Oblivious to Tessia Thorne's thoughts behind him, Thomas Smyth approached the Medical Station. The blueprint for the [Oceanborn Human Gene Enhancement Serum] materialized in his hand. With the Intelligence Center upgraded to level 2, the formula had been added to the Medical Station's crafting queue. Listed below were the required materials:

* 1 Calamity Artifact

* 2 Rare Plants

* 2 Adrenaline Injectors

* 1 Pressure-Resistant Diving Suit

* 1 Calamity Coin

Thomas retrieved each item from his inventory. "Eight, bring me two cuttings of the [Breathing Pothos]!"

"Right away, Boss!" Eight Lop, the younger brother persona, scurried from the greenhouse, two potted plants in hand. His eyes widened with curiosity as he watched Thomas.

Thomas accepted the rare plants and placed them, along with the other materials, into the Medical Station.

[Materials sufficient. Synthesis time: 24 hours. Proceed with crafting?]

[Craft]\

With his confirmation, the Medical Station hummed softly. The crafting queue for other medical items grayed out, their production paused. Even the Medical Station's information panel dimmed, all functions suspended. Only the [Oceanborn] serum's entry remained active. Clearly, crafting this epic serum demanded all the station's power.

Thomas left the Medical Station to its task and moved to a designated spot nearby. With anticipation, he activated the [Hideout Holographic Barrier Blueprint]. The blueprint dissolved into streams of light that flowed across the ground, absorbing the pre-positioned construction materials. A shimmering curtain expanded outwards, within which Thomas glimpsed flickering ones and zeros. When the curtain enveloped the entire hideout, a 2x2 meter holographic display materialized before him – the core of the Hideout Holographic Barrier. Construction time: 24 hours.

Witnessing the countdown begin for the two crucial elements of his flood survival plan, Thomas exhaled in relief. This disaster was under control. Next, he initiated the construction of the [Refugee Chest], a 36-hour project.

With construction underway, it was time for the next phase of his plan. He shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. Noticing Eight Lop's inquisitive gaze, Thomas ruffled the Lop-Ear's fur. With a startled yelp, Eight dashed back to the greenhouse, leaving Thomas chuckling. Tessia, who had been watching with a smile, quickly composed herself as Thomas turned to her.

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"Boss, what are your orders?"

"Come on, Tessia. Time for you to shine."

They returned to the Intelligence Center. Thomas first accessed the daily random intel and the tri-daily major intel reports.

[Mad Dog, due to the disappearing supplies incident at the Trading Center, will relocate his base to the Sparrow City Exhibition Hall today.]

[The Butcher, in collusion with an inside informant, will kidnap Stephen Zhou from Room 709 of the Pinewood Hotel tomorrow at 11 PM.]

"Holy crap… jackpot!" Thomas exclaimed, staring at the screen. Mad Dog's relocation wasn't surprising; anyone sane would move. He checked the virtual map of the Trading Center and saw them packing up. His eyes gleamed. "Eight," he called out, "there's going to be a lot of supplies appearing in the sorting warehouse soon. Once you're done, make sure to organize them."

Eight's ears perked up at the mention of supplies. He didn't question the mysterious appearance of resources in the hideout; his brother, Seven, had warned him against knowing too much. The prospect of more loot spurred him to work faster. If the Boss is specifically mentioning it, there must be a ton!

Meanwhile, at the Trading Center, Mad Dog seethed. Another explosion rocked the building below. He kicked a nearby chair across the room. "Damn it! Why are there still grenades left? It's been all night!"

The Bayonet, overseeing the packing, offered a wry smile. He knew the feeling. The enemy's grenade placement was insidious, unpredictable. They had abandoned floors 8, 9, and 10 entirely. Opening a door was a gamble.

His radio crackled. "Which floor this time?"

"Floor 9, Bayonet. We stayed out of the rooms like you said."

The Bayonet was stunned. "Then what exploded?"

"It was in a flowerpot in the hallway. 3cm bumped it accidentally. Black Dog is furious."

The Bayonet rubbed his temples. This was a nightmare. With Black Dog downstairs, he couldn't argue.

Back at the hideout, Thomas pondered the intel about The Butcher. "So he's finally making his move on Stephen." Tomorrow at 11 PM. Stephen, Hannibal's brother, held the key and combination to the Dean's Office safe, a vault embedded in the wall, impervious to Thomas's inventory. Stephen was the only way in. Tomorrow was his best chance. But how?

Setting that aside for the moment, Thomas used his daily Apocalypse Coin intel opportunity. "What time does Black Dog usually retire to Room 903 at the Pinewood Hotel?"

A prompt appeared: [This intel costs 500,000 Apocalypse Coins. Confirm purchase?]

[Yes]\

His Apocalypse Coin balance dropped by 500,000. The laptop blinked, displaying the answer…