Alexander stared at the weapons and supplies Liu Hui had just given him, clearly overwhelmed, as the purpose of these items vastly exceeded the scope of his understanding.

Liu Hui said, "My dear Alexander, the detailed tutorials for these weapons and communication gear are all contained within the video player I gave you. Just follow the instructions provided. As long as you utilize these weapons and communication devices properly, I can guarantee you will achieve ultimate victory. Of course, these items are only for you to become familiar with their use, so the quantities aren't extensive. It doesn't matter if they are all used up. Once you truly master how to operate these weapons, I will transfer a massive amount of arms to you, and then you will be able to utterly crush those Elven warriors."

Having suddenly received so many weapons, Alexander was eager to test them out, desperate to see if their power was as immense as Liu Hui claimed. Thus, he quickly bid farewell to Liu Hui and immediately left to familiarize himself with the capabilities of these new armaments.

Liu Hui quietly shut down the Planar Trader. This time, he had truly staked everything, transferring every piece of technological weaponry he could acquire on Earth to Alexander, tasking him to wage a technological-magical war against the magical plane using these tools. Had he been able to secure nuclear weapons, he would have even considered transferring those to Alexander to instantly annihilate the Elven armies.

Liu Hui had done everything within his power; now, it all depended on whether Alexander could withstand the Elven army's assault using these technological weapons. If the human army was routed, as long as Alexander could escape, there would eventually be a chance to regroup. However, if that happened, the development speed of Starry Sky Group would slow down considerably.

In the following days, Liu Hui constantly monitored the developing situation on the magical plane. According to the intelligence Alexander received, the King of Xiling Country, upon learning that his son had been killed by the humans in the mountains, flew into a furious rage. He had begun mobilizing troops across the entire nation, vowing to wipe out the humans completely to avenge his son.

During this period, Alexander had been relentlessly mastering the weapons Liu Hui provided, gradually gaining experience and insight into their operation. After understanding the sheer power of these devices, he was deeply shocked. He felt that if he could deploy these weapons skillfully, they might indeed be able to repel the Elven soldiers of Xiling Country from beyond the mountains.

Once Alexander had familiarized himself with the application of these weapons, Liu Hui immediately transferred the vast stockpiles he had accumulated to him. He instructed Alexander to distribute them among the soldiers so they could begin to get accustomed to the capabilities of the new arms and start conducting training drills. The hope was to launch a surprise attack on the Elven army once the war began, seizing the initiative and securing ultimate victory.

However, based on Alexander's reports, the speed at which Xiling Country was mobilizing its forces was remarkably slow. Alexander estimated that the Xiling troops would only be fully assembled and ready to attack the humans approximately two months later.

Hearing that there was a two-month buffer, Liu Hui finally let out a breath of relief. To enhance Alexander's chances of success, he placed another large order with Xiaoyaozi in the Cultivation Realm for numerous high-grade cultivation cushions—the kind capable of accelerating cultivation speed by over a hundred times. He then installed Level Five Magical Beast Cores within them before transferring them to Alexander for use in boosting the soldiers' strength.

Xiaoyaozi, that old rogue, was seasoned in negotiation. Under the influence of a few carefully chosen words from Liu Hui, he noticed Liu Hui was slightly impatient, which the great profiteer immediately exploited. Consequently, Xiaoyaozi started playing hardball, ultimately forcing Liu Hui to pay double the spirit stones to secure the massive deal.

Although these magical beast cores cost Liu Hui virtually nothing, being extorted out of double the amount by Xiaoyaozi left him intensely frustrated. Liu Hui silently resolved that the next time he transacted with Xiaoyaozi, he must be extremely cautious and meticulous, ensuring he gave the old schemer no opportunity to take advantage again.

As a precaution, Liu Hui had already relocated all one thousand tons of narcotics he had stored in Alexander's massive super-warehouse. These drugs were moved to storage facilities aboard the "City of Starry Sky," along with the magical beast cores, counted in the hundreds of millions across various levels. If these assets had not been moved in advance, Liu Hui would have suffered catastrophic losses had Alexander been defeated and forced to flee.

