Chapter 126 - 124 Refresh Superpower_1

Murder, in the eyes of Mitsui Takeo, was as easy as waking up from a nap and having a cup of tea. Phoenix Academy Maggie found the steak in her mouth becoming increasingly unpalatable, her heart gradually sinking, yet she was unable to speak up and object. She was well aware that her current status was not sufficient to deter their actions with just a few words. On the contrary, the more she tried to dissuade them, the more likely she was to provoke their contrariness. Her failure to dispel their thoughts earlier was already a dangerous sign. Iwasaki Taro was a bit surprised by Mitsui Takeo's proposal. He had only intended for the Metropolitan Police Department to spread some fake news. After all, they controlled public opinion and could make whatever claims they wanted. They could even make black appear white. But Mitsui Takeo seemed genuinely interested in creating a tragedy, creating a scenario where a murderer was released by the law. "Such an act is somewhat troublesome; it would require us to pull a lot of strings." "Indeed, there's no need for us to go that far." Seeing Iwasaki Taro oppose the idea, Phoenix Academy Maggie quickly echoed her agreement and pointed out, "I don't think it's worth getting reprimanded over such a trivial matter. Let's gamble on something else. How about horse racing?" "Horse racing is boring. With our power, managing the necessary connections isn't a problem." Mitsui Takeo shook his head, rejecting Phoenix Academy Maggie's suggestion, and signaled to someone nearby, "007, come over." "Yes." The humanoid robot, dressed in a black suit, strode toward them. It resembled a Westerner, with golden hair of an unknown material and a robust build. Its eyes were red. "This is the combat robot developed by Silver Hexagram. Its eyes can emit lasers of 3,000 degrees Celsius, and it has the strength of a large crane; tearing an elephant apart wouldn't be an issue. A single unit costs three billion US dollars to build." Mitsui Takeo boasted about the new robot he had purchased. With such an expensive price tag, it was temporarily unfeasible for military use, but that could change with long-term research. Silver Hexagram was intent on mass production, which was why they kept pouring money into it. He added, "Ordinary bullets are useless against it; only anti-tank armor-piercing rounds and shaped charges are effective. Aren't you curious to see how this robot tears vicious criminals apart?" "Sounds quite interesting." "Just betting on this isn't fun. Why don't we play roulette? We each pick a family's information to put in, and whichever family is chosen, we kill them." "The game's entertainment value has indeed increased. What's the stake?" "Anything goes. I'll bet a mansion in Hawaii that Dio won't show up." "Then I'll bet Dio does show up, and my stake is..." The six quickly reached a consensus, including Iwasaki Taro. They were all eager to witness how 007 would tear vicious criminals to shreds. Phoenix Academy Maggie did not speak. "Aren't you placing a bet?" As one of the hosts, Iwasaki Taro didn't forget her, the newcomer. Phoenix Academy Maggie said with a smile, "I don't have any assets." Even though she desperately wanted to leave immediately, she had to maintain the smile on her face. She also realized why her father had sent her abroad to study instead of letting her attend the same school as them. It was because of these people's twisted values. If she mingled with them, she feared she would also become a callous bastard. Speaking of which, wasn't she already one? Phoenix Academy Maggie was caught in a dilemma. She didn't know how to stop them and lacked the ability to do so. If she took a stance not aligned with the other six families, she would invite their ruthless retaliation. There was a tacit understanding among the capitalists. They united to exclude any dissidents, allowing only their own kind within the circle. Phoenix Academy Maggie was in a terrible mood but didn't show it, choosing instead to listen to their conversation in silence. This dinner party was particularly distressing for her. She was beginning to truly understand what the Phoenix Academy family and the other financial conglomerates were like. Was she to become such a person in the future? Phoenix Academy Maggie felt an intense, unprecedented fear. She didn't want to become such a person. 「…」 Around ten o'clock, the dinner party ended. Phoenix Academy Maggie returned to the Phoenix Academy estate by helicopter. Kochou noticed her somber mood and asked, "Did you not enjoy yourself with them?" "Mother, Iwasaki and the others want to stage a murder game, just to test whether Dio will take the bait and to see the strength of the military robot 007." Phoenix Academy Maggie couldn't help but confide in Kochou. Kochou said softly, "Did you openly oppose them?" "I didn't." Phoenix Academy Maggie's expression was bitter. She wished she had the courage to oppose their proposal to their faces, even to loudly denounce their cruelty. But she hadn't; she had simply observed coldly. Kochou showed a hint of a smile and patted her hand. "You did well. "Remember, don't delude yourself into thinking you can change a person with words. We are businesspeople, not saviors; we have no obligation to save anyone. Just focus on taking care of our own affairs. "If you had spoken out against them, you would only have been seen as an outsider, which would then impact the Phoenix Academy family. "I consider you my successor, and your every action is tied to the Phoenix Academy family. So, don't be willful." "Okay." Phoenix Academy