Masha hugged Shelley who came back through the portal and said, "Not bad, well done."
"So, we have to go back to Kazan to find that underground cave?" Chihiro asked.
"No. There must be a lot of people with super powers being studied there." Masha shook his head.
"We are going to Romania. The Soviets probably evacuated the scene after looting everything, but... we have a natural advantage in this regard."
Masha laughed.
"Maybe we can pick up something good. But it's late today, let's go home. We'll come back for the trip to Romania tomorrow."
**
Johnny is looking at the intelligence summaries just sent by the NSA and CIA. It is obvious that the NSA is more concerned about this matter and the summary it sent is more detailed. However, the two departments have different focuses after all, and there is little in the NSA's intelligence that interests Johnny.
In the CIA's summary, which seemed to be done without much care, there were quite a few things that Johnny was interested in.
"There is information released by a multi-faceted female spy... and is it related to Chinese legends?" Johnny transferred the sausage from his right hand to his left hand, and pressed the "Read More" button while eating.
So a briefing on this matter was launched.
Johnny glanced through it and found that there was a veteran female spy in West Germany who claimed that she had exclusive intelligence about the shadow and was looking for a buyer. The information was related to ancient Chinese myths and legends.
Johnny called his AI butler: "Friday, contact this female spy and tell her that an American billionaire wants to buy her intelligence. Let her name her price."
At this time Ben rushed in: "Johnny!"
"I know, I know. This is probably another scam, but I'm not short of money, so it doesn't matter if I buy it. I know, I know, but since it's my own money, I should be able to decide how to spend it, right?"
"Johnny!" Ben rushed straight to the electronic day shift in Johnny's office, then quickly operated the whiteboard to connect to his tablet and synchronize it with his tablet's screen.
"I just compared the awakening reports for the past six months."
"Doesn't the report come with year-on-year and month-on-month comparison data?" Johnny asked in confusion, "Could it be that they can't even make a mistake in the most basic statistical analysis? No, no, whether it's the CIA or the NSA, the stupid ones are those senior officials with a liberal arts background. As data analysts, they shouldn't make mistakes."
"They were not wrong. I was comparing it to something else. Yesterday, when I was looking at this month's report, I suddenly realized something."
Ben tapped the electronic whiteboard, which made it flash.
"Be gentle, big guy, this thing is very fragile," said Johnny.
"Look, this is the distribution of awakenings in the Americas region from last month."
"Yes, what's wrong?"
"If we use color gradient to represent the number of awakened people per square kilometer, it would be like this."
Johnny frowned, looking at the picture on the whiteboard.
Ben pointed to a light-colored area in the middle of the image. "See?"
He switched the screen.
"This is from the month before last, in the light-colored area. This is from the month before last, in the light-colored area."
Johnny frowned, "Why didn't those data analysts find this?"
"Because the sample size was small before, they did some statistical verification and decided to treat this as a normal fluctuation distribution. Let me show you the data from a year ago. You see, there was no such distribution a year ago. Because the sample size was too small, the results we saw were completely random."
Ben switched to this month's map: "In fact, compared with the maps of recent months, there is also a lot of randomness. This light-colored area sometimes covers five or six adjacent states, but last month it only covered two states."
“Oh my god, there must be something in these two states!”
"One state! All other states have darkened in color, but Wyoming has always been light. This state has always had very little awakening."
"Speaking of something special about this state..." Johnny paused and looked at Ben, "Yellowstone National Park!"
“Yes, Yellowstone National Park!”
Wyoming, as an inland state in the United States, was one of the states that was developed relatively late during the westward movement. It has little history. The only thing worth mentioning is probably the Yellowstone National Park.
Johnny: "I'll organize an investigation team right away! You go to the NSA to coordinate with the National Park Service, and we'll search that place thoroughly right away."
----
Shit, I didn’t pay attention to the time on the last chapter… 16 chapters… I can’t finish it by o’clock tomorrow morning, technically speaking.
I can only try my best...
Anyway, I only owe 15 chapters, which is a gap that can be filled in one rush...
Chapter 399: Although the guess was wrong, smart people are indeed different (rd update)
A day later, Johnny was already in Yellowstone National Park, meeting with the geologists he had invited.
