Inside the shelter of Haiwei Mini Industries, in the tallest mini office building, still the largest office on the top floor, was Shen Jiayi's office.
Shen Jiayi, the general manager of Haiwei Mini Industries, was currently seated in her spacious office chair, dressed in a neat white ladies' suit, listening to the explanation of a handsome man wearing glasses and a white lab coat in front of her, with the projection of PPT images on the wall behind him.
"The two technologies mentioned above have been preliminarily verified and are indeed feasible. In other words, the hidden mainframe systems beneath the Redemption Shelter do store application technologies related to crystals," said Shen Liansheng, sitting on the sofa beside him, pondering while stroking his goatee, then waved his hand to interrupt, "Bai Sifei, let me summarize. It's an organization using the symbol of the 'Darwin Fish' that created such a Redemption Shelter. And inside, as long as there are awakened individuals among the entrants, each additional one can extend the shelter's deployment time by an extra 4 hours."
"When awakened individuals register, if ordinary people nearby express gratitude towards them, a subsystem inside will mark them as beneficiaries. Each person grateful to them can receive 1 shelter point. Through shelter points, they can exchange for similar technology or equipment hidden inside the shelter's mainframe, right?"
Bai Sifei, wearing glasses, nodded, "Yes, Vice President Shen. According to the descriptions provided by the two awakened individuals who gave us these two technologies, it is indeed the case. The details of judgment and redemption they described are completely consistent. And they both came from two different shelters, one in the north and one in the south of the city, and were immediately protected upon entering our shelter, so there's no possibility of collusion. So, Vice President Shen, your conclusion is what our Research Department currently surmises."
"So as long as we dispatch several awakened individuals, along with dozens of civilians, to enter and exit multiple Redemption Shelters repeatedly, we can accumulate a large number of shelter points and then exchange for a large amount of crystal technology, right?" Bai Sifei said, "Given that the current network and transmission signals are all disrupted and unusable, the mainframe inside the Redemption Shelter should be independent, with no possibility of online connection, so... theoretically, we can dispatch multiple teams of awakened individuals to each accessible Redemption Shelter to exchange technology."
Shen Liansheng stroked his goatee lightly and smiled, "Theoretically, hehe, so we should put it into practice."
"I hope to personally lead a team," Bai Sifei pushed his glasses and looked at Shen Jiayi with pleading eyes, "President Shen, as time passes, some mutated creatures are gradually awakening and becoming stronger. Our lightweight weapons are increasingly ineffective against them. We should strengthen the research on this crystal technology and strive for weaponization. After all, relying solely on random samples of awakened individuals can only provide limited combat power, and loyalty is also difficult to guarantee."
Shen Jiayi looked at Shen Liansheng, "Vice President Shen, how many people can your security department spare for the operation?"
"The number is limited, but the newly established 'Temporary Search Team' can be mobilized to a certain extent. Although their training progress is low, there are many awakened individuals who voluntarily joined the team. We can also use this operation to enhance the cohesion of these awakened individuals and make them feel more belonging to our Haiwei Mini Industries," Shen Liansheng replied.
At this moment, Shen Jiayi remained calm, and the conversation between Bai Sifei and Shen Liansheng didn't stir any waves on her face. She nodded slightly at Bai Sifei with her trademark indifferent expression, then spoke with a magnetic voice, "Number 1."
Behind her, a man with a stern face, dressed in a black uniform like a statue, finally spoke up, "Yes, Miss."
"Draw three 6-man squads from the Special Operations Department, form a 'Special Shelter Investigation Team' in conjunction with the Research Department and Security Department, and put Number 6 in charge. Work out the action plan with Dr. Bai Sifei from the Research Department... Ah..." After saying two sentences, Shen Jiayi closed her eyes in pain and pressed her temple.
This startled Number 1, who immediately approached with concern and asked, "Miss, what's wrong with you?"
Shen Jiayi raised her hand, and he quickly handed her the cup on the table. She opened the lid and took a sip of water, took a deep breath, and exhaled, weakly showing a hint of weakness on her icy face, "It's nothing. Maybe I've been resting too little lately. I just need to take a break."
Shen Liansheng showed a sly smile, but quickly smoothed it out without anyone noticing.
However, Bai Sifei, with more concern than Number 1, due to his identity, didn't approach, but still asked worriedly, "President Shen, are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere? Should I have the medical department send someone..."
"No need..." Shen Jiayi waved her hand, "It's just a bit of a headache these past few days. I'll rest for a bit and be fine. As for the 'Special Shelter Investigation Team,' you need to coordinate with Number 6; he's mainly responsible for the safety assessment and strategic response of the entire team. He's very professional in this regard, having previously specialized in it during his time at the 'Black Demon' company. As long as there's no threat, he won't interfere with your investigative operations."
Shen Jiayi's words brightened Shen Liansheng's eyes, and a secret smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, but it quickly disappeared, unnoticed by anyone.
The Black Demon Corporation was a security company previously founded overseas by Shen Guantian, the current CEO of Haiwei Group. Within a few short years, it had gained a prestigious reputation. The company's business involved various violent services, including protection of political figures, dispatching armed personnel to conflict zones, conducting special military investigations, military training, and unofficial armed interventions. Its clients mainly consisted of security and military departments from developed countries.
