Chapter 25: A Top-Tier Technological Training Ground—You Call This a Ragtag Operation?

Regarding her choice, Eleven clicked his tongue in admiration. "You really don't want him to participate in any combat; you want to mold him into a businessman."

Xu Rui nodded. "With his constitution, even if his genes were perfected and the twenty-year lifespan limitation removed, he could never be a soldier or a warrior. It would be better for him to live among merchants; at least he would be well-fed and provided for."

"Besides, if I don't join the organization, you won't look after him, will you?"

Eleven shrugged, noncommittal. Only those who joined the organization were entitled to use its resources. If Xu Rui refused to join, he would simply send her back to Silver Frost Star and would certainly not bother with her younger brother.

Xu Rui looked troubled. As the spaceship passed the familiar planet, she craned her neck to look down.

Eleven said, "Don't worry, Mr. Scott will adopt your brother. As for that Nilsian, we will also ask if he has any intention of joining the organization; we won't force him."

Xu Rui let out a sigh of relief. "That's good."

Watching the screen where Xu Rui’s delicate face was filled with worry, Xu Chu smiled bitterly. "So, my adoptive father was also carefully selected for me by my sister."

"I always thought she had abandoned me. It turns out that idea was just my own arrogance; she did so much for me."

His sister had asked if the organization would look after him if she didn't join. Part of the reason she joined the organization was actually for his sake, wasn't it? She knew he would suffer living under Augustus, so she wanted to create better living conditions for him. Moreover, he had suffered a severe facial injury and a grave illness back then; if his adoptive father hadn't appeared in time, he would have almost died.

Beside him, Jiang Chen sneered. "If she truly loved you that much, would she have gone all these years without visiting you even once?"

Xu Chu clenched his fists, the veins on his forehead bulging. "There must be another reason! There must be... she was just... busy."

He squeezed these words out from his throat, as if the air had been drained from his lungs.

Jiang Chen frowned. "There is no evidence that this organization actually exists. I cannot help but suspect it is the delusion of a madman! Xu Rui has been hanging around a group of swindlers for years; no wonder she ended up the way she did."

This time, no one echoed Jiang Chen’s words.

What if it really did exist? These Zerg had evolved to the point where they could disguise themselves as humans, even devouring human memories and mimicking human behavior. Only those with 3S and 4S-grade genes could see through their disguises.

If that were the case, the powerhouses across the entire star system would inevitably unite to form such an organization. At the very least, based on what they had seen of Xu Rui's memories so far, the existence of this organization was highly necessary and completely logical.

Everyone’s gaze remained fixed on the screen.

The spaceship traveled for a full day and night before finally reaching a silver-white planet. The crowd in the plaza held their breath, craning their necks to watch. As the ship approached the icy ground, the surface seemed to react, splitting open to reveal a bottomless passage.

After entering the passage, the lights inside Xu Rui's ship flickered out for a moment. Once the ship regained power, the cabin door opened automatically. Eleven, hands in his pockets, stepped off the ship leisurely.

"This is our base. In other words, only the eleven of us come here to train, and you are the twelfth."

"The others are currently executing missions across various regions of the star system. I’ll take you around to familiarize yourself with the environment first."

This was a massive underground training facility. After stepping off the ship, they arrived on a platform facing a 360-degree panoramic light screen. It could project simulated environments such as deserts, glaciers, and interstellar battlefields. Eleven waved his hand skillfully, changing the simulation to a vast, boundless grassland; one could almost smell the scent of fresh grass.

They entered an elevator and descended directly to the bottom level, arriving at a wide, open hall. In the center of the hall stood a silver-white alloy training tower, its body covered with retractable mechanical arms.

"This is our core training ground. For your daily combat training, you can spar with these mechanical arms. The base of the tower also hides bionic robots that simulate enemies."

"You can have them mimic the appearance of the Zerg and fight them; it’s a way to rapidly improve your practical combat experience."

Eleven seemed to recall something, shivering and rubbing the goosebumps on the back of his neck.

"Simulating Zerg here is quite different from facing the real thing. When you go on missions in the future, I can show you the ropes."

"Okay, thank you."

The people in the plaza were dumbfounded. With this scale of equipment, could one really call it a ragtag, grassroots organization? Just this single training tower alone used the most cutting-edge technology in the entire star system, worth at least trillions!

"Is that a supply pod by the wall? Are those all nutrient solutions inside? What kind of operation is this!"

"And a leisure and entertainment area? My god! This place couldn't have been built by private means alone."

"Look! Is that an interstellar simulation system above us? Isn't that the most advanced system in the galaxy? It's used specifically for training soldiers."

"This organization is definitely not simple! It must have military backing!"

Tang Feng said in surprise, "This organization consists of only eleven people, yet they can provide so much top-tier technology for a training ground. The people behind this must have extraordinary status."

"Commander Shi, are you sure that Senior Qu Yuzhao has such authority? He is only a Lieutenant Colonel."

Shi Qiyuan’s expression was grave. After a moment of contemplation, he shook his head slowly. "Impossible. There must be a much larger entity behind this project."

Tang Feng asked Jiang Chen, "General, what about you? In all these years, have you really had no news regarding this organization?"

Jiang Chen’s face turned ashen as he shook his head. "None."

He was a General of the Empire, and a top-tier core member at that! Yet, he knew absolutely nothing about an organization of this scale! This made him feel that his own authority had been challenged.

Xu Chu said slowly, "Perhaps we didn't know because of our genes?"

"Everyone present here, apart from Mr. Bu Xingye who has S-grade genes, is only A-grade. And since you all hold high positions, you might be targeted by the Zerg, so this plan had to be carried out in secret."

Based on the nature of the organization, the true reason could be deduced. However, Xu Chu's words caused the men present to turn red in the face. Jiang Chen, in particular, looked even worse.

Jiang Chen had A-minus genes—a variant of his family's lineage, and one that had mutated in the wrong direction. He had always been ashamed to speak of his genes, and having it pointed out so bluntly by Xu Chu was a blow to his pride.

He snorted coldly, "So what if those Zerg can disguise themselves? If they want to kill, they will show their true colors sooner or later!"

"I don't believe that this organization, wasting so many resources, can actually be of any use!"