I Have A Super USB Drive

by <unknown>

  "This is all due to the intricate planning of this unknown force behind This Man pattern."

  The negotiator answered without skipping a beat, "I'm sure a lot of you have seen This Man pattern. In that case, you should know that despite the image merely looking like a simple picture of a man, if you zoom in closer, you'll notice that it's made up of countless unorganized lines and shapes.

  "This collection of thousands upon thousands of lines and segmented shapes comes together to form This Man pattern as we know it. This pattern can only be effective in the Northern American region, which is the very intention of the perpetrators."

  "In other words, this vile organization deliberately targeted Northern America?"

  Another official of the White House asked.

  "Of course."

  The negotiator immediately replied with a confident nod.

  Qian Wenhuan, who had been silent all this time, suddenly got up and announced ceremoniously, "Everyone, Blackwatch has expressed great sincerity in showcasing the cure image without stating any condition beforehand. We hope that this has been a good representation of our goodwill and willingness to commit to further internationalism. We hope that you'd extend us the same kindness as well."

  "Naturally."

  The official responded, "As long as this pattern proves to be effective, I give you my word that the White House will begin discussing the terms of the agreement. However, there's one further condition, which is that we hope that your party would be so kind as to share this relevant technology for the good of mankind and for the sake of preserving the stability of the world in the future."

  Upon hearing this, Qian Wenhuan curled his eyebrows into a frown and wanted to say something to protest. In the end, he only sighed and said, "We can discuss this matter further…"

  …

  For the sake of alleviating This Man incident as soon as possible, it only took three days for the Northern American government and Blacklight Biotechnology to finalize the Mutual Cessation of Sanctions Agreement with the Earth Federation acting as the facilitator.

  However, since there was no press conference of any form, news of the agreement was not publicized.

  After receiving word of the result of the negotiation, Chen Chen felt the weight lifted off his heart as well. With that, the conflict with Northern America had come to an end without the need to escalate the situation to an unrepairable state.

  "I can't believe the Northern American Continent with some of the most respected scientists and sophisticated technology were so easily convinced by the theory I simply strung together."

  Little X was especially baffled by how things have turned out. All the squabble about neutral quantum and psychological hypnotic patterns were made up by her on the spot.

  The scientist Matthew Fischer's research was real, but that was all there was to it. Besides, his research was mainly based on theory-crafting and conjecture and was largely unconfirmed speculation.

  Which was why Chen Chen had Little X use this research thesis as a baseline to string together a stack of complete research and analytical report. Extra effort was put into adding experiment footage to manufacture a convincing research report.

  Little X was concerned with how foolproof this tactic was since the Northern America Continent was unlike the Africa Continent. There was no chance of them not seeing through the lies. To her surprise, Northern America immediately perceived it as the gospel.

  "Which is why they say that the most convincing lies in the world aren't made out of thin air, but are sprinkled with bits of truth instead."

  Chen Chen shrugged and explained, "Don't forget, this is the true nature of men. Confronted with This Man incident and this immunity pattern that can alleviate the memetic effect, even the best scientists will find themselves at a loss for what to do. Even if some scientists somehow stumbled into the questionable gaps in your theory, they'll choose to question their judgment instead since the truth is evident and laid out before them that the immunity patterns are effective."

  As Chen Chen said this, he suddenly altered his tone, "Of course, this can only last in the short term. After some time has passed, they'll notice that these documents are falsified, but what does it matter at that point?

  "Since This Man incident is solved and the agreement has already been signed, there's little else the Northern American government can do other than keep their head down and relaunch a research on This Man incident."

  Little X became enlightened and began to nod. "But what chances do they have at understanding memetic technology in the first place? I'd say it'd take a decade before they barely manage to scrape its surface?"

  "A decade is being too generous, I wouldn't bet on their success even if they had two decades."

  Chen Chen shook his head. "Of course, the context being that memetic effects don't occur in the real world just yet. From what I understand, as society becomes more digitized and information-oriented, memetic effects will emerge sooner or later. It's just like how everyone has a certain chance of contracting cancer. It's merely a matter of probability.

  "When the earliest form of memetic effect begins to emerge, the official parties will be the first to notice and begin to conduct research. As they start to understand the nature of memetic science, they'll eventually realize that not only messages can be used to kill but it can also change the very essence of the world…"

  As Chen Chen said this, he closed his eyes and wondered, what form of memetic effect would be the first to emerge in this world which he resided in?

  "Sir Godfather, we received news from the Earth Federation."

  Little X suddenly informed, "Our list of technology has passed the review process of the Earth Federation. They have concluded that we don't have implementations of any nuclear-form or weapons of mass destruction and we're now cleared to conduct commercial exchange with the listed items.

  "Currently, several continents and regional countries including the Central Continent have submitted applications to send someone over to take a look at our products."

  Chapter 432: Delta Grade Research Staff |

  As the dust began to settle, the Northern American government started to regain a handle on the spiraling situation in the continent.

