371: Chapter 371 My friend is rather shy and a bit socially awkward.

"Hello."

Gao Jin's voice sounded somewhat muffled in the howling night wind.

His gaze was sharp as he stared intently at the pale demon mask on the man's face before him, then asked:

"Should I call you the Smiling Demon, or White Owl?"

The man wearing the white mask shrugged casually, his hands in his pockets, his posture relaxed.

"Whatever. A name is just a label, you can call me whatever you like."

Gao Jin fell silent for a moment, Xu Hao's solemn warning flashing through his mind, and ultimately chose the former.

"Then I'll still call you the Smiling Demon."

Standing before him was the very fiend who had caused significant losses to the Noah Organization, slaughtering hundreds of ordinary members and several Advanced cadres—

Cheng Jiashu.

Since the failure of that "Demon Hunting Operation" which had shaken the entire Dongdu underworld,

this murderous maniac had vanished without a trace, not showing his face for a long time, seemingly prepared to give up even the acting career he had painstakingly built.

If not for the bizarre "spell password" provided by Xu Hao, Gao Jin would not have been able to enter that special consciousness space to establish contact with him.

In that chatroom, which resembled an illusory dream, the two had already made initial contact.

Gao Jin had very candidly revealed his identity and intentions, inviting him to join forces straight to the point.

He knew very well that the Noah Organization was their common enemy, giving both sides the most solid foundation for cooperation.

What's more, the current Smiling Demon was being hunted down with full force by the infuriated Noah Organization, putting him in a precarious situation.

As an Advanced Investigator of the Special Investigation Team, Gao Jin was undoubtedly a powerful external aid offering timely help.

After careful consideration, the Smiling Demon was finally persuaded.

The two reached a preliminary intent to cooperate.

Tonight, they set their first target on Noah Pharmaceuticals, attempting to find a breach in that colossus from here.

"You snuck into the building just now. What did you find?"

Gao Jin went straight to the point, not wanting to waste any time.

"Following the hints you gave me, I did indeed find the location of the experimental zone."

Cheng Jiashu's tone was relaxed, as if he were talking about an insignificant matter.

"However, the guards there are very strict. While sneaking in, I accidentally triggered a laser sensor alarm."

Meeting Gao Jin's scrutinizing gaze, he shrugged and explained further:

"They used a highly collimated laser System. These laser beams have a very small divergence angle and a long monitoring distance. Combined with microwave and infrared composite sensors, they form a three-dimensional detection grid."

"Within a fifty-meter radius of the experimental zone, besides the patrolling guards, these things are everywhere, and they are logically linked with each other. The grid density is visually estimated to be at the centimeter level; it's really hard to bypass them."

"I can only say, thank goodness it was me who went. If it had been someone from your Special Investigation Team, let alone reaching the core area, whether they could retreat in one piece would be an unknown."

Hearing such a professional description, Gao Jin couldn't help but furrow his brows.

"With your ability, you still can't penetrate the security System?"

Cheng Jiashu let out a soft chuckle, with a hint of self-mockery in his laugh:

"Officer Gao, unless I can turn into a fly or a mosquito, it's absolutely impossible to cross over without triggering the alarm."

"Of course, if you can create an opportunity for me to set a coordinate point inside the experimental zone beforehand, I guarantee I can take you right through that cordon and appear anywhere I want."

Hearing this, Gao Jin nodded slightly:

"Is that so? I'll consider it."

No emotion could be seen on his serious, square face, as if he were truly considering the proposal seriously.

The gaze behind Cheng Jiashu's mask flickered slightly, a bit surprised in his heart.

He hadn't expected that this guy, who looked like a dark-faced Judge Bao, seemed to hold more cards than he had imagined.

The reason he agreed to cooperate with the Special Investigation Team, besides being forced by the situation, was also because he had previously learned about Officer Gao's background through special channels.

To put it nicely, this man hated evil as an enemy, kept his word, sympathized with his subordinates, and held high prestige and fame within the Special Investigation Team.

To put it bluntly, this guy was as stubborn as a mule, frequently clashing with his superiors and causing trouble, making him an absolute pain in the neck.

But it was precisely because of this that Cheng Jiashu felt somewhat at ease; such a person's character should be fine, at least he wouldn't easily stab him in the back.

To show his sincerity and for better cooperation, he simply told the other party about the special ability he possessed.

Since the other party already knew his true identity and even held the spell password to contact him, it would only be a matter of time before they dug up information on this ability.