When Shen Guantian took over as the CEO of Haiwei Group, the Black Demon Corporation provided him with strong support, helping him eliminate his competitors. After stabilizing his position as CEO, Shen Guantian invested heavily to repurchase shares of Black Demon Corporation and then merged it into Haiwei Group, reorganizing it into the "Special Investigation and Security Department" of Haiwei Group, abbreviated as the Special Ops Department.
Although this department was at the departmental level, its management and mobilization authority rested solely with Shen Guantian. Only he and those he designated could command and mobilize it. Its jurisdiction, appointments, and organization were completely independent of Haiwei Group, making it essentially Shen's private army.
Among the designated personnel was naturally Shen Jiayi, while Shen Liansheng, Shen Guantian's brother, was not included.
Now, for Shen Jiayi to voluntarily explain Number 6's background to Bai Sifei was quite unexpected for Shen Liansheng.
"Let's call it a day. I need some rest," with Shen Jiayi's words, the brief meeting in the office came to an end.
Both Bai Sifei and Shen Liansheng exited the office. Shen Jiayi leaned back in her large chair, exhaustion creeping over her entire beautiful face.
Once again, Number 1 filled Shen Jiayi's cup with water, then said, "Miss, there has been no progress in repairing the communication system. We still cannot establish contact with the CEO."
"Now we have to rely on ourselves. Has there been any unusual behavior from Shen Liansheng?"
"None. Vice President Shen has been constantly reallocating manpower to maintain order in the shelter while coordinating smoothly with the Research and Development Department. There have been no conflicts."
"What about the emotions of the awakened individuals?"
"As per your instructions, they have received some preferential treatment in medical care. To avoid creating opposition among others, Vice President Shen has been careful to avoid creating a privileged class among survivors. The establishment of the 'Temporary Search Team' has attracted many awakened individuals, effectively improving their treatment. In terms of admission criteria, Vice President Shen's subordinates have maintained a good balance, showing no clear bias towards the awakened, so it has not caused dissatisfaction among ordinary survivors."
Shen Jiayi nodded. "My uncle handles things meticulously and leaves no stone unturned. He's focused on what's beneficial for Haiwei Group and all survivors. Only you have the highest authority over the mainframe system of Haiwei Mini Industry. Without your authorization, all the modern equipment in Haiwei Mini Industry would immediately revert to primitive times. No one in this base can replace you. Plus, all members of our Special Ops Department are loyal to you. In any case, this base is under your control."
Shen Jiayi sighed. To accommodate and treat more helpless survivors, she strictly calculated the manpower in the base. On the basis of ensuring internal stability and order, she squeezed every ounce of manpower from the base, which naturally consumed a lot of her energy. But there was no other way. Bearing the lives and safety of others on her shoulders, she felt a great deal of pressure.
Her father knew that she was the one who least wanted to shoulder such responsibilities. From childhood, she had no desire to be associated with Haiwei Group. Each of her brothers and sisters coveted the inheritance of Haiwei Group, and it was ironic that despite her reluctance, she was entrusted with great expectations due to inheriting her parents' outstanding genes and intelligence.
Thinking of this, Shen Jiayi remembered the man she had met in the shelter on the outskirts of the city.
"I see that your aircraft can't accommodate so many people at once. We have wounded and women here, please prioritize taking them away!"
"I'll come back for the second batch. Please take them all back first!"
Like herself, when faced with a choice, he immediately abandoned personal concerns and considered his responsibility first.
Although they had only interacted for a few minutes, Shen Jiayi could feel that he was somewhat like herself. That is, he was inherently a lonely person, but now that disaster had struck, he had to step forward, shoulder the responsibility, just like herself... solely because he had the ability.
"Hasn't anyone been sent to Shelter 072?" Shen Jiayi asked. The Crisis Management Department of the Group numbered each shelter discovered by the Special Ops Department to facilitate location.
"Are you referring to the person who went missing after the crash of the Sparrow 0036?" Shen Jiayi hesitated for a moment but chose to confirm her answer. "Yes, it's that Tom." As the highest decision-maker, she understood that she must convey her clearest requests, so that the subordinates could fulfill them in the most accurate and efficient manner, even if answering this way might make her seem biased.
"After Sparrow 0019 brought back Numbers 2 and 3, I dispatched Sparrow 0156 the next day. The aircraft carried four armed personnel and several guns and ammunition. However, contact was also lost, so I raised the danger level of the area to Level 6 and prohibited further dispatches to recover survivors."
"You did the right thing. We can't waste too many resources on an ordinary awakened individual. Alright, you may leave now."
"Yes!" Number 1 nodded, then left the office with steady steps.
"Awakened individuals?" Shen Jiayi opened the drawer,
which contained four colored gemstones. She held the yellow gemstone in her hand, and it immediately emitted a yellow light.
"I am an awakened individual too, but... what makes me special?"
According to logic, with every additional awakened individual in the base, there was another sample for research. This would provide additional assistance in deducing the relationships between awakened abilities and the conditions for awakening.
Logically, as the CEO, she should contribute her own awakened sample to research. In the past, she would have reported this immediately.
"Not me, it can't be me," Shen Jiayi muttered as she threw the gemstone back into the drawer and slammed it shut, as if the gemstone were a piece of rotting flesh capable of spreading a plague.
"Perhaps... these gemstones themselves are the plague." Turning around, Shen Jiayi looked at the fist-sized raindrops hitting the window, letting out a long sigh. "It's raining again... Did you... make it through?"