Player Reload
Chapter 235 - 215: Smoothly

Chapter 235: Chapter 215: Smoothly

Facing the muzzle of the gun, the young brunette stiffened and instinctively raised her hands, her gaze darting towards the baby on the cot.

Li Cheng calmly asked, "Your name."

"Caroline Bering."

The brunette answered softly, her peripheral vision scanning the door. There were no signs of forced entry, and the security chain was properly fastened to the door bolt.

"Occupation."

"Researcher in the pharmaceutical development department of Vanguard Pharmaceutical Company."

Caroline observed Li Cheng’s expression carefully and whispered, "You, you’re not with the company?"

"I never said I was. Explain why you have a baby with you and why you’re here."

The Information Integration Glasses showed that the other party was not lying. Li Cheng casually waved the gun, motioning Caroline to sit on a chair, and then he began going through the women’s handbag that was thrown onto the bed.

Inside Caroline’s bag, there were several stacks of US Dollars, a high-quality fake passport, bank cards, a driver’s license, three disposable push-button cell phones, a self-defense pistol, and some baby supplies.

The disposable phones were pre-charged with credit and ready for internet use. Li Cheng quickly started searching for information.

Vanguard Company has emerged as a powerhouse in the pharmaceutical industry over the last two decades, with its apparent business scope including the development of drugs, vaccines, health supplements, and medical equipment.

At first glance, there appeared to be no problem, but apart from establishing branches in several major countries,

the rest of the company’s operations were all located in the most dangerous, tumultuous, and even war-torn countries, which seemed especially suspicious.

Caroline quickly said, "Vanguard Pharmaceutical Company is essentially a monopoly, with superpowers as their project.

Since the nuclear tests of the 1950s, frequent nuclear testing has led to a large amount of radioactive dust entering the ecological cycle, and since then, genetically mutated superpower users have begun to appear.

Infinite strength, enhanced senses, mind control, spatial jumps...

Superpower users are divided from weak to strong into four levels, no matter the level, they are all doomed not to live past thirty-five — their frequent metabolism shortens their lifespan.

Vanguard Company uses the pharmaceutical industry as a front to cover their real mission: to develop and sell gene stabilization drugs, to recruit and control a portion of the superpower users.

Then, they use these superpower users to sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense to do dirty work like assassinations and subversions of governments."

Under Caroline’s description, Vanguard Pharmaceutical was like a superpower version of the umbrella company, with powerful reach and a pack of devoted followers.

As for this baby...

"The company has always wanted to create a fifth-level superpower user, one level above the fourth, so two years ago they initiated the Icarus Project."

Caroline bitterly said, "Fertilization was completed through artificial operation, and in the early embryonic stage, they exposed it to trace radiation and soaked it in gene mutagen, then implanted it into the womb of a surrogate mother.

Babies born in this way are very likely to be deformed and not survive, with a small chance that they are born as superpower users."

Such a setting for an evil corporation was not surprising, but Li Cheng was concerned about another point, "Where do you find so many surrogates?"

The code number of the baby Angelica had already reached 7094, suggesting that the overall scale of the project could potentially involve tens of thousands of people.

Caroline struggled to say, "One is by hiring local women in war-torn areas with money. Two is by controlling surrogate agencies in the United States. Three is by luring illegal immigrants at the US-Mexico border."

"So, it doesn’t matter if they’re foreigners or nationals, everyone’s treated the same, huh?"

Li Cheng sneered, over the past few decades, the United States has had millions of legal and illegal immigrants annually, but the total population has not increased much. So, where did all these additional people go?

At the US-Mexico border, the United States demonstrated its traditional craft, constructing numerous public and private immigration detention facilities, filled with human rights violations such as sexual violence, prolonged imprisonment, and abuse.

In 2020, an illegal immigrant detention facility was exposed for indiscriminately removing some female immigrants’ wombs, with the reasoning being "eugenic purification."

The United States’ official immigration agency, collaborating with members of society, hands over detained illegal immigrant children to so-called "sponsors," effectively becoming accomplices in human trafficking and modern slavery.

In Alabama, a 12-year-old immigrant girl is forced to work overnight in a car parts stamping workshop; in Florida, a 12-year-old immigrant boy is set to work on roofing, and in Michigan, a thirteen-year-old boy works 12 hours a day, six days a week in a chicken farm.

The chimney-sweeping and shoe-shining child laborers of the Victorian Era in the UK have their modern American counterparts in screw-tightening and roof-building, continuing an unfortunate legacy.

In this scripted world, Li Cheng has no doubts that the so-called Vanguard Company, in order to expand their experimental scale, would spend money to hire, deceive, or even kidnap illegal immigrants for surrogacy.

After all, if these people vanish without a trace, no mainstream media would care.

A pained and struggling expression surfaces on Caroline’s face, "In the Icarus Project, a large number of babies are born deformed, unable to survive.

Those who are lucky enough to live, if found without superpower talents or substandard superpowers, are directly disposed of.

I joined Vanguard Pharmaceutical Company with the belief of curing and saving people, but after witnessing all of this, I couldn’t deceive my conscience.

Even if it’s just saving one, saving one would be enough."

Li Cheng raises an eyebrow and asks, "Are you saying that you directly stole a test subject from an institution that is heavily guarded and full of superpower users?"

Caroline’s evasive state is clearly not one of business travel.

"I couldn’t do it alone, but she could."

Caroline picks up the baby from the bed, kisses the baby’s forehead.

The baby giggles, blue light twinkling in her eyes, as a moving infant illusion slowly appears where she originally lay.

"She’s a natural-born Superpower User who can create illusions..."

Before she can finish, Caroline grasps the baby’s arm, points it abruptly at Li Cheng, then steps forward, attempting to snatch the silencer-pistol from Li Cheng’s hand.

Click.

The pistol remains immovable in Li Cheng’s hands. He lowers his head, looking at the astonished Caroline, and questions, "What are you doing?"

"How, how are you not affected?!"

Caroline can’t believe it; the baby Angelica’s illusion assault is enough to knock down several adults, causing them to faint and lose consciousness.

"No worries, I often eat loquat toffees, so I’m unaffected."

Li Cheng smirks, having long mastered the temporary skill Death Curse Torrent, occasionally using black water produced by it to bathe and increase his resistance to illusions.

He takes out a pack of loquat toffees from his holographic warehouse, casually popping one into his mouth, and calmly says, "Relax, I’m here to help you."

[Mission Objective: Escort Angelica alive to Angel City located on the border]

[Mission Reward 1: 1000 Experience Points]

[Mission Reward 2: 1400 Game Coins]

[Mission Reward 3: Randomly confiscate the highest Quality item or Skill from an enemy player’s Backpack]

[Mission Reward 4: Perfect Quality universal item Upgrade Electric Shock Device*1, capable of enhancing a fine item to Perfect Quality]

[Mission Time Limit: 48 hours]

[Mission Failure Penalty: Next mission will become a penalty mission]

[Mission briefing sent]

[This mission is a one-on-one duel, another player has also descended into this world, their objective is to stop you from completing the mission]

[Completing the mission objective or killing the enemy player will be considered as completing the mission]

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.