"The national park has been through a very detailed geological survey," Johnny's chief geologist said in English with an Indian accent. "If there are any relics underground, we will definitely find them. Unless the relics are very, very deep underground. But I have to remind you that there is very active crustal activity under Yellowstone National Park, including underground water veins and lava. Even if there are ancient relics underground, they would have been destroyed long ago."
"What college did you graduate from?" Johnny asked.
“MIT School of Geosciences.”
"I think you're right," Johnny said to his schoolmate, "but is it possible... I mean, there's something in between the cracks of geological activity?"
"We probed, nothing. We're wasting our time."
"Then why are you still here?"
The Indian-American threw his hands up to Johnny and said, “You paid, BOSS.”
Johnny turned and looked at Ben.
The big guy spread his hands and said, "Our basis is statistics. Maybe there are some differences between the God of Statistics and the God of Earth Science?"
Johnny shook his head: "No, no, that's not right. We can't think like that. What we are looking for is not governed by the laws of nature. Ben, you always asked me to read Buddhist scriptures, so I went to read some Chinese Taoist classics..."
"Why do I recommend Buddhist scriptures while you read Taoist classics?" The honest big guy just showed a puzzled expression.
"Your recommendation of Buddhist scriptures was just an introduction. It suddenly reminded me that our opponent is a mysterious Chinese organization. They may have been using things disguised as religious classics to attract believers for many years, just like the Freemasons and the Knights Templar."
Indian geologist: "Walter? I thought we were here for a scientific expedition..."
"In my company, you will be fined if you interrupt me." Johnny finished speaking, and the Indian shut up, so he continued, "So I read a lot of Taoist classics. This is a religion that originated in China, and they emphasize the five elements.
"And Yellowstone, I think if the thing we're looking for was made by the damn Chinese, that's where it would be. Think about it, there are hot springs and geysers everywhere, there's lava flowing underground, there are mines nearby, and then there are forests, so many forests.
"Gadaidaimei, gold, wood, water, fire, and earth, all five elements are complete! The more I think about it, the more I feel that this is what the Chinese call a Feng Shui treasure land."
Ben looked around.
"Makes sense."
The Indian geologist raised his hand.
Johnny: “Say.”
"I don't understand Feng Shui. But I know a Feng Shui master in New York, from Victoria Harbor, who is very good at it."
"Very good, get him here. Also, you guys have to get moving. I've already paid, so get your equipment and scan the underground again. Thoroughly and completely. If you have any projects to do, bring them here and do them together. That will make you more motivated to work for me."
"Good boss."
Johnny clapped his hands and shouted as if he was rushing employees to work in his factory: "Okay, everyone, let's get to work!"
After everyone left, Johnny said to Ben, "I have a feeling we're going to find something."
"But maybe the timing is wrong," Ben said. "The number of awakenings in America and East Asia is now clearly lagging behind the rest of the world. Maybe that's related to this. Or maybe statistics are playing a trick on us."
"Well, it's better not to be like this. Under the current situation, I'm afraid that all science except mathematics has become unreliable. If even mathematics is unreliable, well..."
“Maybe we can build a new science that includes superpowers,” Ben said.
"And then it goes without saying that this science will be called the new quantum mechanics."
Ben let out a simple laugh.
Johnny shrugged. "Or Hollywood quantum mechanics."
At this time, Johnny's cell phone rang. He picked up the Bluetooth headset and put it on his ear: "It's me. Um, um, okay, transfer the file she gave me using my personal encrypted line."
As he spoke, Johnny took off his headset and picked up the tablet. Just at this moment, the tablet lit up, indicating that an encrypted file had been received.
Johnny opened it and quickly scanned the document, his brows furrowed.
"What's wrong?" Ben leaned over to look at the screen. "Nine Cauldrons? I remember that the CIA briefing said that there was unconfirmed intelligence that the Soviet Union seemed to have transported something like a cauldron to the research center in Kazan."
"Yes, I remember this briefing too. Friday, search for the information we just talked about."
"The results have been fed back." As Friday's electronic synthesized voice sounded, the day's briefing appeared on Johnny's tablet screen.
"Found in Romania? Could it have been brought to Europe during the Huns' or Mongols' westward invasion?" Ben speculated while looking at the screen.
