Black Dog turned his gaze towards The Scorpion after hearing Thomas Smyth's words.
"Sir, Ghostface tasked me with helping The Butcher kidnap Mr. Chow," The Scorpion explained, his voice steady. "After The Butcher got whatever he needed from the lab, I was supposed to take those items back to Ghostface. He was planning some kind of ritual, said it would make me... stronger. An empowered individual."
"Our plan was to get everyone drunk tomorrow night, knock them out. The Butcher's crew would grab Mr. Chow, make it look like a random attack."
The Scorpion's account lined up with what was in Ghostface's notebook. It seemed the overall plan was still on track.
But Thomas' attention was fixed on The Scorpion. He had questions. "How did you and Ghostface meet? Why were you so obsessed with this ritual?"
The Scorpion seemed to freeze for a moment, then a fanatical gleam lit up his eyes. "Ghostface found me, told me about his 'path to power.' Then I started having these dreams, vivid as hell. It felt... real. I thought that was what I wanted, to be one of these empowered guys." His gaze shifted to Thomas. "But now I know what I was really after. Sir, from now on, I'm your shield, your sword. Point me at your enemies, and I'll take them down."
Thomas nodded slowly, taking in the sheer intensity in The Scorpion's eyes. "Damn... this 'Conqueror' title is no joke." He thought, "But this Ghostface guy... his ability is terrifying. It's like he brainwashed The Scorpion."
The whole situation was becoming clearer now.
The room was silent, the only light coming from a small flashlight casting long, dancing shadows. Thomas sat in a chair, tapping his fingers on the armrest, plotting his next move.
He had Black Dog and The Scorpion under his thumb now. Black Dog's unique position made him a valuable asset. A spy inside Mad Dog's operation, and his connection to Hannibal Chow... both were crucial to Thomas' plans.
As for The Scorpion, Thomas decided to let things play out as planned, at least for now. The Scorpion was more useful in the shadows.
"You two, bring Stephen Chow up here," Thomas ordered. "And don't draw any attention."
The two men left without a word.
Thirty minutes later, Stephen Chow stood before Thomas, just as submissive as the other two.
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"Black Dog, Stephen, tell me everything you know about Hannibal Chow," Thomas commanded.
Stephen began to explain, with Black Dog adding details here and there. Thomas finally started to understand the state of this world, this city.
Their memories only went back three years. Hannibal was a broker, controlling a third of the refugee population in Sparrow City. His territory included the White Tower District and the adjacent Red Rock District. All the refugees there were under his control.
The reason Hannibal had so much power? The rebels in the city center.
Hannibal was basically their agent in these two districts. He helped them find and eliminate Revolutionary spies and dealt with the constant influx of survivors. He also found buyers for the rare and valuable items coming out of the lab.
Hannibal's recent departure was apparently to meet with a high-ranking rebel contact about a potential buyer.
Thomas nodded as he listened. "So that's how it is. There must be other rebel agents in the other districts, too."
The city's power structure was becoming clear. The rebels were the true rulers, using the refugees as their muscle. Even Hannibal was just a servant.
But something didn't add up. If the rebels had complete control of the CBS laboratory, why go through all this trouble?
The effects of the [Oceanborn] gene-enhancing serum alone showed the kind of power the lab held. Any sane person would keep that kind of power for themselves.
Unless... they were selling defective products. That was the only explanation that made sense.
No, the gene serum was probably not part of the deal. But the lab had other things. Blueprints like the [Intelligence Center], [Refugee Chest], and [Medical Station] that Thomas had acquired during the first wave. Those were probably what the rebels were trading.
The [Oceanborn] serum hadn't come from Black Dog or Stephen. He'd gotten lucky at White Tower Park.
So, who were those two people? Revolutionaries? Mercenaries? Some other organization?
Another question popped into Thomas' head. Did the rebels really have complete control of the lab?
It seemed more likely that they only had partial access, some kind of pattern they'd figured out. That's why they were holed up in the city center, waiting for their chance.
And that chance was probably the special lab mission in two days.
A sudden realization struck Thomas.
That was it!
The rebels were just like the survivors. They probably needed to follow certain rules to enter the lab.
Survivors needed a [Laboratory Access Key Card]. And judging by the lengths Ghostface went to, those cards were incredibly rare. Most survivors probably didn't stand a chance. This mission was likely for the veterans, those who had survived multiple waves.
So what was the rebels' entry requirement?
He didn't know yet.
But one thing was certain: inside the lab, the rebels' only goal was to kill every survivor.
"Everyone's an enemy in there. Not just the rebels, but probably every other survivor, too. It's going to be a free-for-all."
"But this could be a real opportunity for me."
With the situation regarding the lab and the rebels clarified, Thomas refocused. The lab mission was in two days, and he had a rough idea of how to proceed.
He could put that on the back burner for now.
His more immediate concern was what to do with these three, and whether there was any way to exploit The Butcher's kidnapping plan tomorrow.
He tapped his finger against the armrest once more, lost in thought.