Maggie nodded. She didn't want to hear her mother say such things. She would rather her mother scold her loudly, call her a coward, instead of praising her for doing well. Phoenix Academy Maggie pursed her lips. She felt as if she were airsick, a strong urge to vomit rising in her stomach, yet she couldn't bring anything up. All she could do was look out the window. Should I tell Aozawa about this? she wondered. Then she reconsidered. Such dark matters needn't trouble Aozawa; there was no need to give him a sleepless night too. Knowing something so painful yet being unable to change it was agonizing. It was almost better not to know at all. At least then her conscience wouldn't trouble her. Phoenix Academy Maggie closed her eyes, deciding to bury the matter deep in her heart and pretend she knew nothing. According to what Iwasaki and the others had discussed, the massacre would take place tomorrow. A court trial would follow the day after. Once public opinion had sufficiently stirred, then the day after that, they would have the perpetrator declared mentally ill, absolving them of any wrongdoing. Then they planned to place 007 in the criminal's home, waiting for Dio to appear. Phoenix Academy Maggie wasn't the slightest bit curious whether Dio would show up. She just stared blankly out the window, her mind empty. 「…」 「The next day, at nine in the morning.」 A piece of news suddenly dominated all major media outlets in Japan. A familicide had taken place in Shinjuku Okubo. A family of four had been dismembered by the killer in an incredibly savage manner; their limbs were even hung from windows like wind chimes. Upon receiving the news, the Metropolitan Police Department cracked the case in less than two hours and detained the murderer. Such high efficiency certainly gave the department a moment of glory in the public eye. Many netizens began to comment online, saying they were looking at the "tax-thieving" officers of the Metropolitan Police Department with newfound respect. Mainstream media opinion unanimously called for the death penalty for such scum. However, anyone with even a slight understanding of the law knew that carrying out a death sentence in Japan was a very lengthy process—so long that many would forget a criminal had even been sentenced to death before it was actually carried out. That "possibility" of execution really only applied to ordinary people. Wealthy individuals, given decades, could bribe enough officials to find someone to take their place on death row. Aozawa flipped through online comments and glanced at the news on television. "Truly inhumane," he commented, taking a bite of pizza before lowering his head to continue scrolling through his phone. Television news couldn't match the entertainment value of his phone; at least there, he could see various comments from netizens. Apart from the avalanche of comments deriding the murderer for his inhumanity, a segment of the internet's armchair critics pondered what deep-seated grudge could lead a person to commit such a heinous act. Some clout-chasing bloggers began to offer their own novel theories. Such unique ideas also gained some traction among netizens. To be honest, some netizens preferred to distance themselves from the conventional moral high ground, choosing instead to adopt a contrarian stance—as if they were the only sober ones in a drunken crowd—fiercely challenging everything mainstream society held to be true. Aozawa's hand slipped, and the blogger in the next short video began their tirade against the criminal's brutality. He took another bite of pizza, having no interest in doing anything about a criminal who had already been caught. He just wanted to make the most of his Catalyst Induction while it was at its most potent, touching things around him to pry into the lives of various people in Tokyo. Given that his superpower would significantly weaken tomorrow, being as carefree as he was now would clearly be impossible. And who knows what new superpower tomorrow's refresh might bring? A few thoughts crossed Aozawa's mind, but he didn't dwell on the case. Instead, he started browsing film analyses. 「…」 「Yet another night passed.」 「Monday.」 At six in the morning, the alarm clock on the nightstand went off punctually. Aozawa, deeply asleep in bed, was roused by the noise. He didn't rush to open his eyes, silently praying instead that he would be granted a useful superpower. His eyes gradually opened. Superpower: Schrodinger's Cat. Seeing these words, Aozawa looked bewildered. What kind of ability is this? The words slowly dissolved into the air. Aozawa got up. He was more eager to figure out just how much his Catalyst Induction had been weakened than to test an unknown superpower. He hopped out of bed, walked to the wall, placed a hand on its surface, and activated his Catalyst sensing ability. In an instant, his perspective began to rise. Scenes flooded into his mind, but compared to his previous, unweakened Catalyst Induction, these images were far fewer. His mindset, however, remained unchanged; he felt god-like, free from desires or needs. Each scene appeared starkly clear, and he could distinctly hear people's voices without a trace of irritation. Based on these observations, Aozawa surmised that the significant reduction in his Catalyst Induction hadn't affected the ability itself, only its effective range. He estimated the current range was within one kilometer, no longer covering the whole of Tokyo as before. What a pity, Aozawa thought, deactivating his Catalyst sensing ability. He then began to test what kind of superpower Schrodinger's Cat was.