Chapter 656: Sometimes, You Just Have to Go All In

Song Jinsen suddenly felt a long breath escape him, but his complexion quickly turned deathly pale.

He hadn’t expected things to end this way…

Ling Mo’s words were harsh, but not without merit.

If he hadn’t put on airs, his fate might have been better than this.

Now, he had thoroughly enraged Ling Mo and abandoned the last shred of dignity as a captive.

Thinking about benefits? Now, hoping to stay alive would be good enough…

“I…” Song Jinsen began, his expression somber and his eyes complex.

“Did I allow you to speak?” Ling Mo cut him off without a hint of politeness.

That rebuke caused Song Jinsen’s face to darken, but he obediently closed his mouth.

“Don’t move,” came Ling Mo’s voice again.

Song Jinsen’s neck, which was just about to turn, froze immediately, and his feet became as heavy as if filled with lead, sticking firmly to the ground.

He dared not move. Ling Mo’s recent outburst had left a deep impression on him, yet his emotions were tumultuous.

What was Ling Mo planning now…

In the brief silence, Song Jinsen remained motionless, cold sweat continually streaming down his forehead, dripping along his cheeks and chin.

However, behind Song Jinsen, Ling Mo, who stood there, was not as Song Jinsen imagined—smirking coldly, contemplating how to deal with him more effectively. On the contrary, Ling Mo’s face was pale, and he was slowly massaging his temples, looking very weary.

Earlier, by using that bizarre attack, he had drawn their attention, and then he deployed a deceptive technique against Song Jinsen that was a mix of truth and illusion. The consumption of Ling Mo’s mental power was indeed intense.

Though his absorption of Number 0’s mental power had increased the total amount, the technique he had just used was something he had always wanted to try but had lacked the mental power to wield freely because of its high consumption.

Take, for instance, the “harassing attack” that had baffled many—it was, in plain terms, a combination of mental interference and an enhanced version of mental tentacles.

Together, these techniques not only made Ling Mo’s movements incredibly fast but also ensured that his actions were not easily seen through.

Attempting to track his movements would be affected by his mental interference.

And those trying to grasp him with mental power simply couldn’t keep up with his trajectory.

However, this method had two drawbacks: one was the substantial consumption of mental power, and the other was the need for a higher intensity of mental concentration and responsive capabilities, encompassing both mental and physical aspects.

Ling Mo’s current mental power was more than sufficient to meet the first condition, but the latter two could only be achieved with more training.

For Ling Mo to combine those two methods flawlessly and “hide” himself while occasionally landing an attack or two was already an impressive feat.

But even now, it was far from reaching the level of satisfaction Ling Mo sought.

As for the tactic used against Song Jinsen just now, launching dozens of tentacle attacks while hidden, it was actually beyond Ling Mo’s current capabilities.

But a feint to scare Song Jinsen was not an issue.

Ling Mo had considered that if Song Jinsen had stubbornly resisted, he would have had no choice but to charge in and fight until Song Jinsen was beaten down and unable to retaliate. However, he hadn’t expected Song Jinsen to be so easily frightened…

It seems one thing is to speak bravely, and quite another to stand firm when it truly matters.

While Song Jinsen was shivering from his own fearful imaginings, everyone else clearly saw Ling Mo’s current state.

Ye Lian and the others might not have shown much change in expression, but they watched Ling Mo intently without blinking.

This, in turn, led Song Jinsen to another misunderstanding; he felt as if he was being watched by several cold eyes, as if they were ready to attack him at any moment and turn him into a honeycomb.

Xu Shuhan was still disoriented, her expression as frenzied as before, whereas Mu Chen’s eyes flashed with a hint of surprise, and his opinion of Ling Mo quietly underwent a slight change.

This man, sometimes he really goes all in…

Finally regaining a bit of color in his face, Ling Mo spoke up, releasing Song Jinsen from his terror and tension.

“So, have you thought it through?” Ling Mo asked.

Song Jinsen was suddenly in tears, realizing that he was expected to think for himself…

He stammered for a bit until Ling Mo, losing patience, interrupted and slowly approached him: “Do you really want me to ask in a different way?”

Though Ling Mo spoke in a calm tone, the bright intensity in his eyes conveyed an unmistakable threat of death, which sent a shiver down Song Jinsen’s spine.

“I’m saying…” Song Jinsen clenched his teeth and began to speak.

But Ling Mo gestured for Mu Chen to come over: “You tell him.”

Song Jinsen glanced at Mu Chen in surprise but didn’t dare to question further. While carefully watching Ling Mo’s expression, he divulged everything he knew.

Being a seasoned member of the Niepan headquarters, the information Song Jinsen provided was much clearer than the half-understood and subjectively guessed descriptions of Mu Chen. Many details were completely different from what Ling Mo had previously envisioned about the headquarters.

According to Song Jinsen, the Niepan headquarters was not a mysterious organization hidden underground. In essence, it was also a survivor camp. However, whether for someone from City X like Ling Mo or members of the Niepan Branch, the headquarters remained quite enigmatic.

The distinctiveness of the headquarters lay mainly in its strict hierarchical system and clear division of labor.

Individuals like Song Jinsen, referred to as ordinary members, were like worker bees, undertaking most of the peripheral tasks such as scavenging for supplies, gathering information, and resolving missions assigned by the headquarters.

These tasks were not forcibly distributed; instead, they were left for members to voluntarily accept.

Based on the completion of these tasks, members would earn varying degrees of contribution points, which were personal scores meticulously recorded in each person’s profile.

Once the points reached a certain threshold, members would be eligible for a corresponding level promotion.

“And what about the others?” Mu Chen, after hearing some related details, asked another question.

Glancing at Ling Mo and noticing his silence, Song Jinsen continued, “We are the largest component of the headquarters, but only the most basic, not the core. Another part of the headquarters is the experimental team, which is responsible for various virus research. Many missions are submitted by them and then distributed to us. This group doesn’t go on missions and has a separate level promotion system.”

“There are also various other departments, each with different tasks and ways of earning contribution points. But generally speaking, Niepan headquarters is like a beehive…” Song Jinsen tried to explain in simple terms, aiming to appear completely transparent.

Finally, Ling Mo spoke up, “Who is the boss of your headquarters… exactly?”

Mu Chen also showed a keen interest; he was very curious about this as well!

“In such tough conditions, to gather so many people and expand influence to this extent is surprising enough, but to also run an organization with such strict discipline and even establish a comprehensive competitive reward and penalty system… I’m truly amazed,” Ling Mo said, genuinely interested.

But Song Jinsen’s expression suddenly turned troubled: “I… It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, it’s just… I really don’t know!”

“What are you joking about?” Mu Chen asked, displeased.

Ling Mo also frowned slightly, something didn’t add up…

“I really don’t know!” Song Jinsen insisted anxiously, “Believe me! I’ve told you so much already, why would I hide this from you? I don’t know, and neither do the people I know. Whether anyone in the headquarters knows, I’m not sure…”

“What’s the situation exactly?” Ling Mo pressed on.

“I’ve never seen them, nor have I ever heard them speak. Whether it was one person who established it or several people, that’s unclear too. All I know is that shortly after the Disaster Outbreak, the fledgling form of Niepan began to take shape.”

Song Jinsen was visibly nervous, yet his speech remained clear.

Ling Mo listened, his mind filled with questions. Why so secretive?

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