  Although there were still many lingering problems that had to be addressed, at least the root of the problem had been dealt with. In time, the social order was starting to restore to a desirable state.

  Meanwhile, things were progressing as usual in Eco Science City. The comings and goings remained the same as they had always been.

  This city located on the western coast of Namibia, Africa played a major role in altering the trajectory of human civilization. It had gradually become a symbol of Africa and the veritable core capital of the region.

  Little did they know, this city that had already achieved countless accomplishments that had left its mark in the history books would once again bring forth another miracle of unprecedented proportions…

  …

  Luis Pinar slowly opened his eyes in a dark and damp room.

  He was startled to suddenly find himself here. It felt like it was only mere seconds ago when he was still having the time of his life in his mistress' home. In the blink of an eye, he found himself in a damp cell hidden away from the warmth of the sunlight.

  "Where in the world am I…"

  Pinar pulled himself on his feet, his voice felt scratchy in his ears. It was only then when his eyes adjusted to the environment.

  The small room was less than five square meters large. There were no windows or light sources installed, only four sturdy walls surrounding a tiny space with a black iron door on one side of the wall.

  There was a palm-wide gap under the iron door that allowed a glimmer of dim light to seep into the room, offering just enough light for him to view his surroundings.

  "How did I get here, d*mn, what's going on here!"

  Pinar started to panic when he finally made sense of his current predica
ment. He dashed to the door, got down on all fours, and stuck his head against the floor to get as close a look as possible at the world outside the iron door through the feeble gap.

  The only thing he could see was a pale-yellow tiled corridor. There was nothing else notable.

  Pinar immediately felt an indescribable pulse of fear surging from the depths of his heart and coursed all over his body and his breathing soon became erratic. He tried to crawl out of the room from the gap under the iron door but the gap was so small he could hardly pry his head outside, especially not his body that was growing plumper by the day.

  "Help! Is there anyone out there!"

  Within seconds, Pinar started to cry out for help. As soon as he cried out, he realized his mistake and immediately covered his mouth. His eyes were still widened with fear, fixed on the world outside through the tiny gap under the door.

  Fortunately, nobody was drawn here by his voice.

  Pinar heaved a sigh of relief as he stumbled back up and started to inspect the room.

  The room was poorly furnished. The surrounding walls were depressing sheets of metallic iron while the floor was a layer of cold and hard marble. The only furniture in the room was the uncomfortably damp single bed positioned in the top left corner and a toilet on his right.

  There was nothing else to be seen in the room…

  Pinar began to jog through his memory. The last thing he could still vividly remember was sharing the bed with his mistress. He remembered he was bonding passionately with this mistress of him and the memory immediately cut to him waking up in this place. He had zero recollection of what happened in between these segments…

  "D*mn it, who in the world kidnapped me!"

  Pinar cursed out in a low voice. He was a congressman in Namibia and he had never imagined something ill-fated like this to ever happen to him. He thought, what sort of vile man would ever do something as despicable as this?

  While Pinar was debating this question in his mind, he suddenly heard an agitated, piercing scream coming from somewhere outside. "B*stard, who are you! Let me out!"

  Pinar's expression turned sharply as he immediately threw himself on the ground again to investigate what was outside. No matter how hard he looked, he could not find the source of that voice.

  It sounded like it came from right next to him!

  Pinar quickly connected the dots and realized that this tiny black box he was in must not be the only such room in this place and that he must not be the only person locked here…

  "Let me out, b*stard!"

  The voice Pinar had heard soon turned into a bellowing roar as he could hear the desperation in this voice. After listening to it for a while, he seemed to have made out who this person was, it was…

  "Is that you, Senator Nujoma!"

  Pinar figured it was worth wagering a guess.

  The bout of screaming immediately stopped. After a moment, he heard the voice asking, "Is that Congressman Pinar?"

  "It's me!"

  Pinar felt himself becoming reenergized, feeling like he had found someone who could relate to his predicament. He got as close as he could to the door and shouted, "How did you get here, Senator Nujoma? Who brought us here?"

  "I don't know…"

  To his disappointment, the answer he received did not provide any further clarity. He heard the senator explaining, "The last thing I remember is driving away from the parliament, I didn't drive long before I suddenly lost consciousness. By the time I woke up, I found myself here… How about you, Congressman Pinar?"

  "The same as you, I suddenly lost consciousness…"

  Pinar mustered a strained reply before sinking into the floor, feeling defeated.

  The good news was that although he was well into his sixties, the condition of his body had been greatly restored ever since undergoing Blackwatch's age-reversal treatment. Not only could he afford to work longer hours, but he also found two mistresses for himself. He was fully experiencing his youthful prime again.

  Hold on, Blackwatch?

  Pinar felt a momentous explosion in his mind. He suddenly recalled the existence of this company and with it, remembered the reason he was in this place…

  He remembered that when news of the Northern American government deciding to impose sanctions on Blackwatch began to circulate online, the Namibian congress immediately conducted a meeting discussing this matter.