The "City of Starry Sky" was situated beneath the ocean surface—the location Liu Hui had long designed for his large-scale storage facilities. These were built for housing the rare materials he traded from various planes in the future. However, this construction project was not yet complete when Liu Hui put it into premature use.

With the influx of items traded from the magical plane onto the "City of Starry Sky," and for the sake of securing these assets, Liu Hui further reinforced the security measures on the vessel, ensuring that no one could board without explicit permission, thereby keeping the inventory secret from outsiders.

With the situation on the magical plane temporarily uncertain, Liu Hui had done all he could. Now, he could only leave the rest to fate and shift his focus back to the development of Starry Sky Group.

On this day, Liu Hui arrived at the Starry Sky Scientific Research Institute at the agreed time. Chen Changsheng had already gathered the research personnel. These were the individuals Chen Changsheng had specifically selected to receive injections of the Body Evolution Fluid. After several thorough verifications by Desheng's Starry Sky Eye, their integrity was confirmed, and only then were they permitted to receive the injection. After receiving the Body Evolution Fluid, they would reach the state of Post-Heaven Great Accomplishment. Subsequently, upon receiving the Spiritual Root Manufacturing Fluid and cultivating, they could enter the initial stages of cultivation, enabling them to draw upon the true essence stored in the energy storage spheres to construct various arrays.

As Starry Sky Group’s development accelerated, coupled with the new demands of constructing the "City of Starry Sky," the "Underwater Factory Complex," and the "Super Submarines"—all of which required array inscriptions—the existing personnel forcibly elevated to array-inscription capability were proving insufficient. Thus, it was necessary to expand the roster of individuals capable of inscribing arrays.

The group Chen Changsheng had convened today numbered over three hundred researchers. If all proceeded smoothly, these individuals would acquire array-inscription abilities in two months. With their addition, the pace of Starry Sky Group’s development across various sectors would accelerate further.

Surprisingly, leading this contingent of three hundred was Anqi. Anqi had always been intensely curious about this ability to manipulate true essence for inscribing formations, so she deliberately placed herself on this roster, seeking to gain this capability through modification of her own body. Only by possessing the ability to inscribe arrays herself could she gain a more direct understanding of their application and unlock their true potential.

Liu Hui also spotted another familiar face among the researchers: Yang Hua. Yang Hua had achieved excellent results at the Starry Sky Scientific Research Institute over the past year. Coupled with his impeccable background and lack of any suspicious elements, he had also been included in this round of body modification candidates.

After Liu Hui delivered an impassioned speech to these core researchers of the Starry Sky Scientific Research Institute, he produced three hundred doses of the Body Evolution Fluid. The nurses selected by Mei Peng began administering the injections. Soon, all the researchers fell into a deep sleep after receiving the fluid, leaving only Anqi, who was still chatting animatedly with Chen Changsheng.

Liu Hui looked at Anqi, a flicker of suspicion crossing his mind. He checked the time and noted that Anqi had not succumbed to drowsiness; she remained perfectly alert, conversing with Chen Changsheng.

Liu Hui walked over and asked Anqi, "Anqi, are you experiencing any abnormal physical reactions?"

Anqi replied with slight bewilderment, "No, nothing unusual. I feel exactly the same as normal."

Liu Hui said with suspicion, "How is that possible? This Body Evolution Fluid should cause immediate unconsciousness after injection. Look around you—everyone else has already passed out. Why are you unaffected?"

Anqi responded thoughtfully, "Is it because my spiritual power is much stronger than others? I should probably pass out soon, shouldn't I?"

So, Liu Hui stood by Anqi, meticulously tracking the time as he observed her condition. Half an hour passed, and Anqi still showed no sign of sleepiness, let alone unconsciousness. After three hours, Anqi did begin to feel somewhat tired, but it was the natural drowsiness that comes from lying down for too long, not the effect of the substance. Five hours later, the researchers who had been injected began to stir, expressing surprise at the sudden physical changes they were experiencing. Yet, Anqi remained completely unaffected by the intended blackout.

Seeing that everyone injected at the same time as her had woken up and appeared to have benefited greatly, while her own body showed no reaction, Anqi felt a distinct sense of imbalance. She opened her eyes and cast a slightly aggrieved look at Liu Hui.

