Chapter 418: In This Day and Age, Anyone Can Play Zombie
Hammond Innovation Labs.
After seeing the bloodied eyeball Cheng Tian brought back and learning its secrets, Wutan felt a surge of joy mixed with a faint ache in his liver.
Although all the technical research he was doing for Cheng Tian was self-initiated and he enjoyed it, it was still a lot.
Having a boss who fully supported his research was undoubtedly a stroke of luck for a research ape.
But what caused the ape both pain and pleasure was the incredibly high frequency at which Cheng Tian brought in new things!
And each new item had a higher priority than the last, and even if Cheng Tian didn't say anything, it would spontaneously compel him to research it, making it impossible to ignore!
Wutan suddenly realized that if he didn't have help from others, his physical modification plan would probably need to be moved up. Even if it was just for high-intensity research, he'd have to complete his physical transformation first. Otherwise, how could he keep up with his boss's incredibly fast pace?
Sure enough, when Wutan asked Cheng Tian what he wanted to do with the eyeball loaded with the Feng Shui Engine, Cheng Tian simply replied with an 'I don't know'.
"I don't know what it can do. You figure it out. It's fine if you mess it up; I'll just find a way to snatch another one from someone else's stomach."
This answer, which was more effective than direct provocation, immediately ignited the research ape's competitive spirit.
In Cheng Tian's side quest description, "Laboratory Technology Upgrade," and the description of Cheng Tian's "Portable Laboratory," a new entry appeared simultaneously: [Feng Shui Engine: Research Progress 0%].
Literally, the Feng Shui Engine had been incorporated into the research system of both the laboratory technology upgrade and the portable laboratory.
And with the appearance of this entry, other technologies already mastered by the laboratory were listed one by one.
[Dragon-Human Fusion Gene Modification: 80%]
[Ancient Metal Beast Manufacturing: 75%]
[Supernatural Primal Genome: 10%]
The aforementioned Dragon-Human Fusion and Ancient Metal Beast Manufacturing largely depended on Wutan's existence. Only when Wutan was the primary person in charge of the laboratory could Cheng Tian's Portable Laboratory use relevant technologies to perform limited modifications on the hatched dinosaurs.
It was as if Wutan himself was the "critical level upgrade" for this Portable Laboratory.
Of course, it could still be used even if it hadn't reached one hundred percent, but the finished product might not meet standards, and its use was also limited.
The Portable Laboratory, born from Hammond Innovation Labs, had clearly begun to transcend its original settings in the projects it undertook.
"Why did she come back too?"
Aileen narrowed her eyes, looking warily at December, who was dressed in a tight suit and seemed shameless.
December didn't answer, merely standing quietly beside Cheng Tian, as if she were a second personal bodyguard, echoing Bazett.
From the moment Cheng Tian caused a ruckus at S.I.N. and stole the Feng Shui Engine, it meant that December's de-brainwashing had been completely exposed.
If December had chosen to distance herself from the King of Fighters tournament and disappear by changing her identity, Shadaloo wouldn't have been so omnipotent as to find her everywhere. There was a good chance she could have lived the rest of her life in peace.
However, December was clearly unwilling to accept this.
December did harbor hatred for Vega, but this wasn't her reason for choosing to temporarily stay with Cheng Tian.
"I want to rescue the other members of the personal guard and free them from brainwashing as well."
..."But it's no different with me."
Facing December's request, Cheng Tian was quite straightforward, directly stating that, in essence, he was also brainwashing. The so-called 'freedom from restraint' was merely a higher-permission brainwashing overlay.
"At least you won't subject us to such experiments, will you?"
December took off her mask, revealing half of her face, scarred and pitted with burn marks.
Seeing December's full appearance for the first time, Aileen's body involuntarily twitched, but her powerful self-control allowed her to instantly suppress her instinct to show a look of pity. Her gaze then began to scan the curves accentuated by the tight suit—
86/57/88... My eyes are a ruler!
Aileen's eyes began to blaze with fire!
..."If you insist on putting it that way, then I certainly don't have Vega's twisted tastes."
Cheng Tian finally understood. December's facial paralysis was due to experiments, not a lack of empathy. If she could, she wanted to save the other members of the personal guard who were controlled by Vega, just like her.
Now that Cheng Tian had stolen the Feng Shui Engine, it meant that S.I.N. and Shadaloo would inevitably react. Even if it was just to save face, they would have to fight. According to December's predictions, the Shadaloo personal guard and the Four Heavenly Kings had a high probability of appearing.
Of course, this wasn't coercing or morally blackmailing Cheng Tian; rather, December suggested that if it didn't affect him, when encountering brainwashed members of Vega's personal guard, she hoped Cheng Tian could use 'Dominate' instead of killing them.
Well, it wasn't impossible.
Theoretically, within the same instance, Cheng Tian could reverse the hostile reputation of up to 4 non-boss NPCs to friendly. However, the number of individuals Dominate could control depended solely on his Charisma attribute, allowing Cheng Tian to control a maximum of 8 people at a time.
Cheng Tian, after being given this suggestion by December, actually started to hope Vega would send his personal guard. An instant defection of 8 people—that scene should be quite spectacular.
But then again, Vega, the big boss himself, certainly wouldn't show his face, which meant... "The Four Heavenly Kings, huh?"
Cheng Tian started counting on his fingers.
"Bison, the brute boxer; Balrog, the masked claw man; Sagat, the martial arts fanatic Muay Thai King... and General Vega himself, right?"
"Correction, the Muay Thai King is no longer in the organization."
December immediately pointed out Cheng Tian's mistake.
"Huh? Is it this timeline? So one of the Four Heavenly Kings is missing?"
"A man named 'F.A.N.G.' has replaced the Muay Thai King."
"Oh, right~ The one who uses poison. Poison is indeed quite tricky to deal with."
Cheng Tian suddenly remembered that stereotyped character, who moved eerily like a living zombie.
In short, Cheng Tian's laboratory gained a new member—an eye. Cheng Tian and his companions also waited inside and outside the lab, watching TV and awaiting Shadaloo's inevitable retaliation.
Perhaps the first day's chaotic battles had severely depleted the fighters, as the scale and frequency of battles on the second day were noticeably less than on the first.
And compared to the first day's female fighter team and psychic warrior team, which were both traffic magnets, today's lineup had switched to the Fatal Fury team, whose leader had undergone a sex change!
The Fatal Fury team, brimming with topicality and controversy, attracted a pack of hungry wolves drooling over the traffic. As title favorites, they couldn't possibly hide.
Terry, as the leader, was repeatedly challenged. The intentions of these bastards were clear to all.
But what was currently displayed on screen was somewhat beyond imagination.
On the makeshift arena, Terry appeared exceptionally agitated and incredulous. Standing opposite him, in a defiant stance, was a blonde old man with a face full of disdain and mockery—
"You, whose fists have even turned into a woman's, still dream of revenge?"
Geese Howard, with an indescribably complex emotion, taunted Terry.