The conveyor belt was still moving slowly, but the atmosphere in the tunnel had suddenly fallen silent. Ding Meng seemed to be deep in thought, while Han Feng was already dumbfounded. He had finally seen the modified base of the Hidden Front, and he could not imagine just how frightening the financial resources of this organization were.
Putting everything else aside, just a sample of his Bee Dynamics company provided to Guan Lin had cost Guan Lin 6 million star credits, and this was just an ordinary half-finished product. To develop it into a finished product and equip it with various weapon systems until it was fully formed and ready for combat, the cost of a single reconstructed soldier was estimated to be in the tens of millions or even hundreds of millions, and the number of reconstructed soldiers here was in the tens of thousands. The amount of wealth needed to support this factory alone was astronomical.
As for how many bases, personnel, industries, and armed forces the Hidden Front had, no one knew. It was even more unimaginable.
Seeing Ding Meng deep in thought, the instructor asked again, Mr. Ting, are you interested in visiting the third floor?
Ding Meng smiled. Since I'm already here, it'd be a pity not to take a look.
The third floor was similar to the command center of a starship. Countless control panels were arranged in an orderly manner, and hundreds of screens were glowing brightly. All sorts of data and patterns were being refreshed on the screens smoothly. There were three large screens in the center, and they were also being refreshed rapidly.
As a super expert, Ding Meng's memory was extremely terrifying. He swept his gaze across the entire room and asked calmly, This floor should be the data center, right?
The instructor's cold and indifferent expression finally showed a hint of surprise. Mr. Ting, you really are an expert. This is indeed the data center. These processors are analyzing the real-time data of the soldiers on the second floor. The AI system will provide the best upgrade plan according to the characteristics of each soldier, and at the same time, formulate training plans and deploy combat missions. Although our soldiers are highly rated by the outside world, they are in fact completely dependent on this data center.
Ding Meng sighed inwardly. An armed force like this, no matter which battlefield it was placed in, would be a dominating existence. They could sweep through all obstacles, and only the empire's special-class fleet could contend against them. The ground forces were no match for them.
"Admirable!" Ding Meng suddenly uttered these two words.
The instructor was a little surprised. "Mr. Ting, why do you say that?"
Ding Meng said, "I admire your boss's magnanimity."
The instructor, the stationmaster, and the butler asked at the same time, "Why?"
Ding Meng said, "This is the final modification base of the Hidden Front. If I'm not mistaken, this factory is also the core secret of the Hidden Front. How can an outsider like me visit this place?"
The instructor suddenly laughed. "Mr. Ding Meng, you're wrong. The armed forces of this troop are indeed not to be underestimated, but compared to you, these people are nothing."
Ding Meng laughed and said, "Aren't you overestimating me?"
The drillmaster suddenly looked serious. "No, I don't. I admire you very much, Mr. Ding Meng."
Ding Meng said, "Oh?"
The instructor paused for a moment, then said, "Mr. Ding Meng, thirteen years ago, you were just an ordinary worker on an exiled planet of the Federation. If you were an ordinary person, you would have spent the rest of your life fending for yourself in those dark mines. Most people don't even live past the age of thirty, but you went from an ordinary person to an Origin Ability user in the short span of a month."
Ding Meng was silent. The past at Black Gold Base was an unforgettable experience for him.
The instructor said, "You escaped from Black Gold Base all by yourself and came to the Norse Empire. You entered the Christine Academy to further your studies, and in just a few short months, you were promoted to a warrior. You should know that you were only twenty years old at the time. This achievement is enough to make you look down on your peers."
Ding Meng glanced at him. "It seems that you have done your homework well."
The instructor continued, "Later, you joined the imperial army, but unfortunately, you went to the Saint Brilliance Federation. During your days in the Green Arrow Corps, you caused havoc in the Flying Star City, beat up the Celestial Wolf Corps, and went to the Cypress Ancient Star alone to kill many pirate leaders of the Extreme Bandit Corps. These are only things that happened in a year. All kinds of information show that you were already a war elder at that time.
Ding Meng said, "You guys did a very detailed investigation on me."
The instructor said, "After that, you entered the Federation's Starlight University. In just half a year, you graduated with first place in the Starlight Examination and were promoted to a Combat Master. You accepted a mission from the Federation's military. During that secret operation, the starship you piloted was sucked into a wormhole, and there was no news of you ever since …"
Guan Lin and Han Feng were stunned as they listened to his story. Ding Meng's experience was like a legend from the Arabian Nights. To be promoted from an ordinary person to an Origin Energy Master in just a year or two, this speed was terrifying.
The instructor continued, "This happened ten years ago. At that time, almost everyone thought that you had died in outer space, but in fact, our Hidden Front had been paying attention to you all this time. We also heard that you were still alive from outer space."
Ding Meng immediately said, "Gu Yu and Su Yalun?"
"They are indeed our people." The instructor did not deny it.
Ding Meng nodded. "They did die by my hands."
