A Scientific Urban Detective

The next day, the entire "Talent Manufacturing Factory" was in an uproar. Almost everyone was busy, hurrying around as if they were wound-up toys, rushing everywhere.

Even the children, who had nothing to do, noticed the abnormality and, after a little inquiry, learned about the advanced experiment.

During the tea party that day, Yumi Iruka told Misaki Shokuhou about the news.

Misaki Shokuhou remained unmoved, treating it like an ordinary topic, letting it slide by lightly.

After the tea party ended, on the way back to the Third Research Lab, Ayumi Honey Ant "ran into" her again.

"The experiment is ahead of schedule," Ayumi Honey Ant said with a smile, as if mentioning it casually.

"Yes, I heard about it just now," Misaki Shokuhou nodded.

After a moment of silence, Ayumi Honey Ant asked again, "So, is that all the reaction you have?"

"What other reaction should I have?" Misaki Shokuhou retorted. "It's just a rumor."

"It's not a rumor," Ayumi Honey Ant said. "Didn't you see the entire research institute is in turmoil?"

"So what? It's still just a rumor," Misaki Shokuhou said impatiently. "Okay, I'll be blunt—it's fake news, don't worry about it."

"..." Another silence. Ayumi Honey Ant was a little unwilling. "Have you already extended your hand into the Second Research Lab?"

Misaki Shokuhou didn't answer and continued to walk forward. "Protect yourself. That Level 5, 'Dark Matter', is in this research institute."

Watching the blonde's back gradually disappear into the distance, Ayumi Honey Ant gently kicked the wall. "How did she know? Even with mind reading, most researchers genuinely believe the experiment is ahead of schedule."

Ayumi Honey Ant was completely taking a chance today. She happened to meet an executive who was arranging work and accidentally saw the truth.

However, judging from normal activity patterns, the executives rarely appear in the lower levels, and their activity range does not overlap with Misaki Shokuhou's. Even if she wanted to read minds or brainwash them, it would be difficult to find an opportunity.

Unless Misaki Shokuhou had secretly controlled someone among them a long time ago…

—Otherwise, she couldn't have seen through this trap.

Ayumi Honey Ant walked back gloomily. She had originally wanted to show off her "exclusive information" in front of Misaki Shokuhou…

Misaki Shokuhou didn't use her superpower, although she could if she wanted to.

She really deduced the conclusion herself—it's no exaggeration to say that within this "Talent Manufacturing Factory," Misaki Shokuhou is probably the most knowledgeable about "Ideal Capability" besides Shunsen Kudou. So she also knows best how troublesome this experiment is.

Although the researchers are busy today, it's still a pipe dream to get all the preparations for the experiment done in three days with this level of busyness alone.

Indeed, Misaki Shokuhou is only a twelve-year-old girl. Even with the blessing of superpowers that allow her to know many secret information, it doesn't mean she can truly understand this information.

But the current Misaki Shokuhou is not alone. Her subordinates include a group of professional researchers!

That's right, the researchers in the Third Research Lab. Even though they have become Misaki Shokuhou's puppets, their knowledge and professionalism are still there, and they can completely serve as "scientific advisors" or similar roles.

It was under their guidance that Misaki Shokuhou became an expert in the field of "Ideal Capability," second only to Shunsen Kudou.

The most critical part of the "Ideal Capability" experiment is "energy"!

Regardless of the final outcome, at least in the current theory, "Ideal Capability" is a comparable existence to Level 5.

This also means that if you want to use technological means to achieve the effect of this level of ability with external force, you will inevitably consume a huge amount of energy. This has exceeded the total amount of resources that a research institute can mobilize.

Academy City's twenty-three school districts each have their own separate power supply systems, which are usually sufficient to meet their own needs. However, when conducting large-scale experiments, in order to ensure the normal power supply needs of the school district, it is necessary to temporarily call on the power of other school districts.

The larger the scale of the experiment, the more school districts need to be borrowed from. When it comes to the Level 5 level, at least three other school districts need to be borrowed to meet the demand.

Such a large-scale energy mobilization, from document procedures to hardware equipment, it is impossible for the early preparations to be without any movement.

"Three days…" Walking back leisurely, Misaki Shokuhou sneered in her heart, "As long as I don't send a signal, Senior Nameless won't come here. You guys just work hard for nothing for three days!"

Soon, Misaki Shokuhou put this matter behind her.

Compared to Shunsen Kudou's actions, she was more concerned about Kakine Teitoku.

It was because she was wary of that true Level 5 that Misaki Shokuhou didn't rashly go to the upper levels to try to obtain information directly from the research institute executives or even Shunsen Kudou.

"I must think of a way to ensure that I can defeat that person…"

At the same time, in the president's office, Kakine Teitoku was observing the blonde-haired, star-eyed girl through a surveillance camera.

These cameras were urgently installed by Yomikawa Aiho last night. The images can only be accessed through the surveillance system built by Yomikawa Aiho herself.

Otherwise, relying solely on the research institute's own surveillance system, it would probably never be possible to capture the girl's figure.

Misaki Shokuhou had already controlled the security personnel managing the surveillance room, instructing them to manually delete the images of herself—simple and crude, but surprisingly effective.

"It seems this girl is an idiot when it comes to electronic machinery," Yomikawa Aiho breathed a sigh of relief. "She didn't even notice such obvious cameras…"

Because of the short time, he didn't have time to disguise the cameras. Many of them were directly glued to the corners of the walls with super glue. With a little attention, you could see the flaws.

However, perhaps because she felt she had already solved the problem of the surveillance cameras, Misaki Shokuhou's vigilance in this regard was very weak.

"She didn't come upstairs," Kakine Teitoku said. "It seems she is already on her guard."

"This girl…" Misaka Umi said suspiciously, "Isn't the one I met yesterday."

Kakine Teitoku said, "If you met her, you might not be here now."

"...Is she that powerful?"

Kakine Teitoku smiled. "She wouldn't hurt you, but I would send you to a hospital or prison for a few days and release you after the mission is over."

"Eh? Why!" Misaka Umi complained in dissatisfaction.

"Because of your betrayal, leaking our information," Kakine Teitoku said coldly. "But because you didn't do it on purpose, I can consider sparing your life."