Chapter 417: Chapter 417: A Great Threat Once Grown
"But my friend is still here."
Nina Jacobs could tell these two were putting on an act.
"But this... Tobin, he really did commit a crime... It makes it difficult for us to make a case for him."
Ms. Carter feigned distress.
"Miss Jacobs, even if you were to win five consecutive matches and earn your freedom, you wouldnât be able to take Mr. Tobin with you."
Wyatt Holden said.
"With Mr. Tobinâs skill, winning five consecutive matches in here wonât be easy."
"I can wait for him."
"Miss Jacobs, we have a better way. It all depends on whether youâll agree to it."
Seeing the time was right, Ms. Carter said with a smile.
"What other way is there?"
âIâll see what this Ms. Carter is really up to.â
"Come work for the base. We can officially hire you. With your abilities, Miss Jacobs, I believe youâre more than qualified."
Ms. Carter said with a smile, her hands crossed on the table.
She was sure Nina Jacobs would agree to this condition.
However, to her surprise, Nina Jacobs refused.
"Why?"
Surprise showed on Wyatt Holdenâs face as well.
In their eyes, no one could refuse an offer from the base.
After all, here in Lornwood Base, that was tantamount to having special privileges.
Nina Jacobs could sense that General Hughes hadnât left. More precisely, he was in the next room, most likely observing everything that was happening.
"Iâm used to my freedom. This place isnât for me."
Nina Jacobs remembered her deal with Harlan. Killing General Hughes here would clearly be unwise.
Besides, she still hadnât discovered the location and destination of Lornwood Baseâs supplies and Crystal Cores.
"You can rest assured about that. This job is perfect for you, and itâs only for two months. As long as you agree to take it and can complete the missions, we can give you ample supplies and rewards."
Ms. Carter said.
If Nina Jacobs agreed, Ms. Carter reasoned, the Strength Element Superpower User who seemed to be her bodyguard would surely follow.
âA two-month job?â
"What kind of work is it?" Nina Jacobs asked.
Ms. Carter and Wyatt Holden exchanged a glance before she answered:
"Itâs very simple. You just need to safely deliver items from the base to their destination to complete a mission. The only catch is that youâll encounter plenty of zombies and zombie animals along the way, but Iâm sure that wonât be a problem for you."
This surprised Nina Jacobs.
âA mission to transport things from the base to a destination... are they delivering supplies?â
"Miss Jacobs, this job offers absolute freedom. The only person youâll have to answer to is General Hughes himself. In the future, youâll be able to come and go as you please anywhere in the base, and that includes unrestricted access to water."
Wyatt Holden seemed afraid Nina Jacobs would refuse again.
A wide, welcoming smile spread across his face. "Perhaps weâll be colleagues in the future."
In Wyatt Holdenâs opinion, these privileges were an irresistible offer for a newcomer to the base.
Nina Jacobs pretended to think it over before asking, "If I agree, can you guarantee you wonât cause any more trouble for Tobin?"
"Of course. Mr. Tobin hasnât committed any unforgivable crime. Since heâs a friend of yours, Miss Jacobs, we can grant him special treatment."
Ms. Carter replied instantly.
Nina Jacobs nodded. "Alright, Iâll give it a try."
Ms. Carterâs expression relaxed.
"I knew you were a practical woman, Miss Jacobs. However, the details of this job must be kept confidential, so..."
"Donât worry. I wonât tell anyone."
Nina Jacobs assured her.
"Excellent. Weâve also prepared living quarters for you, Miss Jacobs. Iâm sure youâll like them."
Ms. Carter said with a meaningful smile.
Nina Jacobs hadnât expected to regain her freedom so quickly.
She could even enter and exit the correction pod as she pleased.
Since she needed to inform Tobin, Nina Jacobs arranged to meet with Wyatt Holden again in two hours.
Right now, the person she was most worried about was Naomi Summers.
After Nina Jacobs left, Ms. Carter and Wyatt Holden quickly opened another door in the conference room.
Behind the door was another office, exquisitely furnished and comfortable.
Anselm Hughes was at his desk, focused on some documents.
"General Hughes, she agreed,"
Ms. Carter said.
"Yes. The one you found this time seems decent enough. A woman, but..."
A sharp glint flashed in Anselm Hughesâs eyes.
"Dispose of her once weâre done using her."
"Dispose of her?"
Wyatt Holden didnât quite understand.
Anselm Hughes put down the document in his hand and said with profound meaning,
"If she ever becomes disobedient, sheâll be a major threat once sheâs grown more powerful."
"We understand. Weâll do as you say, General Hughes."
Although Ms. Carter felt it was a shame, she didnât object.
It seemed that being too powerful wasnât always a good thing.
Meanwhile, in Harlanâs workshop, the sound of shattering glass suddenly rang out.
Passersby outside were only slightly startled before quickly hurrying away.
Perhaps Harlan was dissecting a living person again.
Inside the room, Harlan glared menacingly at Nina Jacobs, who was enclosed within a sand shield.
"I thought you were different from them."
All he knew was that Nina Jacobs had met with General Hughes and been given a position of importance.
"Is it for the special privileges? Or do you just want to get your friend out?"
Harlan said, his voice laced with disappointment.
Seeing the sharp scalpel outside the sand shield, Nina Jacobs didnât want to explain, but the thought of Naomi Summers made her speak:
"If things were as you think, do you believe youâd still be standing here unharmed?"
The look in Harlanâs eyes shifted, and he withdrew his Superpower.
"What is your real goal, then?"
âCould it be she didnât genuinely surrender to them?â
"You donât need to know my goal. You only need to know that our deal stands as long as Naomi Summers remains safe here with you."
Nina Jacobs replied.
Just as she expected, Harlan didnât press further. Instead, he said with a hint of mockery,
"Anselm Hughes isnât the type to allow anyone to be stronger than him. Heâs not sincerely trying to recruit you."
"Iâm well aware of that."
That was why she had been suppressing her power from the very beginning.
"Youâre smart. I hope you donât stay in this godforsaken place."
It was a rare moment of sincerity from Harlan.
Nina Jacobs fell silent for a moment before asking, "The patient you want to cure... itâs Evander Langdon, isnât it?"
Jared Crawfordâs work reports had mentioned Harlan and Evander Langdon multiple times.
Harlan appeared to be Evander Langdonâs personal physician.
As for why he was here obsessively dissecting corpses, her Little Zombie Ratâs observations suggested it was also for Evander Langdonâs sake.
"So you figured that out."
Harlanâs face seemed to pale slightly. He looked down at his hands and said,
"Itâs a pity I canât find a way to cure him."
"What kind of person was Evander Langdon before?" Nina Jacobs asked curiously.
Even in her past life, she had found the rumors about Evander Langdon strange.
And after arriving in Keldorn in this life, she found that very few people ever mentioned his past.
He was little more than a figurehead, synonymous with the title of "Base Commander."
Harlan shook his head. "I donât know him that well either. I only know that he disappeared for a period of time. He once saved an entire village, including a friend of mine. I suppose he was a good person. But then his personality suddenly changed drastically, as if he were possessed. Now he needs sedatives every day just to close his eyes. As a widely experienced surgeon, Iâve never seen symptoms like his before."
"Does he have any connection to Arcadia White?"
Nina Jacobs asked after a moment of thought.
Harlan glanced at her. "Why do you ask? I heard the village he saved was called White Village. Arcadia White is probably from there."
Harlanâs words left Nina Jacobs stunned.