"Support me? Support me for what?"
Mo Chen found it baffling.
Those parasites—if even one of them ever did something remotely decent, that'd already be a miracle.
Johan, someone who had zero interest in power, focused solely on fighting Raptures and reclaiming the surface, had already been pushed out of the Ark by those very same higher-ups.
At this point, there was nothing those bastards could do that would surprise him.
More importantly, Mo Chen had no direct benefit tied to them. Well, unless stealing all their Nikkes counted as a conflict of interest?
Ingrid sighed, clearly exasperated with Mo Chen, unsure what to even say.
Did he really not realize he'd become the Ark's most popular public figure and one of the most powerful forces in the entire structure?
Or maybe... he just didn't care.
"The upper echelons of the Ark, while... complicated," Ingrid clearly understood the kind of people they were, and paused to carefully choose her words, "they're cunning and opportunistic, but in certain situations, they can't be ignored. After all, they're still part of the Ark's foundation. When necessary, they can be used."
She wasn't wrong. No matter who it was, they had their use.
But to Mo Chen, those rotten parasites were better off becoming compost in bio-farms.
"Besides, they have their reasons for what they're doing."
That made Mo Chen laugh.
"What reason? They ran out of rope to hang themselves with?"
Any excuse used to defend those sleazy corrupt capitalists was like toilet paper—it only varied in how clean it looked after you wiped.
"No," Ingrid shook her head. For the first time, that icy face of hers showed a trace of seriousness. "They're well-informed. They might have caught wind of something."
"Something?"
"Yes."
"What kind of news?" Mo Chen looked at Ingrid, puzzled. He rarely saw her like this, face heavy with concern—though to be fair, he hadn't seen her many times at all.
"The Ark... is out of resources," Ingrid said slowly.
Out of resources?
Mo Chen froze.
Ingrid looked at him and said, "Come with me. The Ark's AI, Enikk, has called an emergency meeting with the CEOs of the Big Three. And specifically mentioned you, Commander. Your attendance is critical, not just for the Ark's survival, but for the fate of humanity itself."
On the way to Central Government, Mo Chen walked side by side with Ingrid, drawing stares from many along the way. A few civilians tried to approach, but were stopped by the Nikke security detail.
Along both sides of the street, not only were heavily armed Nikkes stationed, but human troops were also on guard, weapons at the ready. The air was tense.
Out of resources?
As Mo Chen walked, he looked down the straight road leading to the city center of the Ark. The streets were bustling with people, packed with traffic. Shops lined the roads, goods of every kind on display. Towering skyscrapers loomed above like a modern metropolis.
There was no sign—none at all—that this city was teetering on the brink of crisis in a post-apocalyptic world.
In the original story, although it never explicitly explained the Ark's full circumstances, Mo Chen had always suspected, based on obscure bits of data, that this city might not be what it appeared.
For example, there was a possibility the entire city was actually a massive Rapture or something of that nature.
Soon, the two of them arrived at the central government building. Just like before, it was heavily guarded by armed personnel. While it was ostensibly to prevent terrorist attacks, Mo Chen had a feeling it was also connected to the matter Ingrid had mentioned.
After all, no matter how dangerous terrorists might be, their actions were still small-scale compared to the kind of crisis this hinted at.
Under Ingrid's lead, Mo Chen took an elevator deep underground. It took nearly ten minutes to reach their destination.
Once out of the elevator, the security presence became even tighter.
Most people likely had no idea that the place representing humanity's highest authority lay so deep beneath the earth.
Inside the conference room, the atmosphere was tense and heavy. From the moment Mo Chen stepped in, it was as if all noise and chaos had been sealed out. The room was filled with a kind of stifling solemnity, so intense it felt like even the air had solidified.
As he entered, Mo Chen noticed there were already people inside.
Aside from Elysion's CEO Ingrid, there was Mustang, CEO of Tetra Line, Naval Deputy Chief Burningum, and several high-ranking officials Mo Chen didn't recognize—likely characters who had never appeared in the original game.
Without ceremony, he took a seat.
The air was so tense that even breathing seemed like it had to be done carefully. You could've heard a pin drop. Every little cough or the sound of someone adjusting their posture seemed exaggerated in the silence.
Mo Chen soon noticed the source of one particularly awkward sound.
Someone was hunched over, trying to minimize their presence like they wanted to disappear into the room's decor. A hand awkwardly tried to cover her face with her short hair, as if terrified of being seen.
That tiny, bean sprout–like frame was instantly familiar.
No doubt about it—it was Syuen.
Clearly, she'd also been summoned by Enikk.
She was acting sneaky, head lowered, trying to peek out from between her fingers to assess the room. Unfortunately for her, her gaze locked right onto Mo Chen's.
It was like she'd been hit by lightning.
Immediately, she ducked her head and raised both hands to cover her face like an ostrich, thinking maybe that way she wouldn't be spotted.
Mo Chen didn't know whether to laugh or be mad as he looked at her—like some dumb little bird pretending that if she couldn't see him, he couldn't see her.
Yeah, she definitely knew her secret was out.
She was guilty as hell.
But even if Mo Chen wanted to give her a beating, it could wait. She couldn't hide forever.
At that moment, the large conference screen suddenly lit up, and a crystal-clear virtual image appeared. Her face was veiled, concealing her expression, but Mo Chen recognized her instantly.
It was Enikk.
"Greetings. We are facing an urgent situation that must be addressed."
Unexpectedly, Enikk's first interaction wasn't with the CEOs or the vice commanders—it was with Mo Chen.
"Due to the severity of the situation, the CEOs of the three major corporations and the two Deputy Chiefs have requested that Commander Mo Chen be present for this meeting."
Mo Chen asked, "What urgent situation are we talking about?"
Even though Ingrid had already given him a rough idea, it had only been surface-level. What he needed now was detailed intel.