Chapter 96: Crisis Emerges
"Do you see this?"
Mu Yang gathered all his squad members and took out a folding combat knife.
Although this item was considered a novice weapon, it was still quite good for the agents of the Thirteen Bureau. Of course, when there were good things, he had to consider his own teammates first.
"Is this a knife handle?"
Li Yalin was a little confused. Their newly appointed captain finally called them to gather once, and it was just to show them a knife handle?
But as Mu Yang suddenly flicked the handle outwards, the short handle abruptly transformed into a mighty metal blade, and their confusion was immediately dispelled.
Looking at the nearly seventy-centimeter-long, sharply gleaming black alloy knife, Li Yalin's eyes were practically glued to it.
Even Lan Beite, who was usually indifferent, now had a glint in his eyes, pondering something.
Mu Yang felt a bit emotional watching everyone's surprised reactions.
No one would have thought that the weapon equipment of a large organization like the Thirteen Bureau would be so lacking.
Due to the Research Department's long-standing idleness, the agents of the Thirteen Bureau were practically starving for new equipment.
Although the folding combat knife's technology was simple, for agents, only portable and concealed equipment could adapt to complex missions, which was why most agents' close-combat weapons were daggers.
Moreover, the Research Department often used allocated funds to invent some inexplicable things, such as sticky bombs with glue on both sides, curved machine guns that were impossible to aim, and skin that blocked metal detectors for hiding poison needles...
After two agents were hospitalized due to their own poison needles from misaligned equipment, the Research Department was blacklisted by the active agents.
Mu Yang had reason to suspect that the root of that internal spy organization was in the Research Department; otherwise, no matter how incompetent a department's personnel were, they wouldn't be absurd to this extent.
In fact, other high-ranking officials thought the same. Previously, they had thought that the Research Department's incompetents had been occupying their positions and doing nothing for years, specifically inventing some incomprehensible things to appease them.
But now, it seemed there might be another reason.
The high-ranking official from the Research Department immediately broke out in a cold sweat, but the director did not make things difficult for him, merely telling him to keep his eyes open in the future.
"Folding combat knife, made by my friend, one thousand per piece."
Seeing Li Yalin and the others nod repeatedly, Mu Yang then stated the price, even making it a hundred cheaper, which was quite conscientious.
"I want one!"
Li Yalin, always full of energy, was still the first to respond.
After receiving the folding combat knife and understanding how to operate it, she immediately played with it, unable to put it down.
"Captain, I'd like to order ten. I wonder if your friend can shrink the combat knife to about thirty centimeters."
Lan Beite suddenly spoke.
He was a sniper and generally wouldn't engage in close combat with enemies, so he wanted to modify the combat knife for use as a portable throwing knife.
"Yes, but you'll need to provide your own materials."
"Alright."
The folding combat knife had quite a market in the Thirteen Bureau. Mu Yang asked Li Yalin to recommend a few agents who might be interested, and in just over ten minutes, all 6 combat knives were sold out.
Currently, the output of folding combat knives was very small, so it wouldn't attract the attention of the Research Department.
But when they did notice, Mu Yang was not 100% sure, but at least 99% likely that he would steal the blueprints.
As for the remaining 1% possibility, it was that the internal spy organization had delayed their actions.
After all, although the Research Department only used funds to fool inspections, they at least had the basic vision to see that the folding combat knife had the potential to replace military bayonets and daggers, becoming the next generation of standard tactical close-combat weapons.
And when they obtained the blueprints, they would hand them over to military factories for mass production and free distribution. Whether it was the Secret Operations Department, the Field Operations Department, the Police Department, or the military, all would benefit.
This was the confidence of the Research Department to do so; the beneficiaries were not just their single department.
However, Han Xiao didn't care. Just as he thought, the folding combat knife was just for quick money. Getting involved with Mu Yang, showing goodwill to the Thirteen Bureau, and participating in hidden events were his true goals.
And as Han Xiao diligently crafted light power arms by lamplight, danger was quietly approaching.
"For a Zero, so many people actually came?"
Nossa Crono looked at the gathered Germination members, his words filled with undisguised disdain.
As Germination's ace assassin, even without the help of others, he could still eliminate Zero!
In his opinion, assassinating Zero didn't require so many people. More people meant a larger target, and the possibility of exposure would naturally increase.
But there was no helping it; he wasn't the first to discover Zero.
"Nossa, still well, I see."
A deep, hoarse voice sounded in his ear, and Nossa's expression immediately changed, a look of apprehension slowly creeping onto his face.
"...Mad Fist, Bloodlust, you two actually came too."
"Heh, how could I miss such a crazy act as going to West Capital to wreak havoc?" [You have triggered a D-rank mission [Internal Spy Storm]. Accept/Reject?]
Han Xiao, who was busy, paused his movements, then continued working.
He wasn't surprised to trigger a mission, as Mu Yang had already warned him beforehand, but the mission level was surprisingly D-rank, indicating that the assassin's strength was considerable.
He couldn't handle a mission of this level alone at the moment.
But don't forget, this was West Capital, the capital of the Star Dragon Country. The Thirteen Bureau wouldn't stand by and watch assassins arbitrarily trample on rules and destroy the city, nor would they let him be killed.
Unless the Germination army was at their doorstep, he couldn't imagine how he could lose!
And indeed, even though the hidden internal spy had gathered many Germination squads, they only amounted to 2 or 3 D-rank combatants plus nearly ten E-rank superhumans.
Given this, for such a small force to run rampant in West Capital was akin to a hallucination caused by mushroom poisoning, as there were quite a few D-rank superhumans in West Capital.
However, their goal was only to assassinate Zero; the remaining people were merely cannon fodder to delay the Thirteen Bureau's actions.
"Accept."
[Mission Tip: The hidden seed quietly germinates. He realizes that the environment here is not suitable for his growth. To this end, he will destroy everything he has meticulously arranged for over a decade, just to kill you alone.]
Mission Requirement: Successfully escape the pursuit]
[Reward: 50,000 Experience]
[Special Reward: Unknown]
At the same time, Mu Yang also received a prompt from Reincarnation Paradise.
[Triggered Side Mission: Assassination of Xiao's Arrival]
Difficulty Level: LV.6 ~ 16
Mission Brief: The storm is brewing, and the internal spy's conspiracy is gradually surfacing. His decades-long planned thunderous strike will make the arrogant Thirteen Bureau lose face...
Mission Information: Participate in the anti-internal spy operation, and do your best to kill the enemy.
Mission Duration: Before return.
Mission Reward: ??
Failure Penalty: None [Accept/Decline?]
...Yes.
Looking at the mission brief, which was bursting with information, Mu Yang felt that the internal spy's capabilities might be a bit stronger than he had imagined.