Chapter 404 - 404: Securing Star City

Translator: CinderTL

By the time Feng Qi returned to the Tiger Soul Research Institute, it was 7:00 AM.

Using the list provided by the Nightshadow Clan Leader, Feng Qi learned that 17 Nightshadow Clan members were currently on missions outside the institute.

After a night of relentless effort, all the Nightshadow Clan members on missions had been successfully eliminated.

In this timeline, the Nightshadow Clan had officially become a thing of the past.

Intelligence played a decisive role in this operation.

Based on the intelligence gathered, Feng Qi divided the operation to eliminate the Nightshadow Clan into three steps:

Step 1: Infiltrate the Tiger Soul Research Institute.

This was the easiest step. His application was approved by the institute without any complications.

Step 2: Launch the operation at 1:00 AM and first secure the Main Control Console within the Tiger Soul Core District.

This step seemed daunting, but Feng Qi had already mapped out the entire layout of the Tiger Soul Research Institute's headquarters building. This ensured that the operation wouldn't devolve into a chaotic search for the target.

By controlling the Main Control Console, they could control the institute's cameras, power supply, core zone lockdown mechanisms, and administrative privileges.

Success in this step would prevent the Nightshadow Clan from alerting their clansmen on missions about the situation in the core zone.

Step 3: Eliminate the Nightshadow Clan members on missions outside the institute, completely eradicating the Nightshadow Clan.

Based on intelligence from the previous timeline, Feng Qi knew that the Nightshadow Clan Leader possessed a mission roster detailing the Tiger Soul Research Institute's resource inventory and the operational status of personnel on missions.

In the previous timeline, he had personally carried this tablet with him.

Whenever he inventoried supplies, he would use the tablet's administrative privileges to assist with the tally.

Thus, he knew the tablet's unlock code.

Although Step 3 took longer than expected, there were no unexpected setbacks, and they easily completed the final extermination operation.

In essence, Feng Qi approached the Nightshadow Clan purge like he was speedrunning a dungeon with a walkthrough guide.

Upon returning to the Tiger Soul Research Institute, Feng Qi reunited with Mu Qing and the others.

With the operation concluded, the next step was damage control.

In addition to the Nightshadow Clan members, a number of human traitors personally killed by Feng Qi had also died during the operation.

These individuals were registered researchers at the Tiger Soul Research Institute, and their deaths would inevitably require an explanation to the outside world.

Feng Qi consulted with the Tiger Soul High Command on this matter.

The final decision was to fabricate a core zone research explosion, providing a "plausible" explanation for the deaths.

Whether the outside world would believe this explanation was ultimately unimportant.

Firstly, the average person's initial reaction to such news would be shock, not suspicion of the authoritative Tiger Soul Research Institute.

Moreover, experimental accidents were common; it was only the scale of casualties in this particular incident that was rare.

Secondly, the Star City Military Department and the Tiger Soul Research Institute were both authoritative institutions of equal standing within Star City. The military department would not interfere in the institute's internal affairs.

The key difference was that the Tiger Soul Research Institute focused on internal system development, while the military department was responsible for maintaining stability and conducting external warfare.

In the event of a major experimental accident, the Star City Military Department would undoubtedly offer condolences, but they would never intervene directly.

The only potential issue lay with the Star City Supreme Council.

As the governing body composed of the highest-ranking officials from all Star City's institutions, the council had the authority to demand detailed explanations of the accident from the Tiger Soul Research Institute and offer targeted recommendations.

However, Feng Qi wasn't worried about this.

The Star City Supreme Council included three special authoritative institutions.

Each of these institutions held six decisive votes, six times the number held by ordinary institutions.

These three institutions, known as the Three Elders, were the Star City Military Department, the Tiger Soul Research Institute, and the Scarlet Research Institute.

In the event of a major incident at the Tiger Soul Research Institute, the Scarlet Research Institute could provide support during the High Council deliberations, ensuring no unexpected outcomes.