  The congressmen participating in the meeting were wholly separated into two factions. One faction brought up how much impact Blackwatch had on Namibia and that it was a wise choice to join forces with them and refute the sanctions of Northern America.

  The other faction was convinced that Northern America was simply too powerful for Namibia to do anything about them, that it was a fruitless task trying to protect Blackwatch. They argued that it was better to comply with Northern America and impose sanctions on Blackwatch. There was a chance Namibia could come out on top in this situation and gain something from it.

  Both himself and Senator Nujoma in the next room belonged to the latter faction.

  Could this mean that it was Blackwatch who kidnapped the two of them?

  Pinar took a deep breath to calm himself down as much as he could. If this was the case, there was still a chance for him to crawl out of this mess. All he needed to do was to give his word that he would side with Blackwatch in the future instead of taking the opposing party's side. Perhaps there was still a chance to salvage the situation?

  Pinar took a faint breath of relief upon considering this option. Before he had time to relay this to his fellow cellmate, he heard approaching footsteps from the gap below the iron door.

  "Someone - someone is coming!"

  Senator Nujoma immediately started yelling, "Hey, I'm here! Are you here to rescue me? I'm over here!"

  It was only then when Pinar realized that there was a fairly large group of people approaching at a steady pace. Due to how uniform their strides were, it almost sounded like it was only one person approaching.

  Could it truly be the troops coming here to rescue them?

  Pinar saw a gleam of hope. It would certainly be excellent if that was the case. Not only this evil company took over Namibia and emptied the political cabinet but they also reigned over the economic center of Namibia. Although nobody would ever voice this thought out loud, many prayed for the downfall of this company, and he was one of them.

  However, he would find himself disappointed very quickly since he noticed that there was no sense of urgency in these footsteps even after hearing Senator Nujoma's cry for help. This meant that the footsteps belonged to the guards patrolling the corridor instead of a task force arriving here to rescue them.

  The footsteps grew louder by the second and soon arrived right outside the door. The shuffling footsteps ceased immediately and were promptly followed by what was the electronic beep of the door opening. The large, bulky iron door suddenly opened, granting a passage to the outside world!

  Bright light immediately invaded the room in a split instant, forcing Pinar to put his arms up to guard himself instinctively. After that, he felt himself carried off by two people, one on each side. He felt his feet being lifted off the ground and carried off by a powerful force!

  "Hold on, who are you guys and what do you want! I'm a member of the congress! I'll have the lot of you jailed for this!"

  Pinar heard Senator Nujoma belting out angrily behind him. When his eyes had grown accustomed to the fierce light outside, he opened his eyes and looked to his sides and noticed the two expressionless soldiers on each side, both wearing positive pressure protective suits as they dragged him away.

  He was in the middle of a narrow, long-winded corridor…

  "Congressman Pinar, tell them, tell them who we are. Where do they think they are taking us?"

  Behind him, Nujoma was still bickering endlessly. Pinar turned to look in that direction just in time to make eye contact with the panicked senator.

  "Give it a rest, Senator
Nujoma."

  Pinar sighed and expressed bitterly, "Don't you understand yet, we're being kidnapped here and the perpetrator is none other than…"

  Before Pinar had time to finish his sentence, the two of them were brought to the end of the corridor. The men escorting them pushed open the door to reveal a laboratory filled with unrecognizable devices.

  "That's right, it's me."

  Pinar and Nujoma craned their necks to the second floor of the laboratory where they heard a low and hoarse voice coming from. They immediately recognized a familiar figure standing by the observation window!

  "It's you!"

  Pinar forced himself to smile as flattering as he could manage as he said, "Chen Chen, please calm down, I can explain this…"

  "Explain?"

  Chen Chen sat down on a chair. Beside him, there were several researchers dressed in large white coats. Meanwhile, Chen Chen had a stack of documents in his hand and was going through it while addressing his captives without looking at them, "You take my money but work for someone else behind my back. In this case, there's no reason for you two to remain in your current position. It's that simple."

  "Chen Chen, there's no need to do this, we can still talk about this."

  Pinar started to panic. He had a feeling that Chen Chen was not joking around so he tried to persuade him. Before he could begin, Nujoma, who was beside him, suddenly spoke, "Chen Chen, you dare to kidnap official congressmen? Are you foolish enough to believe you think you can remain in Namibia once word of this gets out? Don't forget that you have just reconciled with Northern America. If you get caught with another scandal, you won't get away as easily this time!"

  Chen Chen slowly averted his gaze from the documents to Nujoma when he heard this. He smirked ever so slightly. "Nujoma, I admire your boldness. I just wonder, will I still see this boldness later when I start dealing with you?"

  "What, what are you trying to do?"

  Nujoma started to caution harshly. "I'm warning you now, you don't get to do whatever you like in Namibia. If you kill me, the Namibian government won't let it slide!"