Born into a ruined influential family, although he hadn't lived the life of a real wealthy family's Young Master for more than a few days, his insight remained, and he never dared to underestimate the intelligence capabilities of the Special Investigation Team.

However, he never let down his guard completely.

After all, on some level, one of them was the law and the other was a criminal; they were naturally on opposing sides.

Many thoughts flashed through his mind, and Cheng Jiashu changed the subject, asking tentatively:

"Officer Gao, are you really sure that there is what you want in Noah Pharmaceuticals' experimental zone? Can you bring them down with those things?"

Hearing this, Gao Jin was slightly stunned.

Isn't this guy a high-level traitor of the Noah Organization? Why is he doubting this now?

On second thought, he had been a fugitive for a long time, so perhaps he really didn't know about Noah Pharmaceuticals' secretly conducted human experimentation projects.

Or perhaps, he wanted to completely sever ties with his past and pretend to know nothing.

Gao Jin pondered for a moment and decided to disclose some information.

"If there were no issues, why would they set up such a strict security level?"

He asked in return, then cast his gaze toward the building across from the rooftop, which had its lights turned back on.

It was as if he could see the heavy security inside the floors.

"The reaction of those guards is the best proof. The more nervous they act, the more significant the secrets hidden there are."

"Noah Pharmaceuticals is a multinational corporation, and its Board of Directors and shareholder composition look very clean, but its behind-the-scenes controller is the Noah Organization. There is no doubt about that."

"They have been secretly engaged in illegal genetic modification experiments, using special potions to forcibly tear apart human gene chains and then forcing them to recombine in a distorted way, turning living people into monsters that know nothing but slaughter."

His tone of description was calm, but the content was chilling.

"In this process, the vast majority of test subjects collapse and die in extreme agony, leaving behind not even a complete corpse."

"And for those who are lucky enough to survive, their consciousness is imprisoned in unfamiliar monster bodies, their names and pasts completely erased, leaving only a cold serial number, reduced to disposable tools."

"I suppose, Mr. Smiling Demon, even if you don't know the specific details, you must have heard something about this."

Gao Jin stopped there, not delving deeper into this bloody and cruel topic to avoid triggering unpleasant memories for the other party.

"As long as we can find concrete evidence and expose the hidden evils of Noah Pharmaceuticals to the public, although we can't say we will completely bring down the Noah Organization, we can at least cut off their claws in Dongdu."

"When that time comes, you can regain your freedom and return to a normal life."

"And even if the Noah Organization wants to make a comeback, it will take them a long time. During this period, it will at least allow you to escape their shadow and be free from their harassment."

Having said this, Gao Jin paused, staring at Cheng Jiashu's pale mask, and sincerely extended an olive branch.

"Of course, if you are willing to join our Special Investigation Team to seek protection, I can also act as your guarantor."

"You don't need to worry about your identity. In the history of our Special Investigation Team, there have actually been precedents of descendants from influential families joining us."

"Hehe, thank you, Officer Gao."

Cheng Jiashu smiled, neither refusing nor immediately agreeing.

He knew very well in his heart that the other party, for some reason, had mistaken him for the legendary murderous fiend "White Owl."

This misunderstanding, for now, seemed to bring more benefits than harm to him.

It would make it easier for him to utilize the power of the Special Investigation Team to achieve his hidden goals. Why not?

"The direction of your plan is good."

Cheng Jiashu thought for a moment, then said:

"But with only the strength of the two of us, even if we can sneak into the experimental zone and get the data, it will probably be very hard to retreat in one piece."

"With the experimental data stolen and confidential information leaked, the Noah Organization will definitely be driven to desperation and resort to any means."

"To be honest, my ability has certain limitations when activated, so it's hard to guarantee a smooth escape under such heavy encirclement."

"What I can do is try my best to steal the data. Dealing with the Noah Organization's encirclement and pursuit afterward will have to rely on your Special Investigation Team."

"And, if your guess is correct, there must be many experts stationed in that building. When I was inside just now, I faintly sensed an unusually powerful aura."

After listening to Cheng Jiashu's words, Gao Jin nodded with a solemn expression.

"Forcing our way in with just two people's martial power definitely won't work."

He admitted frankly:

"Because of orders from above, all operations targeting the Noah Organization have been temporarily suspended. I cannot mobilize the team's forces right now."

"However, I still have a few trusted confidants I can use. When the time comes, we will formulate a safe and thorough plan and arrange a retreat route..."

