"Ha, it's not that serious. Just do your work well and that's enough." The bespectacled doctor smiled in satisfaction, then said, "All right, let's get down to business. Report to me everything you know about the Primordial Alliance, especially the circumstances of your earlier encounter with that skilled hand from the Bixie Sect—not a single detail may be omitted. Understand?"

"Yes, yes." Brother Dafeng nodded hastily.

Following the story Wei Zhao had briefed him on beforehand, Brother Dafeng calmly let slip a few matters concerning the Primordial Alliance. When the bespectacled doctor had heard him out, his eyes lit up, and he thought to himself that Miss Lan had indeed been prescient.

Though what this Dafeng fellow had said was all information that was not hard to dig up, far less comprehensive than the intelligence at central headquarters, some of the details had never drawn any attention before and were of considerable value.

"That's as much as I know, Chief." Brother Dafeng's expression was utterly frank.

"Good, very good. What you've told me is highly useful. From now on you'll stay here and serve as my assistant." The bespectacled doctor was pleased.

"Assistant? Oh, oh—so what do I do next?" Brother Dafeng asked at once. Apart from the exact location of central headquarters, the question he most wanted cleared up at this moment was that so-called Primordial Research Team; but having only just arrived, he could not rashly bring such matters up. Haste does not bring success with hot tofu—this had to be done one step at a time.

"No hurry. First spend a couple of days getting familiar with the place; afterward I'll give you your assignments. This is your access card, with your room number on it. Go rest for a while. Remember not to wander about—you have only junior clearance right now. Apart from my office and the public living areas, you can't get into any other place." The bespectacled doctor gave these instructions.

"Understood." Brother Dafeng gave a solemn salute.

"Ha, no need to be so serious. This is a research base, not a combat base—just act natural." The bespectacled doctor turned and left with a smile. From the look of him, he had gained a good deal of valuable intelligence from Brother Dafeng and was in quite a fine mood.

The bespectacled doctor was in a fine mood; Brother Dafeng's was not so good. Though everything had gone smoothly so far—at least he had not given himself away, and judging by the other man's attitude he had already won a preliminary measure of trust, and he even knew he was about to join some Primordial Research Team—it all looked lovely, but the trouble was that he had obtained no substantive intelligence whatsoever.

And what was even more maddening was that in this situation, even if he truly did dig up key intelligence, there would be no way to get it to Wei Zhao. All signals in this place were blocked, and he was not allowed to wander about either—so how was he supposed to manage?

"Damn it. All I can do is take it one step at a time." Brother Dafeng muttered. Holding his access card, he began to roam about. Even if he could not go wherever he pleased, he still had to get thoroughly familiar with the places he could go first; as for those places he could not enter, he would save them for later and think of a way in time.

What Brother Dafeng did not know was that from the very moment he entered central headquarters, his every move had been monitored with perfect clarity. It was fortunate that he had heeded Wei Zhao's advice and acted with caution; otherwise he would likely have been seized long ago.

Elsewhere, the bespectacled doctor hurried off to report the situation to Lan Xiaoru, only to find her in a fury the moment he stepped through the door. The reason was simple: the second batch of experimental samples had once again been wiped out root and branch.

"Dr. Lan, the facts have already proven this path is a dead end. It's time we changed our approach." The bespectacled doctor urged.

Lan Xiaoru was silent for a moment. Only after she had fully suppressed her anger did she slowly speak: "I have already reported to the higher-ups. Their meaning is that this matter is of no small consequence and must be handled with the utmost caution."

"Does that mean they won't allow us to do it?" The bespectacled doctor was at once somewhat disappointed. The center never kept idle hands. To truly gain a firm foothold in central headquarters—let alone rise a step higher—one had to have presentable results. But in the present circumstances there was simply no future to speak of.

"It's not that it's not allowed—only that we must act with care. The moment anything goes wrong, you and I will bear full responsibility." Lan Xiaoru spoke calmly.

"Then what is your meaning, Dr. Lan?" The bespectacled doctor looked at her.

"I was still hesitating, but matters have come to this, and there is no other choice." Lan Xiaoru looked at the annihilated second batch of experimental subjects and sighed. Though the overall strength of the secular world could not begin to compare with that of Cloud Terrace Island, as a vitally important link of the center, if the secular world side made no progress at all, it would drag down the expansion pace of the entire central organization. At this juncture, even if it meant taking a risk, it had to be done.

"Rest assured, Dr. Lan. I have just obtained a good deal of valuable intelligence from Dafeng. So long as our plan is thorough, there will be no problem." The bespectacled doctor said hastily.

"Good. Go and gather the top ten doctors here—from every research field. I want to form the Primordial Research Team." Lan Xiaoru nodded.

"And what about Dafeng?" the bespectacled doctor asked.

"Give him a peripheral slot for now. He has some understanding of the Primordial Alliance, and he is the head of the Red Conch branch—he should be of some use." Lan Xiaoru thought for a moment.

"Good." The bespectacled doctor nodded repeatedly.

Ten minutes later, everyone had been summoned to the first conference room. Even Brother Dafeng, who had only just arrived, was called over in the capacity of a peripheral researcher—though he was seated at the very edge.

Looking at Lan Xiaoru and the other core personnel of central headquarters, Brother Dafeng could not help feeling a stir of excitement. Quite apart from anything else, photographing the faces of these people alone would already be rare and important intelligence. It was a pity he dared not do so. Even a fool knew there would be every kind of surveillance here; the slightest unusual move would be courting death. Besides, even if he did photograph them, there would be no way to send the images out.

But be that as it may, for Brother Dafeng, being able to enter this conference room was already a gratifying gain. So long as he lurked here patiently, it was only a matter of time before he obtained key intelligence.

"Everyone, the Primordial Research Team is formally established as of today. This is a key plan concerning the future fate of our central headquarters. Success or failure rests on all your shoulders. I hope you will devote yourselves utterly." Lan Xiaoru gave the opening remarks.

"Dr. Lan, what is the main subject of the Primordial Research Team?" someone asked, raising a hand.

"Very simple: capture cultivators of the Primordial Alliance, use biotechnology to brainwash them completely, and turn them to our use." Lan Xiaoru spoke without mincing words.

This answer gave Brother Dafeng quite a fright! (To be continued.)