As for other city authorities sending condolences, it was purely a formality. They wouldn't dispatch personnel to Star City for investigations, nor did they have the authority to conduct such inquiries.

This was precisely why the Lord of the Mist had initially chosen the Tiger Soul Research Institute.

Unless its secrets were completely exposed, leading to a unified vote for sanctions by Star City's other institutions, minor incidents posed no threat to the institute's foundation.

Following the meeting, Feng Qi facilitated communication between the Tiger Soul Research Institute and the Scarlet Research Institute.

Moving forward, personnel from the Scarlet Research Institute would liaise with their counterparts at the Tiger Soul Research Institute to coordinate subsequent procedures.

Meanwhile, after learning of Feng Qi's situation, the Tiger Soul High Command unequivocally pledged their full support for the upcoming combat operations.

Feng Qi wasn't surprised by this decision.

Their unwavering resistance to the Nightshadow Clan's coercion and enticements proved their unwavering loyalty to humanity.

The oath they had sworn during their student days still resonated in their hearts.

The Tiger Soul Research Institute's support would undoubtedly be a tremendous boon to the Dawn Organization's future development.

The Scarlet Research Institute's position on the Sacrifice Line was clear: prioritize stability above all else. They refused to participate in any external conflicts and would retreat to their secret bases to isolate themselves from the world at the first sign of crisis.

Consequently, the Scarlet Research Institute could offer little assistance to the Dawn Organization's growth, and even actively distanced themselves from the group.

The Tiger Soul Research Institute, however, was different. As an authoritative institution operating in the public eye, it could provide ongoing support for the Dawn Organization's development.

More importantly, the Tiger Soul Research Institute controlled 70% of Star City's media outlets.

Feng Qi had learned the hard way about the power of public opinion.

If the Dawn Organization were branded as human traitors on this battlefront, they would face not only the Domain Forces but also the Star City Military Department and the war and stability maintenance agencies of other cities.

Even ordinary citizens would join the crusade against the Dawn Organization.

Having suffered such a setback, Feng Qi naturally remembered the lesson.

This was the primary reason he prioritized securing the Tiger Soul Research Institute in the first timeline.

With the Tiger Soul Research Institute as their backing, many thorny problems could be avoided.

For example, if the Spirit Energy Clan controlling Old Day City launched a propaganda war against the Dawn Organization, the Tiger Soul Research Institute could counter by controlling public opinion within Star City, preventing the Spirit Energy Clan's propaganda from infiltrating the city.

At the very least, it would ensure the stability of Star City, the rear base of the battle line.

After completing the cleanup of the Tiger Soul Research Institute, Feng Qi led his students back to Star City Academy.

At this early stage of development, the Dawn Organization's top priority was to enhance its overall strength.

Feng Qi had already planned the organization's development path in previous Sacrifice Lines.

He had a detailed plan for recruiting new members.

First, he possessed a list of talented individuals stored in his mind.

This list had been obtained when he established the Dawn Organization in a previous timeline.

Back then, the Dawn Organization had infiltrated Future City to secretly confront the Technology Research Institute.

During that operation, he met Li Xingchen, who saved him and ultimately gifted him this list of talented individuals.

Using this list, the Dawn Organization had recruited many skilled members, steadily expanding its influence.

However, the organization's weaknesses were also apparent.

In that timeline, the Dawn Organization had grown through offline recruitment, with each member assigned a codename.

Apart from Feng Qi, who possessed the complete roster, members often didn't know their own comrades.

The advantage of this structure was that even if the Technology Research Institute captured some members, no amount of interrogation or coercion could lead to the organization's complete downfall.

The problem with the decentralized management model was that it made it difficult for the Dawn Organization to consolidate its combat power.

They were like a handful of loose sand, scattered and easily dispersed.

Without fixed gathering points, they relied on intelligence passed down from superiors, a system that was woefully inefficient.

This new battle line, however, was free from such vulnerabilities.

With Star City as their secure rear base, Feng Qi could completely centralize and unite their talent pool.

(End of the Chapter)

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