Gao Jin's brows furrowed slightly as he murmured.

Seeing this, Cheng Jiashu took the opportunity to propose:

"I, however, can invite a friend to join the operation."

Then, he added another sentence to dispel the other party's doubts:

"This person also has a grudge against the Noah Organization, so you don't have to worry about him betraying us or leaking secrets."

Gao Jin's eyes lit up slightly, and he asked:

"Who is this person, and how is their strength?"

"Sorry, this friend of mine is rather shy and introverted, with a bit of social anxiety."

The corners of Cheng Jiashu's mouth behind the mask curled up slightly, a hint of inexplicable amusement in his voice:

"Before getting his consent, I cannot reveal his information for now. But you can rest assured, his strength should be on par with mine."

Gao Jin pondered for a moment and finally agreed.

Having one more powerful aid was naturally a good thing.

The two stood at the edge of the rooftop, the night wind whipping their clothes with a fluttering sound.

The skyscraper opposite, flashing with the white "Noah" logo, was like a colossal beast lurking in the steel jungle.

They gazed at the floors where the lights were gradually turning off, discussing in low voices and refining the specific details of the plan.

Over ten minutes later, they had also preliminarily agreed on some emergency contingency plans.

"Officer Gao, next time we meet offline, please find a higher-end club or restaurant."

Cheng Jiashu stretched, smiling as he prepared to take his leave, the eyes behind the mask shining with an unusual light.

"Always blowing in the wind on this kind of rooftop, I'm about to get full on the north-west wind..."

As he spoke, the air around his body began to undergo a bizarre change.

Buzz—

A low and strange hum arose out of thin air.

The space in front of him, like a shattered mirror, showed a clearly visible distortion.

Light was pulled by an invisible force, converging and collapsing toward a point in front of him, forming a pitch-black vortex that constantly spun inward.

Like a living thing, the vortex suddenly expanded and then abruptly contracted, enveloping Cheng Jiashu's figure with irresistible gravitational pull.

His figure seemed to be forcibly twisted and pulled by this force, starting from the edges, piece by piece, inch by inch, being sucked into that pitch-black entrance.

Leaving behind only a trace of imperceptible spatial fluctuation, which was quickly dispersed and smoothed over by the biting night wind.

Gao Jin stared at the empty rooftop, his eyes flickering in the night.

Although he had witnessed it once before, this elusive ability still made him marvel in surprise.

Along with his admiration, however, a trace of doubt surfaced on his face.

He did not leave the place immediately, but slowly walked to the edge of the rooftop.

Looking down at the bustling city traffic below, he fell into deep thought.

Last time in that consciousness space, having only heard "White Owl's" voice, he hadn't thought much of it.

After all, voices were the easiest things to mimic and alter.

But during this offline meeting, he sensed a clear anomaly.

Although the other party wore a mask and his face couldn't be seen clearly, his words and deeds were polite, carrying a lingering aura of softness.

This was completely different from the muscular hunk he had seen with his own eyes that night in the highway wasteland, who was as violent as a Vicious Beast and exuded masculine blood energy.

One was like fire, the other like water; the difference in temperament was simply too vast.

Moreover, the design of the demon mask on his face also seemed to differ slightly from the White Owl mask in his memory, looking more like a crude imitation.

Gao Jin couldn't help but harbor a bizarre suspicion.

Could it be that this guy suffered from split personality disorder?

One way by day, another way by night?

Thinking of this, Gao Jin shook his head, temporarily tossing these chaotic thoughts out of his mind.

Since both sides had reached a cooperation and identified the Noah Organization as their common enemy, they were comrades in the same boat.

At this crucial juncture, too much suspicion would instead affect the bigger picture.

Standing at the top of the skyscraper, Gao Jin gazed at the bright city night scene in the distance, his mind surging with emotions.

Tonight's harvest could not be said to be small.

Not only did he confirm that there was a major issue inside Noah Pharmaceuticals, hiding secrets that could destroy it in one fell swoop,

but he had also gained an excellent helper with incredible abilities.

Recalling the bizarre scene when Cheng Jiashu left,

and then thinking of that night, when a muscular hunk had clashed head-on with Colonial Armor with nothing but his bare fists, nearly beating him to a pulp,

a rare smile finally emerged on Gao Jin's serious face.

With such powerful allies, he felt a few degrees more confident in bringing down the colossal beast that was the Noah Organization. (End of Chapter)