Chapter 62: Give It Your All

Zhao Kuo didn't sleep well that night. Because of the Lucky Dice, he was certain that something had happened, but he had no idea what it was.

It wasn't until late into the night that Zhao Kuo finally fell asleep.

With Xiao Bai around, he wasn't worried about anything happening while he slept.

When he woke up, Tang Yingying had already finished washing up.

"Oh, finally decided to get up? Someone's outside looking for you," Tang Yingying said as she applied some light makeup in front of the mirror.

It was unclear where these cosmetics had come from, but there was no denying that Tang Yingying looked a bit prettier after putting on makeup.

Zhao Kuo asked while getting dressed, "Who's outside?"

"Someone from the Blaze Gang, sent by Qiong En. He's asking you to come over—there's something important," Tang Yingying replied.

Something important? Could it be about the materials needed to make the advanced evolution potion?

Zhao Kuo nodded. Just as he was about to leave, he turned back and looked at Tang Yingying, who had finished her makeup. "And you? What are you planning to do?"

Tang Yingying looked at herself in the mirror with satisfaction, ignoring Zhao Kuo's surprised gaze. "Dr. got me an upper-level pass. I'm planning to go explore. Who knows, maybe I'll find something good."

"Don't worry, I won't run off with another man."

With that, she pushed the door open and walked out first.

Zhao Kuo shook his head and left to meet up with Qiong En.

On the way to the 15th floor, Qiong En took out a few exquisite cards, one of which had Zhao Kuo's information recorded on it, though the face looked slightly younger.

As they walked, Qiong En explained, "Starting from the 14th floor, each level is guarded to strictly prevent lower or middle-level people from entering places they shouldn't."

"These guards are on rotating shifts, and there are no blind spots in their surveillance. So, the only way to get to the upper levels is with this."

Behind them were two young people, a man and a woman, both from the Blaze Gang.

However, they had dyed their previously exaggerated hairstyles back to black and changed into more refined and elegant outfits. Even their demeanor, under Qiong En's training, had become more akin to that of upper-level people.

After all, the difference between lower-level and upper-level people was stark. Even if they changed their clothes, their inherent demeanor would give them away at a glance.

It was unclear how long Qiong En had been preparing for this day.

These two were the teammates for today's operation. The young man was named Zhou Xing, and the young woman was named Jasmine.

According to Qiong En, Zhou Xing had a natural talent for telepathy and could briefly control others' minds, while Jasmine was exceptionally skilled in combat, especially in lethal techniques.

If it came to a real life-and-death fight, even Qiong En would have to avoid her.

Both of them were elites within the Blaze Gang.

"Originally, we planned to have Miss Tang participate in this operation, but she said she had other plans," Qiong En said.

Zhao Kuo naturally didn't mention that Tang Yingying's "other plans" involved stealing more subway coins from the upper levels. It had to be said that she could be quite unreliable at times.

"It's fine. She has her own plans. We'll focus on our tasks," Zhao Kuo replied.

Their destination was a bank located on the third floor. The materials Dr. needed were stored in the bank's vault.

Only by obtaining these materials could they successfully produce the advanced evolution potion.

A bank—just hearing the name made it clear that it would be heavily guarded, possibly even by the military.

Zhao Kuo frowned slightly. He knew that upper-level people had props. If a firefight broke out, props combined with armed soldiers would require him to be on high alert.

However, Qiong En's plan was quite thorough, which was why Zhao Kuo had agreed to come along.

Soon, the four of them arrived at the entrance to the 15th floor, where a squad of heavily armed soldiers was on guard.

Unlike the military they had encountered before, these soldiers were equipped with more advanced firearms and wore bulletproof vests. Their gear was exceptionally well-prepared.

Especially on the squad leader, Zhao Kuo sensed a faint, unusual fluctuation.

Was he, like Zhou Xing, a talent user?

