Chapter Seven: I Am Much Richer Than the Holy Lord

While Chen Mo was conversing with his fellow members in the chat group, the analysis session led by Chu Hao and the others drew to a close.

In short, the protection objective—"Protect Jarrod for three days, or survive for one week in Skyline"—was a play on words. If they intended to complete the former, they had to consider whether this Jarrod was truly the Jarrod of Skyline or simply another individual sharing the same name. If it were the right one, all would be well; but if it were not, those who focused solely on protecting him would squander precious preparation time, leaving them trapped in a dire predicament, besieged by aliens on all sides. Furthermore, to maximize their reward points and side quests, staying in this world for several days was necessary. Therefore, they needed to focus their preparations on the task of surviving for one week.

"When will the aliens arrive?" Jenny raised her hand to ask. Although she was a veteran, her demeanor was more like that of a newcomer. Chen Mo, who possessed significant power and influence, and Chu Hao, who analyzed the situation and formulated their strategy, seemed more like the true veterans.

"In the movie, the aliens arrive at four in the morning," Chu Hao said, taking a bite of an apple. "However, we don't know which morning they will arrive. In the worst-case scenario, it could be tomorrow at four. But based on my analysis, they shouldn't arrive that quickly. It will likely be the day after tomorrow, or at the latest, the day after that. This gives us about two days to prepare. We need a massive amount of supplies: food, water, medicine, firearms, and a safe shelter. The apartment building where the protagonist is staying is definitely not a reliable location."

Chu Hao then began assigning tasks to everyone. Ares was responsible for raising funds through family connections and securing supplies like chemical materials; J was to seek out his fellow countrymen and scout local underworld contacts to procure firearms and ammunition; Jenny and the blonde woman were tasked with purchasing items from their supply list.

As for Chen Mo...

"Am I going to kidnap the protagonist and his group?" Chen Mo asked, now alone with Chu Hao after the others had left to carry out their assignments.

"To be precise, you are to scout the area and monitor the Skyline protagonist, Jarrod. If an emergency arises, you may use force if necessary," Chu Hao said, tossing his apple core into the trash. "You are the one among us most familiar with the God Space and the strongest individual. You likely possess many abilities I am unaware of, but I won't pry. Everyone has secrets—you do, I do, and so do the others."

"Understood," Chen Mo nodded. "I'll be careful. If anything changes, I'll notify you immediately."

Chu Hao nodded, then suddenly asked, "By the way, Chen Mo, do you know about the Genetic Lock?"

"I do. Why?"

"It's just a personal hypothesis of mine. Combining the definition of the 'super state' after opening the Genetic Lock—which I heard from Jenny—with the protagonist's abnormal performance after being exposed to the blue light, such as killing a small alien with his bare hands despite being hit by a car... I've come to a bold conclusion: the hypnosis induced by the blue light released by the aliens might be a method to unlock the Genetic Lock."

"Is that so?" Chen Mo feigned surprise.

"My ancestors once told me that there are indeed ways to open the Genetic Lock through external forces in the God Space, though the God Space does not sell such methods or items directly; they can only be obtained within story worlds. I never expected we would encounter one so easily."

"But that blue light seems to have side effects, doesn't it? Like the hypnosis and the gruesome alienation of the protagonist's body."

"Yes, the side effects are severe," Chu Hao agreed. "But the benefits are equally high. If we successfully kill an alien carrying one of those blue light devices, please use your subspace fragments to secure it. If we can bring the device back to the God Space, I might be able to find a way to study it."

"That would be perfect."

In the original story of *Infinite Dawn*, an alien blue-light device capable of opening the first-tier Genetic Lock existed, but Chu Hao and his team never attempted to retrieve it. Now, with Chen Mo's involvement, the situation had quietly begun to shift.

Leaving the hotel, Chen Mo followed the information provided by Chu Hao toward the apartment building where Jarrod resided. Chu Hao was busy using his technical skills to hack into city surveillance cameras and computers to map out the area and select a shelter location. Before leaving, Chen Mo had also requested the whereabouts of the newcomers who had left their group. They had been detained by the local police—which was only natural, as they had mindlessly told the police they were kidnapped from Europe, failing to even get the seasons right. They were being held until their respective embassies or immigration officials could verify their status.

[Valon: I believe this chat group is real now.]

[Lu Mingfei: Oh? I thought it would take you a few more days to be convinced. What made you change your mind so quickly?]

[Valon: I used the lottery function, rolled a 30, and the chat group sent me a large sum of money.]

[Valon: I've been spending more and more on finding talismans and dealing with Jackie Chan; this money will help cover my deficits.]

[Chen Mo: Hey, sounds like you need money.]

[Chen Mo: Valon, would you like to make a trade with me?]

[Valon: Hmm? What kind of trade?]

[Chen Mo: Has Shendu promised you the Golden Chicken Queen... or was it the Emperor's treasure? You'd be better off trusting me than that demon, who is notorious for being untrustworthy.]

[Chen Mo: You help me collect the talismans, and when it's done, I'll give you more money than Shendu ever promised. I'm not bragging, but when it comes to being rich, Shendu can't compare to me.]

In the God Space, a few reward points could be exchanged for cubic meters of gold, platinum, or even rarer diamonds and precious elements. While Shendu was a dark wizard with vast hoards of treasure, his obsession with his wealth in the original story suggested he lacked the ability to turn objects into gold. Clearly, he was not as wealthy as Chen Mo.

Upon reading this, Valon, who was currently ordering his men to count the money he had just received from the chat group, felt his eyes light up.

[Valon: Tell me more, brother.]