Honkai Simulator: Start with Confessing to The Herrscher of Finality

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Realizing her enemy wasn't human, Rita swiftly ordered the special forces to halt any further actions.

As their opponent is a Herrscher, its objective would likely be to disrupt Schicksal's current order, with the best approach being the assassination of high-ranking officials.

Rita immediately informed Amber and Durandal to prioritize the safety of senior personnel.

Afterward, she decided to proceed independently.

At this point, the supposed evidence against the Oceanic Branch became irrelevant. However, Rita pretended not to have received information about the Herrscher of Dominance and continued investigating the difficulties in mining operations at the branch.

If it were indeed a trap, she needed to follow through, allowing herself to be drawn in.

Only then could she catch the fish lurking beneath.

Not just Rita, but Xia Chen and Wendy also adopted similar strategies.

"So, this is where they mine."

As they arrived at the mining operation site, Xia Chen couldn't help but marvel, "This place essentially supports the entire Schicksal."

Without Australia's mineral resources, aside from other implications, the mass production of Valkyrie Armor would be severely limited.

Although Russia also possesses abundant minerals, due to the Second Honkai Eruption, extracting its resources has become increasingly challenging.

Xia Chen casually asked Wendy, "Have you been here before?"

"Before the experiment, I did visit once," Wendy replied, pausing briefly. "The scale of mining operations back then was similar to what we see now. However, many machines seem to have stopped working."

A hint of confusion crossed her eyes. "Perhaps it really is becoming too difficult to mine here."

Mining differs from construction; every idle moment for a mining machine equates to wasted money.

However, Xia Chen simply shrugged and said, "Of course, the machines must appear inactive, or our deception wouldn't hold up."

"So, are we going inside the mines to investigate?"

"No need, just putting on a show."

Xia Chen paused before replying, "Moreover, even if we entered the mine, we lack expertise in this field. It's best not to pretend we know what we're doing."

Wendy became even more puzzled, "So essentially, it would be challenging for us to obtain crucial evidence unless we consult with relevant experts?"

"Exactly," Xia Chen nodded and said. "That's the key point."

He smiled, continuing, "Gretel has contacts with numerous mining experts, all originally recruited by Schicksal. Our next step is to approach them."

Xia Chen had already planned out their course of action meticulously.

"Hmm." Wendy's eyes brightened slightly as she nodded, "Then let's get started."

"No rush. Acting hastily now might only invite unnecessary complications."

If he could anticipate this, so could the Oceanic Branch.

Underestimating others' intelligence was something Xia Chen consistently avoided. Going directly to these experts at this moment wouldn't just cause trouble; it could potentially put his life at risk.

Furthermore, Xia Chen believed that Schicksal's Special Forces would likely move faster than him.

Rita promptly visited Steve, a geologist stationed in New Zealand.

This young American had been working in geology for years and was recruited to New Zealand by Schicksal with a high salary. Rita had interacted with him previously during another mission.

She didn't expect Steve alone to provide crucial evidence this time; instead, she aimed to gauge the extent of Schicksal's influence remaining within the Oceanic Branch.

The outcome left Rita feeling somewhat disheartened.

Steve arrived in New Zealand seven years ago and has been working at the Oceanic Branch ever since. Schicksal's treatment of him, naturally generous, reflected their willingness to invest heavily in such expertise.

However, he displayed a subtle resistance towards Rita's visit, despite his outward warmth. With her keen perception, Rita immediately picked up on it.

This wasn't a spontaneous act but rather a well-planned internal conflict brewing for some time.

Rita could almost predict that similar issues would arise not just in the Oceanic Branch but also in other branches. Thankfully, Xia Chen had promptly informed her about the Herrscher's presence, preventing Schicksal from falling into a series of escalating crises.

It seemed likely that Steve was either bribed or directly involved.

With a polite farewell to the geology expert, Rita realized she held more names on her list, but there was no need for further visits. The greatest advantage of Schicksal's Special Forces lies in operating covertly, yet she had inadvertently exposed herself.

"If I were someone targeting Schicksal, my first move would be to sow discord between the branch and headquarters. Causing incidents involving personnel sent from headquarters to the branch would be the ideal approach."

A cold glint flickered in the girl's rose-pink eyes as she sensed impending danger.

Suddenly, a warning surged through Rita's mind, prompting her to swiftly dodge.

A bullet narrowly missed hitting her at the back of her head.

Like a specter, the girl instantly pursued the shooter, but they had already vanished without a trace.

All that remained was an invitation card.

"Dominion Theater..."

Xia Chen and Wendy intentionally lingered here for some time, even engaging with local workers to discuss iron ores.

They debated which minerals were superior and which were inferior, almost like an academic discourse.

Wendy, though puzzled, patiently waited alongside him.

Unbeknownst to her, Xia Chen was directing Rin to infiltrate the Oceanic Branch's data archives. After all, people can deceive, but raw information cannot lie.

The Oceanic Branch likely never anticipated that their data protection would be virtually powerless against Rin.

As Xia Chen conversed with the workers, he simultaneously sifted through the data, internally marveling at his findings.

The Herrscher of Dominance wasn't acting recklessly; instead, he sought external assistance.

He discovered crucial communications between the Oceanic Branch and Cocolia, but due to Cocolia's exorbitant demands, the negotiations ended on a sour note.

Even the Herrscher of Dominance had his own desires.

In this era, each Herrscher harbored hidden agendas, making them arguably the most challenging group Honkai has ever overseen.

These thoughts swiftly crossed Xia Chen's mind.

After questioning the workers until they grew weary, Xia Chen leisurely stood up and informed Wendy to tell the relevant personnel that they were leaving.

The observer remained puzzled.

"Is this all from Headquarters' representative?" A hint of disdain flashed in his eyes.

Once they were alone, Wendy asked, "That person seemed to look at you as if you're a fool."

"It's normal; even I feel like a fool myself," Xia Chen chuckled wryly. "Don't worry, our mission is accomplished."

"Our mission completed?" Wendy sounded uncertain.

"You can think of it as using special means, though I didn't accomplish it directly."

He had found crucial evidence of communication between the Oceanic Branch and Anti-Entropy. However, that wasn't particularly useful.

What truly mattered was identifying who among them was controlled by the Herrscher of Dominance as their puppet.

"Let's go. Don't be surprised later," Xia Chen said to Wendy.

They returned to the Oceanic Branch without any hindrance or obstacles along the way.

Upon reaching the entrance of the branch office, Xia Chen paused.

"Joseph Jouks."

Xia Chen looked at the person in charge before him and calmly asked, "Will you surrender or shall I force your hand?"