Chapter 484 - 423: "Domestic Psychic Power" is Cheaper

Chapter 484: Chapter 423: "Domestic Psychic Power" is Cheaper

"Guan Tong, you gave every member of the squad a Mental Stability Anchor totem, and when Silver Fox tested it passively, it actually resisted the Crimson Fear for a few seconds. Do you know what that means?" Zhang Minglu said, his voice laced with excitement.

"It means I can give the totems to many people," Guan Tong said. "But my Psychic Power is limited, and so are my reserves."

"We know. That’s why you’ve been buying Flowing Psychic Power on Sisiya’s underground market," Gao Liangwei said.

Guan Tong raised an eyebrow at that.

Gao Liangwei continued, "Don’t get the wrong idea; this wasn’t an investigation specifically targeting you. North Star has intelligence agencies in every country, and Sisiya is no exception. Shortly after you showed up there, someone started buying large quantities of Flowing Psychic Power on the underground market. Considering we learned you could store Psychic Power from our cooperation during the ’Earth Dragon Flipping Over’ Rule Stage... it wasn’t difficult to deduce that you were the one buying it."

Guan Tong said nothing.

He knew this couldn’t be a secret from North Star’s leadership, which was why he hadn’t tried to be overly secretive from the start.

If he had truly wanted it to be top secret, he wouldn’t have openly controlled Shadow and let Black Star discover his identity.

But it was one thing for them to know, and another entirely for the research lab to bring it up so openly.

"We’re well aware that you don’t do this sort of thing within North Star’s borders because you’re worried it would cause unnecessary trouble with the government. Meanwhile, you have a close relationship with Yelena, the Governor of Sisiya, so she certainly wouldn’t stop you even if she knew. However, what we’re telling you now is that North Star can also supplement your Flowing Psychic Power."

As soon as Gao Liangwei said this, everyone present, not just Guan Tong, was slightly stunned. Only Wenren Yizhi seemed to have her head in the clouds, her attention completely detached from the meeting.

"The Director is right," Zhang Minglu chimed in. "The lab has already made a decision. Guan Tong, if your ability can help the masses and assist others during a Rule Stage, we will supply the Psychic Power you need for that purpose free of charge. Beyond that, if you personally wish to stock up on more, we can also open a channel to sell it to you at 80% of what you’re paying in Sisiya."

"...That sounds very good."

"It doesn’t just sound good, it *is* good!" Zhang Minglu exclaimed. "You’re the only non-official Ascender in all of North Star to enjoy this ’privilege’!"

"Heh, I think it’s a great deal," Silver Fox said to Guan Tong with a smile. "As they say, you should keep the wealth within the family. You’re spending Sublimation Coins either way. If you buy it here at home, the coins go to our own Ascenders. That’s better than them ending up in the hands of Sisiya’s Ascenders, right? Plus, the ’homegrown Psychic Power’ is even cheaper!"

Guan Tong mulled it over for a moment, then nodded. "If there are no other strings attached, I’m more than willing to cooperate. However, I need to state upfront that this doesn’t mean I’ll stop purchasing from other sources."

’Even if the domestic Psychic Power comes with a 20% discount, I don’t want to limit myself to a single source.’

’From a more cynical standpoint, relying on a single supplier means they could track the amount I purchase and accurately deduce the range of my total Psychic Power reserves.’

Guan Tong was very cautious on this point. He didn’t want anyone to know exactly how much Psychic Power he had in reserve.

Gao Liangwei and Zhang Minglu exchanged a look, and the latter gave a wry smile. "I lose. You’re still the more thorough one, Director."

"What?" Silver Fox asked curiously. "Did you two make a bet?"

"We did. The Director said Guan Tong would insist on his right to buy from other sources, while I figured, why buy the expensive stuff when there’s a cheaper option... It seems the Director really has a better understanding of people."

Guan Tong: "..."

"I agree to your condition, so we have a deal," Gao Liangwei said seriously. "Guan Tong, this current Rule Stage requires your Mental Stability Anchors. We need them to complete our final exploration of the Source of Fear."