beauty in pure white kimono stared back with mesmerising crimson eyes.