360: Hawk appears

Upon returning to the base, a long string of numbers appeared on Shen Yuan's screen, which at first glance seemed to have no obvious pattern.

"What information did you crack?" Tian Ming asked, looking at the dense numbers with some confusion.

Shen Yuan smiled and said, "I overestimated this person named Zhao Zixuan. His encryption method is actually simple binary, and then a coherent message can be obtained through an ancient compiler. It's actually very simple."

Fearing Tian Ming wouldn't understand, Shen Yuan continued, "The text content is actually very normal, but the data for each sentence separated by punctuation and sentence breaks is not quite normal. Among them, odd numbers are 1, and even numbers are 0. The time the post was published serves as the sequence positioning. The number of words in each of his paragraphs will not exceed 10. By categorizing the number of words in all paragraphs separated by punctuation, each post's characters are converted to binary, and then after character compilation, three to four words can be obtained. By sorting their positions according to the posting time, three sentences are obtained."

"Holy cow, that's so complicated! How can you say it's simple?"

Shen Yuan chuckled, "Because the human brain's computing power is limited. If he relied on a machine to compute, I might not be able to crack it. Since the information needs to be hidden, it must be simple enough that it can be deduced with just paper and pen. If they had to use computers, they would definitely be detected by Number Three. I just provided the idea to Number Three, and he cracked it following my method, which is why it was so fast."

"Alright, I have to say, your imagination is indeed bigger than mine," Tian Ming praised.

Tian Ming took the tablet from Shen Yuan and carefully read the information on it. He discovered that Zhao Zixuan and others planned to gather at a certain square in the Underground City at 8 PM three days later, and they had explicitly invited Hawk.

"What if Hawk doesn't go?" Tian Ming asked.

Shen Yuan smiled and said, "Although Hawk's identity is unknown, I had Number Three search for posts similar to Zhao Zixuan's. And you know what, he actually found over a thousand posts. After searching them out, and decrypting them in the same way, Hawk actually replied."

"The online community is real-name. Check for me, who replied?"

"It's a public announcement post from the Comprehensive Management Department's Convenience Services Division, a notification post, not a personal account. Moreover, it's several public announcement accounts." Shen Yuan looked at Tian Ming, a hint of worry in her eyes.

Because Hawk was still hidden and could mobilize accounts from several management departments, his position in the Comprehensive Management Department must be significant. This meant that the mole was within the Comprehensive Management Department, very possibly a mid-to-high-level manager.

"From the looks of it, there's a mole in the Comprehensive Management Department. Don't alert them yet. Let them gather, and if anyone from the Comprehensive Management Department appears, my Number Four clone will notify me."

Shen Yuan nodded slightly and said, "They are too cautious. Besides Hawk, they also mentioned someone with the codename Shadow. I don't know how they contacted him!"

Tian Ming smiled and said, "Shadow is either an Ability Users, or a Corpse King with illusory abilities. Let's continue to play the long game. Wife, you help me keep an eye on them. If there's any news, report it directly to Number Three and let him help analyze and deduce."

"Hmm, given their level of caution, I think Hawk probably won't show up directly. Perhaps he'll send someone to make contact."

Tian Ming felt a headache coming on and said, "Let's just wait and see. As long as they cause trouble within my base, they won't be able to escape the surveillance of my clones."

"Mm, my husband is the best!" Shen Yuan said with a smile.

Boom! A loud noise came from the bedroom, and both of them quickly put down their work and ran into the bedroom.

Xiao Xiao had an innocent look on her face, and the wardrobe in the bedroom had fallen to the floor. This little one had already started using her telekinetic abilities to wreak havoc.

Shen Yuan rolled her eyes and said, "Your offspring, her Ability Users strength is now even stronger than mine. If this continues and we still live in the Underground City, our baby might even tear off the ceiling."

Tian Ming said helplessly, "How about we move to the surface? Xiao Xiao is too young, curious about everything, and has no self-control."

"Alright, after Liu Zixuan and their gathering in a few days, we'll move to the surface to live." Shen Yuan nodded, agreeing to Tian Ming's suggestion.

Tian Ming nodded slightly: "I'll go build our house tomorrow. How about a manor villa?"

"Oh, good, good! Find a large empty space. I want to grow vegetables, flowers, and fruit trees." Shen Yuan immediately became interested.

"Alright then, I'll have Number Three come up with an architectural plan, a large one, so Xiao Xiao can have plenty of space to move around," Tian Ming said with a smile.

...

Three days later, Zhao Zixuan and some members of Hope of Light had a meal together at a restaurant in the Underground City. This was their first offline gathering.

Inside the restaurant, Zhao Zixuan and several core members of Hope of Light sat around a large round table, but there wasn't much food on the table.

Currently, the prices of fresh food are extremely high, and the agricultural output of the Underground City is still in the ramp-up phase, unable to provide sufficient supply.

The atmosphere at the banquet was a bit strange. Everyone looked at each other, and the main guest had not yet arrived.

Zhao Zixuan spoke, "This restaurant is newly opened. I know the owner. It's a private room with no public surveillance, so everyone doesn't need to be so reserved."

"Boss, do you think Lord Hawk will come?" a member asked.

"I'm not sure," Zhao Zixuan shook his head. "Lord Hawk's whereabouts have always been mysterious. Whether he will appear or not, we cannot predict. However, since he accepted our invitation, I think he should come."

Everyone nodded at his words, but the atmosphere remained somewhat tense. After all, whether the organization could continue depended on whether Hawk would appear there.

The waiting time seemed especially long, every minute felt like an eternity. Finally, to everyone's anticipation, the door to the private room was pushed open.

A figure in a black trench coat and black mask walked in. His face was completely covered, and no one could see his full appearance. His arrival brought an invisible pressure to everyone present.

"Lord Hawk!" Zhao Zixuan was the first to stand up and bow to the newcomer. The others also rose, respectfully greeting the arriving person.

"All sit down," Hawk's voice was slightly hoarse, but his tone revealed an undeniable authority.

Everyone sat down in order, and Hawk took the main seat. He looked around and then said, "The storm is about to subside. This is my first time meeting all of you. On behalf of Hope of Light, I thank you for your loyalty to the organization."

"It is our honor that Lord Hawk could grace us with his presence," Zhao Zixuan quickly flattered him.

"No need for pleasantries," Hawk waved his hand.

Everyone looked at Hawk, awaiting his instructions.

Hawk paused and said, "The Superpower Potion can no longer be transported in, but this time, I brought the Transforming Potion. This potion can give you powerful strength."

As Hawk spoke, he took out over a dozen red auto-injectors. Zhao Zixuan quickly distributed these potions to those present.

Hawk continued, "After you inject these potions, you will be able to establish telepathic communication with me and communicate directly with me. For those present, I will arrange for you to be in key positions through the Comprehensive Management Department. Everyone, inject it after you return."