Liu Hui was completely baffled by Anqi's current state. He stated, "Anqi, you might have some unknown anomaly in your body that rendered this product ineffective. I need to draw a blood sample from you now to conduct further research into your condition and find out exactly where the issue lies."

Anqi had been highly enthusiastic about receiving the Body Evolution Fluid, but to find that everyone succeeded except her was deeply frustrating. Nevertheless, Anqi complied, rolling up her sleeve to allow a nurse to draw a blood sample.

Curious about the anomaly in Anqi's system, Liu Hui accepted her blood sample, offered her some comfort, then excused himself from Chen Changsheng and returned to the basement of the administration building to summon the Zerg from the Insectoid Race.

Zerg appeared quickly on the Planar Trader’s screen. Zerg’s appearance remained as grotesque as ever, but his words were polite: "Esteemed Lord Liu Hui, greetings. What matter requires my attention this time? Did we not just complete a transaction a few days ago?"

Liu Hui replied, "Esteemed Lord Zerg, greetings. I have a question I wish to ask you."

Zerg stated, "Esteemed Lord Liu Hui, please ask."

Liu Hui inquired, "The Body Evolution Fluid you traded to me previously—it should be effective on all of our human beings, correct?"

Zerg nodded. "Indeed. This Body Evolution Fluid was specifically developed based on the genetic structure of your human race. Any human injecting this fluid will undergo evolution and modification of the body."

Liu Hui pressed, "But today, I used this Body Evolution Fluid on one human, and I found it had absolutely no effect. What could account for that?"

Zerg replied, "There are only two reasons why the substance would fail to work. The first is that the recipient of the Body Evolution Fluid is not one of your humans. The second is that the specific dose you administered had expired, though the probability of that is extremely small—virtually nonexistent."

Liu Hui started, "According to what you just said, if the fluid did not expire, does that not imply the subject is not human?"

Zerg responded, "That is a possibility. If you possess her genetic sample, we can conduct a detailed analysis and study of it to reach a definitive conclusion."

A sudden chill ran down Liu Hui's spine for reasons he couldn't immediately place. He hesitated for a moment before taking out the blood sample drawn from Anqi and saying to Zerg, "This is the blood sample from that individual. I beg you to study it and find out what exactly is going on."

Zerg executed a trade command, taking possession of Anqi's blood sample. He then hastily bid Liu Hui farewell, stating he needed to immediately begin studying the genetic samples within the blood to ascertain whether the subject was indeed human.

After terminating the communication with Zerg, Liu Hui felt a sense of profound loss. His prior concerns revolved around the series of uncontrollable, strange events that occurred whenever he physically contacted Anqi’s body, but that issue now seemed insignificant. The paramount question now was: Is Anqi human?

Zerg had just confirmed that the Body Evolution Fluid manufactured by the Insectoids was universally effective for all humans. Yet, it had failed solely on Anqi. What did this imply?

Liu Hui immediately connected this anomaly to Anqi's phenomenal scientific talent, her photographic memory, scientific concepts far ahead of the world by many years, and her overwhelmingly powerful spiritual energy. In all these respects, she vastly surpassed the humans of this world—even a reincarnated Einstein might not be this prodigious. Could such terrifying talent truly be achievable by a contemporary human? If Anqi was not human, then what being was she?

After his call with Zerg, Liu Hui's suspicion regarding Anqi’s physical makeup deepened. However, all he could do now was await Zerg’s research findings to clarify the situation.

Yet, Liu Hui also reasoned that even if Anqi turned out not to be human, she was unlikely to harm him. After all, judging by the way she looked at him, Anqi clearly stood on his side and would not betray him. Furthermore, the immense contributions Anqi had made to the development of Starry Sky Group recently demonstrated that she truly considered it her home. Thus, even if she was ultimately discovered to be non-human, it should have no bearing on him.

