Chapter 292: Chapter 292: Planned Announcement of Spiritual Power Modification

If not for this concern, Justin Lewis wouldn’t have felt so anxious.

He knew Quentin Ford had set new plans in motion, but this time, Quentin Ford hadn’t told him the specifics.

So he could only judge based on what he knew.

Quentin Ford just smiled, hearing the anxiety in Justin Lewis’s voice.

He even said cheerfully, "I plan to publicly release the method for Betas to modify their spiritual power."

Justin Lewis’s voice caught in his throat as he stared at Quentin Ford in disbelief.

"Sir?" he managed to ask in the blink of an eye.

Quentin Ford said bluntly, "Don’t be so surprised. This technology was always meant to be released."

"The Xenobeast Tides are becoming more frequent. Betas deserve the right to choose for themselves."

He knew what Justin Lewis was worried about and proactively mentioned it. "As for Zoe Pierce, of course we’ll have to do something this time. These few planets are rare Beta-majority planets, aren’t they?"

Anyone with half a brain could figure out The Military’s plan.

It was also a rare feat for The Military to find planets so similar to Planet B36.

"There’s no need to focus on Zoe Pierce anymore. Let’s start by disseminating the method for Betas to modify their spiritual power on these few planets."

Justin Lewis was speechless for a moment. He frowned as he seriously considered the feasibility.

"Sir, you mean to let Planets C14, 15, and 16 choose for themselves?"

Quentin Ford said in a low voice, "Aren’t those who have suffered the most qualified to choose?"

Only those who have faced death know that feeling of utter helplessness.

Some might choose to live on in disgrace, but others might seize this one and only chance.

"We’ve been stuck on this research for a long time. Wouldn’t it be a good thing if we could make a breakthrough in other areas?"

Quentin Ford’s words left Justin Lewis utterly speechless.

Because Quentin Ford’s logic was perfectly sound.

"As for James Jarvis, as long as there isn’t another Xenobeast Tide on his doorstep like on Planet B36, maintaining the current situation won’t be a problem."

It was a gamble.

But the odds of them losing were likely smaller this time, because the planet James Jarvis was on now wasn’t one with an unstable magnetic field.

Nor was it a planet like B36 that relied on human intervention to maintain its balance.

It was a proper, naturally stable planet.

Clearly, after the accident on Planet B36, no one would gamble on that possibility again.

Scientific research demands stability.

"I understand, Sir," Justin Lewis said in a low voice, seeing that the virtual meeting was about to end.

But Quentin Ford continued, "Justin, you’ve followed me for so long. If we fail in the end, what do you suppose we should do?"

It would be impossible to say his mindset hadn’t been affected by Zoe Pierce and her group at all.

The string of setbacks involving Zoe Pierce’s team had made Quentin Ford switch to a path he had never considered before.

Now, he was even planning for an endgame in which he was discovered.

As long as the grand scheme wasn’t affected, his own life or death wouldn’t be an issue.

In fact, with his current level of influence, he might not even be killed.

There were too many things the authorities wanted to pry from his lips.

But the people around him could not be so lucky.

Justin Lewis had followed him for too long. Even if he were transferred away now, no one would believe he was truly innocent.

Especially after his recent political declarations.

He couldn’t help but think about rats deserting a sinking ship.

But Justin Lewis’s expression was serene. "Sir, from the beginning, we have been walking a path no one has ever walked before."

"If we fail, someone will one day take up our cause."

"Sir, I have no regrets, even if we fail."

He curled his lips into a smile. "The worst that can happen is death."

If he hadn’t accepted that, he never could have stayed by Quentin Ford’s side.

Nor could he have personally arranged and overseen all these matters.

The allotted time for the virtual conference room finally ran out, and both Justin Lewis and Quentin Ford fell silent.

All that remained was the silent understanding in their eyes.

Without a word, they understood each other.

Quentin Ford poured out the tea that had been steeping for five minutes, brewed a fresh pot, and handed a cup to Justin Lewis.

"Have some tea. It’s a new harvest. How is it?"

Justin Lewis also calmed down, taking a moment to examine the brew.

The clear, pale yellow liquid gave off a faint, fragrant aroma. He lifted the small cup and took a sip. "Excellent tea. Sweet and refreshing."

Quentin Ford narrowed his eyes. "Not going to lecture me about not drinking it this time?"

Their exchange would have seemed perfectly normal, even to an Alpha skilled in observation.

Justin Lewis set down his teacup with a hint of resignation. "Sir, you still need to look after your health."

Quentin Ford also shook his head, resigned. "Alright, alright. I’ll stop after this cup."

They savored the tea for a full half-hour more.

During that time, they also discussed some recent, non-confidential matters concerning Betas.

An hour later, Justin Lewis departed.

The Alphas guarding the villa exchanged glances, merely recording the time on their Intelligent Brains.

*

The mission arranged for Zoe Pierce’s squad was, once again, a special one.

The other cadets who had enlisted at the same time didn’t know at first, but after The Military’s large-scale investigation, some of the well-informed among them found out.

They all knew that a Terrorist Organization was targeting Zoe Pierce and her team.

So, there were no objections to them carrying out these unusual missions.

On the eve of the mission, however, when all the squads assembled, Zoe Pierce noticed a change among the teams.

The squads, which had previously been almost exclusively four-person teams, now each had an Omega in their ranks.

The Military’s previous deployments were now gradually being implemented.

"Their Omegas are on a rotational basis," Aaron Xavier explained, noticing Zoe Pierce’s attention was fixed on the group of Omegas who had suddenly appeared.

Zoe Pierce hummed in acknowledgment.

It wasn’t a rotation after every mission. Rather, after collaborating on three to five missions, the Omegas could choose to rotate to other teams.

Only exceptionally outstanding teams could choose to have their Omega become a permanent member.

Zoe Pierce’s gaze shifted to the group from the First Military Academy.

It was plain to see that compared to the day they enlisted, every Alpha’s features had become harder and more defined.

The presence they exuded was also much stronger than before.

Everyone was maturing quickly.

"The First Military Academy’s squad—are they also exempt from rotation?"

Nathan Lockwood glanced over and said, "Mm. Currently, both we and they can choose not to rotate."

In The Military, strength was what ultimately mattered. If you wanted special privileges, you had to possess the power to back them up.

Zoe Pierce’s squad now had that power.

And so did the First Military Academy’s S-Class Alpha squad.

The only difference was that in Miles Sherman’s case, the decision was entirely up to Zoe Pierce, while for the First Military Academy’s squad, it was up to the Alphas.

Zoe Pierce withdrew her gaze and stepped back into formation.

The Interstellar Space jump from the Capital Star to Aethel Star would take two days. ’I should look over the planet’s data again.’