After I Fully Prepared for the Apocalypse, the Ungrateful Cried with Regret

Chapter 208: Justin Lawson’s Investigation

"Is there a problem?"

Curious about the look on Nina Jacobs’s face, Sherry Renner walked over.

"Most of the deceased were Gold or Thunder Element Superpower Users. I just find it a little strange."

Nina Jacobs was indeed puzzled.

In her previous life, she and her group had also arrived at the City D Base around this time.

But in the month that followed, she’d never heard anything about this string of vicious crimes.

If it had been common knowledge, there was no way she wouldn’t have heard about it in her past life.

In other words, this serial murder case hadn’t happened in her previous life.

"That’s right. Seven Gold Element Superpower Users,

three Thunder Element Superpower Users,

and one each from the Fire and Wind Elements."

"They were all mainstream Superpower Users. For them to die just like that... it’s a real shame," Sherry Renner said.

"Where did it happen tonight?"

Nina Jacobs asked.

"In the southwest sector of the base. It happened in a newly constructed, unfinished dormitory building.

It’s awaiting renovation, so it’s been empty for the past couple of days."

Personnel had finished moving into the new base, and the dormitory occupancy rate was already as high as ninety percent. More dormitories were still being hastily constructed.

"So why would she go to a place like that?"

Nina Jacobs muttered to herself.

"That’s what we’re wondering, too. And her family is clueless."

There were still many survivors in the base without a place to live.

But there were designated shelters, so logically, no one should be going into an unfinished building like that.

Besides, the deceased and her family had already rented a dorm room.

"Get some rest. Looks like you’re going to be busy again tomorrow."

Nina Jacobs couldn’t figure it out either, so she said.

"You’re the only one who really worries about me.

Oh, right. That Adrian Shaw fellow asked me to give this to you."

Sherry Renner then pulled a letter from her pocket.

The letter was just folded a few times, unsealed.

It was as if he were deliberately trying to show he had nothing to hide.

Not that Sherry Renner had a habit of prying into other people’s secrets.

"It’s a map of the base."

When Nina Jacobs unfolded it, she found a small slip of paper tucked inside.

There was only a single line of text on the note.

"An up-to-date map, no less. He’s a pretty decent guy."

Sherry Renner examined the map closely.

Meanwhile, the small note in Nina Jacobs’s hand turned to a wisp of ash.

Adrian Shaw was informing her that Liam Grant apparently intended to use the base’s resources to search for a special substance in City J.

The corners of Nina Jacobs’s lips curled up.

’So they couldn’t wait any longer, just as I thought.’

...

「Late that night, inside the base’s administration building.」

Liam Grant and Renee Strong were sitting in a conference room.

Excitement was written all over their faces.

"Mystic Ice Core?"

Justin Lawson looked at the pair, acting as if he’d never heard of such a thing before.

"That’s right, the Mystic Ice Core.

Superpower Users can absorb it. Not only can it enhance their Superpowers, but it might have other effects as well."

Liam Grant noticed that Justin Lawson wasn’t as shocked as he had expected.

"What does it look like?"

Justin Lawson asked.

The moment Liam Grant mentioned it, Justin immediately thought of the special Crystal Cores Nina Jacobs had brought back from City J.

Clearly, Liam Grant was talking about the very same thing.

What they didn’t know was that, including the three absorbed by Ian Chandler and his two companions, Nina Jacobs had already contributed a total of eighteen of them...

Moreover, intelligence about these special Crystal Cores had already been reported to the General Command in City A, under the name of the City D Base.

Of course, all of this was done in secret.

"It’s black, with a stone-like texture, slightly larger than a Mutated Crystal Core."

Liam Grant wasn’t in a rush.

After all, the existence of something like a Mystic Ice Core was difficult for most people to fathom.

’If he wanted Justin Lawson to trust them more...’

’...he had to find a Mystic Ice Core and prove himself as soon as possible.’

"You said this thing would appear in City J. Did you see that in one of your dreams, too?"

Justin Lawson fell silent for a moment, appearing deep in thought.

"That’s right. This thing must be extremely important.

Later on, many people will be fighting over them. If our City D Base can get them in advance, we’ll surely be unbeatable in Drakonia!"

Liam Grant hoped his words would make Justin Lawson take him seriously.

And Justin Lawson did indeed nod, seemingly in agreement.

"But the situation in City J is currently unclear,

and we have no idea where to even look for this thing.

It would be extremely dangerous."

Justin Lawson feigned difficulty.

"Commander Lawson, perhaps once we get to City J, Liam will be able to dream about it?"

Renee Strong quickly interjected.

’The Mystic Ice Core was something they had desperately wanted in their past life.’

’Now that Liam Grant hadn’t awakened a Dual Element Superpower, perhaps the Mystic Ice Core could help.’

’But they didn’t want to go to City J on a suicide mission by themselves.’

"You want to go to City J to find this thing?"

Justin Lawson asked again, confirming.

"That’s right. We’re both from City D, so it’s only right that we contribute to the base.

But our team is small, and if we go... we’re not sure we’d make it back alive..."

Liam Grant’s brow furrowed as he spoke.

"This is the first time I’ve heard of what you’re talking about.

How about this...

If you and your team, Mr. Grant, want to go to City J to find this for the base, the base will naturally offer its support."

Justin Lawson had, of course, seen through their intentions.

Only after the two had left did Adrian Shaw emerge from the adjoining room.

"It seems they’re a bit dissatisfied with me as their liaison."

Adrian Shaw picked a seat and sat down.

"Still, since they’ve been so forthcoming,

Are you not planning to believe them, Uncle Lawson?"

He could tell from the other room that Justin Lawson’s reaction had been decidedly cold.

It was just a shame Liam Grant and his partner were completely oblivious.

"Shaw, there’s nothing wrong with being selfish,

but when someone insists on acting under the guise of helping others, that’s the kind of person you can’t trust."

"Judge a person by what they do, not what they say."

Having reached his position, Justin Lawson naturally had a sharper standard for judging people.

Some people don’t say much, but when trouble arises, they’re the ones you can count on most.

Others can talk all they want, but it doesn’t change the fact that they’re selfish.

"If they were truly thinking of the base, why did they only try so hard to get in touch with you after you arrived?

They just want to get something out of you, that’s all,"

Justin Lawson said.

"Uncle Lawson, you mean..."

Adrian Shaw was stunned.

’That’s right, why me, of all people?’

’He’d only been at the base for a little over a month.’

"His precognitive dreams... there’s definitely more to them than what he’s letting on."

Justin Lawson said with a cold smile.

He had always taken the matter of precognitive dreams very seriously.

He had already had people investigating Liam Grant for the past several days.

This included people who had contact with them or had seen them before the apocalypse.

In fact, a little digging and the restoration of some undamaged surveillance footage were all it took to uncover some anomalies.

Liam Grant and Renee Strong had rented multiple warehouses before the acid rain started.

And they had insisted on renting them for only one month, at a high price.

Three days before the acid rain began, Liam Grant had urgently brought his parents and younger sister from his hometown to City D.

Renee Strong, meanwhile, had borrowed large sums of money from several university classmates and relatives, and multiple gold jewelry stores had surveillance footage of her purchasing Gold...

There was also a short video clip from inside a mall during the acid rain, apparently filmed unintentionally by a passerby.

In the video, Liam Grant was warning Nina Jacobs about something, and was heard saying that a certain man would contract an infectious disease.

Afterward, however, Nina Jacobs had resolutely pulled the man who’d been drenched by the acid rain away with her...