However, Zerg’s initial analysis of Anqi’s blood sample was not quick to yield conclusions. When Liu Hui sought an update, Zerg asked him to wait longer, assuring him they would notify him immediately upon obtaining results. This left Liu Hui feeling helpless; he could only continue waiting. Simultaneously, his suspicion about Anqi’s condition grew stronger. Any genetic profile that required extensive study by the Insectoids, who specialized in gene technology, must be exceptionally complex.

Three months after the Great Earthquake in Los Angeles, the US government finally delivered sorrowful news to its citizens: two aircraft carrier strike groups belonging to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet—the USS Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group and the USS Stennis Carrier Strike Group—had been completely annihilated.

The US government explained the destruction of these two strike groups thusly: The Eisenhower and Stennis strike groups were engaged in a highly classified military exercise off the West Coast when, unexpectedly, their operational area fell within the zone affected by the Los Angeles Earthquake. The resulting mega-quake triggered a colossal tsunami, and the massive waves swallowed both carrier strike groups whole; not a single sailor escaped.

Just as the American populace was mourning the dead from the Los Angeles disaster, this devastating tragedy struck. However, the public was only slightly surprised by the news and quickly moved on from following up on the shocking headlines. In their minds, having already witnessed an earthquake of unprecedented magnitude, they could grudgingly accept the explanation that two carrier strike groups were lost due to the ensuing tsunami. Given the catastrophic casualties they had already seen, the loss of these two strike groups remained within a range they could process.

Although American citizens accepted their government’s narrative, the bizarre destruction of two carrier strike groups could not be concealed from the more discerning eyes around the world. After all, the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet was permanently stationed in the Middle East, and they had been conducting patrol duties in the Arabian Sea just days before the incident. How could they have suddenly appeared off the West Coast of the US, only to be completely wiped out without a single survivor?

The US government, however, remained unconcerned by the scrutiny of these attentive observers. They only needed domestic public belief; the questioning from outsiders had no impact on them. Thus, using the sudden occurrence of the Los Angeles Super Earthquake as cover, the US government managed to neutralize the issue of the Navy’s inexplicable loss of two carrier strike groups. Moreover, even with the loss of two strike groups, the power of the US Navy still far surpassed that of any other nation's naval strength globally, leaving them unconcerned about any challenge to their maritime supremacy.

Liu Hui was well aware of the calculations the Americans were making, but he currently had his own worries and did not stir up trouble for the Americans regarding this matter.

In Liu Hui’s office, Desheng was reporting on his progress, while Liu Hui, seated across from him, wore a visibly grim expression.

"Boss, the investigation you ordered has yielded results. That overseas Chinese from Europe named Donny does indeed have issues. Moreover, it’s not just him; suspicious individuals have appeared around several high-ranking personnel within Starry Sky Group," Desheng said, handing Liu Hui a stack of documents.

Liu Hui flipped through the materials. The first page displayed a photograph of the man named Donny. In the picture, Donny appeared strikingly handsome, possessed evident charisma, and carried an air of refinement that instantly engendered goodwill.

Liu Hui felt a vague sense of unease, as seeing Donny instantly brought to mind the Korean man, Han Junxi, whom he had encountered at the Macau casino. He noticed certain similarities between the two men. Liu Hui set down the file and asked, "What exactly is problematic about this Donny?"

Desheng explained, "Two months ago, Boss asked us to investigate this man to facilitate Yang Hua's pursuit of Li Zhi. In the initial stages of the investigation, our personnel found nothing amiss with Donny; we just saw him as a womanizer—wealthy and adept at charming women. However, Yang Hua quickly established a romantic relationship with Li Zhi, so we ceased further investigation into Donny."

Liu Hui prompted, "And then?"

Desheng said, "Half a month ago, during an internal meeting of the Starry Sky Eye, while intelligence personnel from various global branches were exchanging information, I inadvertently stumbled upon a suspicious piece of news. This Donny had previously employed a honey trap tactic when he was in Europe, successfully capturing the heart of a European Duchess, defrauding her of her entire fortune, and ultimately driving the Duchess to suicide. Although that man wasn't called Donny at the time, and his appearance had changed somewhat, he was instantly recognized by our European branch intelligence operatives. They confirmed that this Donny was indeed the same person who had swindled the Duchess in Europe."

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