"Halt! Who goes there?" The patrolling guards noticed Zhao Kuo and the others and quickly surrounded them.

Facing the heavily armed upper-level guards, Zhao Kuo and Qiong En showed no trace of fear.

Behind them, Jasmine even glared at the squad leader. "How dare you block the viscount!"

Qiong En had fabricated Zhao Kuo's identity as a viscount, while he himself was the viscount's advisor. As for Zhou Xing and Jasmine, they were Zhao Kuo's bodyguards.

Zhao Kuo quickly got into character. He placed his hands behind his back and looked at the squad leader. "We're all serving the Federation. No need to make things difficult. Show them our passes."

Qiong En immediately handed over the pre-prepared passes.

The squad leader quickly took them and scanned them with a special machine. After confirming they were valid, he stood at attention and saluted. "My apologies for offending you, Viscount. I deserve to die for my mistake!"

Zhao Kuo waved his hand. "You were just doing your duty. No need for that. Let's go."

With that, he led the way into the nearby elevator.

Only after the elevator doors closed did the soldier next to the squad leader dare to speak. "That viscount seemed quite kind. If it were any other noble, they would've kicked us by now. It's just… I've never seen him before."

"There are so many viscounts and barons. How could you have seen them all? We're lucky the viscount didn't punish us. Enough talk—let's get back to patrol," the squad leader scolded lightly before leading his team to continue their rounds.

At each subsequent floor, the four of them had to go through similar interrogations.

Moreover, the higher they went, the more thorough the identity checks became, and the more detailed the questioning. If Qiong En hadn't prepared Zhao Kuo with all the details beforehand, things could've easily gone wrong.

In the elevator heading to the third floor, Qiong En said, "The inspections weren't this strict before. It's just that we're in a special period now."

The upper levels had already received news that the next wave of players would arrive soon. The sixth great upheaval would begin with their arrival.

But only a handful of people knew that Zhao Kuo and Tang Yingying had already arrived at Eternal City Station.

Their speed was simply too fast—the speed of the internal combustion engine had far surpassed that of all other players.

Fortunately, the identity documents Qiong En had prepared were flawless, which also indicated that the upper levels weren't as united as they seemed. Aside from the nobles led by Li Jue, other factions had also begun colluding with the lower levels, preparing to profit from the impending chaos.

For the upper-level people, the great upheaval was more like a game where they could fish in troubled waters.

Soon, the elevator stopped at the designated floor. As the doors slowly opened, a blinding light poured in.

Outside was a world of brightness. For a moment, Zhao Kuo thought he had returned to the real world.

The bright light, clean streets, and orderly buildings were almost surreal. However, the steam-powered vehicles speeding down the roads quickly brought him back to reality.

They had arrived in the world of the upper-level people.

The technological level here was roughly equivalent to the Victorian era, with some advancements. Internal combustion engines hadn't appeared yet, but the city's infrastructure was already taking shape.

Since the factories were all located in the middle eight levels, the upper six levels were quite clean. Flowers, trees, and plants, bathed in the light of the "sun," continuously provided fresh air for the people living here.

The so-called "sun" was actually an artificial light source hanging high in the sky.

It was likely some kind of prop, Zhao Kuo guessed. After all, the technological level of Eternal Station wasn't advanced enough to create an artificial sun.

The only downside was the unchanging dome above, adorned with various gemstones, likely meant to simulate the setting sun.

Compared to the darkness below, this place was practically a paradise on earth.

For a brief moment, Zhao Kuo had the thought of staying here forever.

To him, this place was like the world of "The Truman Show," except that aside from the evil god, no one would be watching his life.

"Let's begin the operation," Qiong En, who was clearly not here for the first time, said softly, bowing his head slightly.

Zhou Xing and Jasmine nodded and headed off in different directions.

Qiong En looked at Zhao Kuo beside him and said, "The advanced evolution potion not only enhances abilities but also has a chance to awaken our talents. So, let's give it our all."