"The winner takes it all. To be able to die at the hands of an expert like you, Mr. Ding Meng, is their honor." The instructor was extraordinarily calm. In his eyes, it was as if human lives were worthless.
If you killed someone for the Hidden Front, it was because you were strong and deserved it. However, if you were killed for the Hidden Front, it was because your skills were not as good as others, so you deserved to die. The Hidden Front was not like the other organizations, sects, and clans, who would always hold grudges and seek revenge. This instructor gave Ding Meng such a feeling. Ding Meng was impressed by the core members of the Hidden Front again and again.
The instructor said, "Who would have thought that after seven years, you would suddenly return to the Holy Grail Federation? You did a series of big things and caused havoc in the Flying Star City again. You went against your old employer, the Starbow Corporation, and also fell out with your new employer, the Sheng Hao Corporation. Even big shots like Ling Xingqi and Fang Lin were defeated by you. According to our understanding, the Immortal Elemental King of the Devouring Realm regarded you as a friend. At this time, you were already a Battle-Saint. According to our assessment, you should have far surpassed the Battle-Saint level and reached the Warlord level …"
Guan Lin looked at Ding Meng in shock. She finally understood why the instructor, the station chief, and the butler were so polite to Ding Meng. Ding Meng was far beyond her imagination of a high level of strength. Just like what Ding Meng said on the spaceship before, "If I want to touch you, the only thing you can do is to cooperate with me." He was not just bickering. He really had the confidence to do so.
She was even a little bit expectant. If Ding Meng really wanted her, with the temperament of a big shot like him, he could just give her some resources and she would benefit for the rest of her life. Thinking of this, she could not help but feel restless and her face flushed.
Ding Meng also clapped his hands. "Impressive. I have to admire your intelligence system and data system. You actually investigated me so thoroughly."
The instructor's tone was somewhat apologetic. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you by telling you this information."
Ding Meng turned his head and looked at him. "Then what do you mean?"
The instructor said in a loud voice, "What I mean is that Mr. Ding Meng, your talent is outstanding."
Ding Meng said calmly, "But I don't think so!"
The instructor also looked at him. "There are many different kinds of talents for origin ability users, but many origin ability users have a misconception. Their so-called talent is just the speed of cultivation. In fact, that's not the case. What is the purpose of cultivation? Naturally, it's to increase one's strength. However, there will always be people who are stronger than you in this world. In other words, in every battle and every experience you have, sooner or later, you will encounter such a strong opponent. There will always be a time when you will be defeated. Defeat means defeat, and defeat means death. If you are already dead, how can you talk about talent?"
Ding Meng's interest was piqued. "Instructor, what do you mean by talent?"
The instructor said word by word, "Truly outstanding talent is not simply the path of cultivation. It is the ability to defeat the strong with the weak, to win against the strong with the small, to survive in adversity, and to make a comeback in a hopeless situation. This is the true capital to show disdain for heroes and dominate the world. Mr. Ting, you have such talent. Of course, you can deny it, but your past experiences have, without exception, reflected the outstanding qualities of a person like you."
In fact, this was also Little Rascal's evaluation of Ding Meng. Ding Meng's greatest strength was that when he couldn't hold on any longer, he would often grit his teeth and persevere, creating miracles. This was something that others couldn't learn even if they wanted to. Thus, Ding Meng was able to make a comeback in many dangerous situations by relying on his will to survive.
Ding Meng didn't reply, which could be considered as a tacit agreement.
Only then did the instructor say, "That's why I said that the soldiers on the second floor below, don't be fooled by their large numbers and astonishing combat strength. Compared to you, Mr. Ting, they really don't count for much. From a certain perspective, they are just tools. Mr. Ting, you are the true strong. If the boss was here, I believe he would also give the same evaluation. Moreover, it would be a very objective and fair evaluation. One of the things that we, the Hidden Front, pay attention to the most is objectivity. This is also the fundamental reason why we have been able to stand proudly in the underground world for so many years."
Ding Meng stared at him and said meaningfully, "Does the boss of the Hidden Front want me to work for him, or does he want me to help him?"
The instructor smiled softly and said, "Mr. Ding, you misunderstood. Boss has a wide circle of friends. He especially likes to make friends with strange people, masters, and high-ranking officials and dignitaries. Sometimes, he even makes friends with people from humble backgrounds, common people, and interstellar refugees. A famous person like you, Mr. Ding, even the King of the Devouring World is a good friend. When you came, Boss specifically asked me to treat you well. He is very much looking forward to meeting you."
Ding Meng also smiled. "Along the way, I also want to meet the boss of the Hidden Front. He really is a very interesting person."
The stationmaster and the butler immediately revealed joyful expressions. "The boss will definitely not disappoint Mr. Ting."
The instructor raised his hand and looked at his wristwatch. "It's about time. The welcome banquet is also ready. Would Mr. Ting do me the honor of sitting down?"
Ding Meng nodded. "Then I will respectfully accept."