Chapter 3415 — The Plan Begins

"Oh? Then this matter is yours to handle. If you do it well, I will take you out of here, and as for the biochemical poison in your body, I will find someone to deal with that too." The person Wei Zhao had in mind was Brother Dafeng. Since Brother Dafeng had also served as a chief in a poison-refining base, he ought to know a thing or two about biochemical agents, and might even have the formula or a source for the antidote.

"Truly? Then I am deeply grateful, Chief!" Life here was comfortable enough, but no one wished to be used like a slave. Meng Gaohai was a Heaven-rank expert, a proud being; to refine poison day after day in this place — how could he not feel stifled?

In the past there had been no choice. To be a chief here was quite pleasant, but as time wore on it inevitably grew dull, only there was never a chance to leave.

Now things were different. Since Wei Zhao had given his word, it meant Wei Zhao must have a way. In his eyes, Wei Zhao was a man of great ability — not only formidable in strength, but skilled at healing; that he could also neutralize poison was hardly far-fetched.

At this thought, Meng Gaohai was elated, and he swore inwardly that he would see this matter through for Wei Zhao.

"Chief, can I come along when you leave too..." the close-cropped man asked cautiously.

"And me..." The underling who had been gaping all this while had now recovered himself, and he too hurried to ask.

"You three, you will leave with me when the time comes. As for anyone beyond that, I cannot be bothered to manage so many." Wei Zhao was never the sort to meddle in others' affairs. Though he had changed somewhat over this past year, that change applied only to those close to him, those connected to him; for everyone else, Wei Zhao truly had no mind to intervene.

"Wonderful! Thank you, Chief 9527!" the close-cropped man and the dull-witted underling both hastened to express their thanks.

"No need to thank me yet. See whether there is anything he can use you for." Wei Zhao waved a hand and gestured toward Meng Gaohai.

"As it happens, there is!" Meng Gaohai thought it over, hesitated a moment, then said: "Here is the plan. Tomorrow, the two of you will suffer a little — go provoke those hypnotized biochemical men and let them beat you up. Then I will step in to stand up for you, and it will be entirely justified!"

"No problem!" The close-cropped man and the dull-witted underling agreed almost without a thought. Never mind a beating — even being beaten half to death would not matter! Had they not just seen Chief 9527 heal their injuries in an instant?

"Good, then tomorrow it is, and here is how it will go..." Meng Gaohai laid out his plan. Wei Zhao listened; it was simple, but truly workable — proof that this Meng Gaohai was a man of resource. He had found the right person after all.

The night passed without incident. Meng Gaohai, the close-cropped man, and the dull-witted underling all treated Wei Zhao with the utmost deference, and Wei Zhao learned their names and nicknames.

"Chief, shall we all go together?" Meng Gaohai asked Wei Zhao cautiously.

"Yes. Out there, you are still the chief, and I will call you Chief. You may call me Little One," Wei Zhao said.

"That... very well." Meng Gaohai hesitated, then nodded in fearful deference. He understood that if Wei Zhao suddenly became his chief, it would inevitably draw unwanted attention; better to keep a low profile.

The four of them left the dormitory together. Wei Zhao followed behind alongside the close-cropped man and the dull-witted underling, playing the part of a hanger-on like them. Those who saw Wei Zhao's new face paid him little mind.

Since Meng Gaohai had brought him along and had not mistreated him, it meant this man was already one of Meng Gaohai's underlings, and no one would go looking to make trouble for him.

They arrived at the work area, and a pungent stench assailed their nostrils. Inside, something was being refined amid billowing heat. One whiff told Wei Zhao exactly what it was: crystal meth.

So this poison-refining zone was not producing heroin, but chemical drugs.

Entering the work area, Wei Zhao imitated the others and set to work, while the close-cropped man and the dull-witted underling had by then slipped off somewhere unknown.

But those two were Meng Gaohai's underlings, so naturally no one questioned them. Meng Gaohai's authority was long established; even the patrols of the poison-refining base turned a blind eye to him — after all, they sometimes relied on him to manage the prisoners.

After working a while in the work area, Wei Zhao copied the others' motions, and thanks to Meng Gaohai's patronage he had been assigned a simple step: all he had to do was pick something up and set it down again.

Though Wei Zhao was a Heaven-rank expert, there were simply too many biochemical men here for him to sense them one by one.

After a time, the close-cropped man and the dull-witted underling returned, their faces covered in bruises, limping as they walked. Catching sight of Meng Gaohai, they at once poured out their grievance: "Chief! When we went to the latrine, we passed the biochemical men's work zone, and a crazed biochemical man beat us up!"

"What? Beaten up by a crazed biochemical man? Tell me, what exactly happened? Has the world turned upside down? Daring to strike my, Meng Gaohai's, underlings!" Meng Gaohai exploded on the spot, his eyes blazing.

Meng Gaohai was notorious for his domineering ways, and he had connections among the poison-refining base's management, so when he flew into a rage, no one thought anything amiss.

When these people had first arrived, many of them had been put in their place by Meng Gaohai as well.

Just then, a supervisor from the poison-refining base came over. Seeing Meng Gaohai, he hurried to soothe him: "Old Meng, that's enough. Why pick a fight with a mindless biochemical man? When those creatures go mad, there is no reasoning with them. If you let this anger you too, it is simply not worth it!"

"Any other time I would let it go, but beating my, Meng Gaohai's, underlings to this state — if I turn a blind eye, what will the others think? Especially this new underling I just took on — only yesterday I pounded my chest and swore that no one here would dare bully him, and then in the blink of an eye my other two underlings get beaten like this. If I do not stand up for them, what is this new underling 9527 to think?" Meng Gaohai pointed at Wei Zhao as he spoke, greatly agitated.

"This..." The supervisor was only an early Earth-rank expert; the two Heaven-rank experts were merely guards and seldom came to this work area, so maintaining order still required Meng Gaohai's assistance. Seeing that he was genuinely displeased, the supervisor knew he must go along with him, and said: "Old Meng, then tell me — what do you propose?" (To be continued..) RT