A smile crept across Thomas's face as he read the message: "Black Dog frequents room 903 of the Pinewood Hotel every night between 10 PM and 11 PM."
"Got you," he muttered, a glint of anticipation in his eyes. "Don't disappoint me now."
After crafting the [Oceanborn] gene serum, Thomas was down to eight Calamity Coins. He couldn't afford to purchase the next disaster forecast just yet. He'd receive another coin from the Calamity Coin Mine the day after tomorrow, but that still left him one short. Naturally, his thoughts turned to Black Dog. He hadn't forgotten the source of his very first Calamity Coin. Every day without disaster intel was a significant setback.
His gaze shifted to the newly added feature of the Intelligence Center: "Big Data Support... Interesting."
"Activate Big Data Support," he commanded.
As his voice faded, a menu-like interface materialized on the Intelligence Center's laptop screen, mirroring itself across the other three monitors.
* [Information Camouflage]
* [Information Support]
* [Information Connection]
* [Information Decryption]
[Information Camouflage]: Exploit information asymmetry to create virtual identities within chat channels and trading platforms. Use these identities for information gathering, trading, and communication. Current virtual identity capacity: 2.
[Information Support]: Leverage the Intelligence Center's city-wide data network to provide information support to allied personnel within Sparrow City. The level of support depends on the detail of available intelligence.
[Information Connection]: Remotely connect to electronic devices, programs, and plugins via the data network to provide information support and decryption services.
[Information Decryption]: Decrypt encrypted electronic intelligence and bypass security measures on electronic devices.
Thomas stared at the descriptions, a look of elation spreading across his face. "The final piece of the Trading Center puzzle," he whispered.
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This was it, the element he'd been searching for. It was one of the reasons he hadn't launched the Trading Center yet. Initially, the chaotic state of resources made opening the market pointless. He knew the Trading Center would reshape the Apocalypse Game's landscape. Currently, survivors traded privately, leading to inconsistent pricing and difficulty finding specific items. The Trading Center would become the central hub for all transactions, and despite the 5% transaction fee, the convenience would outweigh the cost.
To maximize his profits, Thomas needed to dominate the early market. Establishing a strong initial presence was crucial. Otherwise, he'd have to work much harder to convince survivors of the value his goods offered. This would be time-consuming, and time was a luxury he couldn't afford. Even organizing his existing inventory was a monumental task. That was why he'd recruited Eight Lop and Tessia Thorne. Eight Lop would manage the hideout's inventory, while Tessia, with her [Mathematical Genius] talent, would oversee the Trading Center.
The Intelligence Center's Big Data Support was a perfect fit for his plan, especially the [Information Camouflage] feature. It made a long-held idea of his finally possible.
He selected [Information Connection] and linked it to the Trading Center feature. A prompt appeared: "[Intelligence Center] attempting to connect to [Trading Center]. Do you accept?"
"Accept."
The laptop displayed the Trading Center interface, while the other monitors showed the Buy Orders, Sell Orders, and Market Hall sections. The Trading Center became the fifth option on the Big Data Support menu.
Tessia, watching over Thomas's shoulder, considered the implications, her eyes widening with excitement as she grasped the platform's potential.
Thomas switched back to the [Information Camouflage] menu and began crafting his merchant persona. He decided on a mysterious air for his virtual identity. He plunged the hideout into darkness, donned the [Night Cloak], and pulled up the hood. Tessia, perched on a chair, shone a flashlight down, illuminating his chin, nose, and the subtle curve of his lips beneath the shadow of the hood. The obscured upper half of his face added an enigmatic touch.
He quickly snapped a picture and uploaded it as his avatar. Struggling to come up with a suitably impressive name, he settled on "Black Market Merchant."
Satisfied with his creation, he turned to Tessia, who had been watching with a mixture of awe and curiosity.
With his virtual identity set, Thomas retrieved the Decrypted USB drive and the CBS Lab map. He inserted the drive into the laptop and initiated the [Information Decryption] process. A progress bar filled rapidly. Upon completion, a new rare skill appeared on Thomas's skill panel.