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Yang Tao directly refused the guard's request, saying with a smile, "I'm sorry, I can't agree to that."
Upon hearing this reply, the guard's disappointment was evident. He shrugged and said, "Alright, I hope it'll be my turn someday soon."
"However, I can increase the weekly modification slots to 5. You can report this to your superiors."
"Oh my god!"
The guard's face instantly turned a reddish-black with excitement. "Mr. Yang, thank you so much!"
"Heh heh, stand guard well. I think we'll meet again very soon."
As he spoke, a Chinese woman in combat uniform quickly walked out of the camp. She was a bit older, looking to be over forty.
Wearing gold-rimmed glasses, she appeared to be a very refined intellectual.
The first thing she did upon exiting the camp was extend her hand to Yang Tao, saying warmly, "Mr. Yang, I'm Chen Na. Welcome to 'The Hub'. I was just thinking the other day if I'd ever meet you here, and I didn't expect it to happen so soon."
"I also didn't expect the officer of the Hub Outpost to be a Chinese woman. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Chen."
Yang Tao extended his hand and shook hers.
Chen Na smiled, then stepped aside and said, "Mr. Yang, if you have time, you're welcome to rest in the camp. Please..."
With such a warm invitation, Yang Tao found it hard to refuse. He nodded slightly and followed Chen Na into the camp. The camp was quite small, with a few simple houses scattered within, looking somewhat humble.
The two walked into a room.
"Would you like something to drink?"
"No need to be so polite. I'm here simply to borrow some Level Keys for Level 12 Matrix."
When Chen Na heard that Yang Tao was going to Level 12 Matrix, her face showed the same expression as the Camp Amber patrol personnel.
"Matrix? That dreadful place is very dangerous, Mr. Yang, you..."
Suddenly, she remembered that Yang Tao was not human, and it seemed the danger she spoke of was not the same danger for Yang Tao at all.
"Please wait a moment, I'll arrange for someone to bring the Level Key."
With that, Chen Na picked up the phone on the table, pressed a few buttons, and then instructed the person on the other end, "Bring the Level 12 Matrix key over."
After hanging up the phone, Chen Na showed a faint smile, looking at Yang Tao and asking with a smile, "Mr. Yang, could I ask you to open a new supermarket in The Hub?"
"Given The Hub's unique nature, a lot of people are bound to come here. The goods you sell will surely be very popular on this level."
Her suggestion greatly appealed to Yang Tao.
"I'll consider it."
In reality, even if his supermarket were opened in Level 14 Dyed Blood Forest, as long as people knew the effects of the goods inside, someone would definitely figure out how to bring the goods back.
However, what Yang Tao needed was energy value, so he naturally chose the most convenient method. If possible, he could even let Villagers change professions to become Wanderer merchants, riding alpacas and leading Iron Golems to wander in the Backrooms.
Soon, a M.E.G. staff member entered the room holding a key.
The key was very ancient, somewhat resembling a 20th-century cast iron key.
Although the key looked unremarkable, it was vibrating continuously at a special frequency.
Chen Na probably also saw that Yang Tao didn't want to stay here for too long, so she immediately stood up and said, "Mr. Yang, this is the Level 12 Hub Level Key, please follow me."
With that, Chen Na took the Level Key and walked outside. Yang Tao followed closely behind. As they got closer to their destination, the vibration frequency of the Level Key became faster and faster.
The two arrived in front of a closed stone door. Strangely, the Level Key, which had been vibrating incessantly just moments ago, had now stabilized, as if it knew it was about to be used.
The arched stone door was carved with many exquisite patterns. On the stone door, there was a pitch-black keyhole. Just as Chen Na was about to insert the key, Yang Tao spoke up and stopped her.
"Wait... let me try."
Upon hearing Yang Tao's words, Chen Na immediately stopped her movements, stepped back two paces, and moved aside.
A door? A locked door...
Lever activated!
He took out the universal Lever from his backpack, placed it against the wall next to the huge stone door, and gently pulled the Lever.
Then, to Chen Na's disbelief, a mechanical sound came from within the huge stone door.
Creak...
The heavy stone door slowly opened, revealing a concrete wall behind it.
Yang Tao's face instantly darkened.
The good news was that the door opened, and the Lever's reputation was not damaged. The bad news was that this stone door and the ability to cross levels were not the same thing.
"Miss Chen, I'm sorry to trouble you, but please, you do it."
He knocked the Lever off the wall and said to Chen Na. As it was knocked off, the heavy stone door slowly closed again.
Yang Tao only felt a bit embarrassed for failing to show off, unaware that his actions had already left Chen Na speechless with shock.
M.E.G. had been trying countless methods since they first arrived at the Hub level. Forget opening the stone door, they couldn't even damage a single pattern on it.
But Yang Tao, without a Level Key, could open the stone door so easily, which naturally astonished her.
Calming the turmoil in her heart, she stepped forward and inserted the Level Key into the door. The stone door opened again, and the original concrete wall now emitted a white light.
The white light was very soft, not at all dazzling, but it made it impossible to see what was inside.
"Mr. Yang, just walk through the white light and you can reach Level 12 Hub Level..."
"Thank you then, Miss Chen."
Yang Tao summoned a wooden door to mark a spot in the Hub Level, then walked straight into the white light of the stone door without looking back.
Passing through the white light.
He arrived in a small, bright room, painted entirely white, containing only a table, a chair, and an adjacent locked door.
"This is Level 12 Matrix? It looks even smaller than Jerry Hall..."
There are very few descriptions of Level 12 Matrix, mainly because electronic devices are almost unusable within it, due to some unknown interference.
And Wanderers who leave this level suffer severe mental effects; some Wanderers don't even know how to leave this level.
The room was very quiet. Yang Tao walked directly towards the wooden door on the wall, reaching out and placing his hand on the doorknob.
Click, click...
"It's locked?"
He didn't believe that behind this wooden door was also a portal, so he immediately took out the Lever... But the next moment he changed his mind.
"Why... use a Lever? Is an axe not good enough?"
Perhaps it was because conditions had improved, he felt he had become more civilized. He immediately took out his blue Tinkers' Construct cobalt axe and turned to walk towards the wooden table and chairs in the middle of the room.
The stool and table seemed to be rooted to the ground. Yang Tao gave them two gentle tugs and then gave up directly, raising his axe and striking them. Black cracks began to appear on the tabletop.
Thump, thump... Thump, thump...
Bang, the table and chairs flew directly into his backpack, revealing a pitch-black hole underneath.
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