"No, I think it was probably originally placed in Romania. Satellite image of the Romanian location mentioned in the intelligence on Friday."
The next moment, the satellite image occupied half of the screen.
"It doesn't look like it's next to a volcano?" Ben said.
"It doesn't necessarily require a volcano. Maybe other elements are more concentrated here. I want to compare the number of awakenings in the Soviet zone in the past three months. Friday!"
Soon, the computer gave the comparison results.
"Compare using weeks as the time unit!"
The results were given again on Friday.
"There has been a clear increase in the past week. The curve is definitely different from other regions in the world." Ben said with certainty.
"Yes, now it all connects. The tripod is the key to the whole thing, and the Shadow Organization wants to seize it. Now that the Shadow Organization knows that the tripod is in Kazan, they will take action against Kazan soon."
"Where is the Soviet Union's superpower research institute? In other words, it's where superpowered people gather," Ben scratched his head, "and the more superpowered people there are, the stronger their fighting power is. Even if it's the Shadow Organization, it won't be that easy to take it down, right?"
Johnny nodded: "Of course not. So I think the Shadow Organization will find a way to trick the Soviets into moving the Tripod... I understand, that's why they went to find that multifaceted female spy. They knew where the Tripod was from the beginning, and they deliberately leaked the information to get the Soviets to move the Tripod!"
Ben: "That makes sense. Wait a minute, this might not be enough. The KGB won't transfer something so important just because of a female spy. If Ying wants to achieve this goal, he must first show his strength and shock the Soviets."
"You're right," Johnny patted the big guy, "Although you look stupid after believing in Buddhism, you are still the same Ben I know. Ying will choose a place related to Ding to show up, and then show his strength to the Soviets. I think... it should be here! The place where Ding was discovered! Now that the information has been leaked, the Soviets will definitely double their surveillance of this place. If Ying's people show up, they will definitely notice it!"
"If the Shadow shows up at the place of discovery, the next step will be Kazan!" Ben said, "Then the World Government can strengthen its defenses."
Johnny looked at Ben with a "what the hell are you talking about" expression.
"Strengthen defense? No, no, of course we should take advantage of Ying's move to intercept Ding. Damn it, why is the Chief Engineer in a deep coma at this time when he has the ability to teleport? However, we can't give up this opportunity, we have to have a plan."
Ben said as he picked up his coat and headed straight for the helicopter pad of the expedition camp.
Chapter 400: Flying over the Carpathian Mountains (fourth update)
At 8:00 . Eastern Time, Masha got lost in the Carpathian Mountains.
He had to stop every time he saw a road sign, input the road sign bit by bit by hand into the computer, and then translate it using the Romanian electronic dictionary he had prepared early in the morning.
Although Masha had thought about going east directly and crossing the Carpathian Mountains, he later found that some parts of the mountain were really too steep. His car was not an airplane, so even if he drove at three times the speed, he still couldn't make it up.
Masha regretted that he should have driven along the bottom of the Danube first. Although the Danube made many bends along the way, it was flat land and downhill all the way. He drove to between Romania and Bulgaria and then landed in the land of ancient Wallachia, which was mostly plains and hills and much easier to drive.
When crossing the third mountain pass, Masha gave up.
"No more! Let's fly."
"What? Your car can fly?" Xiao Shi was surprised. "Do you want a midnight snack?"
Masha took the rice ball that Xiao Shi handed over.
"This car can't fly, but I can fly, with a bamboo helicopter. Wrap myself tightly, put on the bamboo helicopter and fly. Let Shelley protect me, and we will fly over the Carpathian Mountains."
"Wait a minute!" the League Secretary said loudly, "Shelley alone may not be able to protect her. There should be anti-aircraft missile bases or something like that in the Carpathian Mountains. What if we get attacked?"
"Is Ace Combat 7 fun?" asked Masha.
The league secretary nodded: "It's fun, but it's not important. You are just an ordinary person. Even with Xiao Shi's gift, you are still an ordinary person! You can't die. If we die, we still have a resurrection coin, but if you die, it's all over. So, you must be properly protected, otherwise I don't agree to let you go out to fly."
The little chicken nodded like pecking at rice: "Yes! The league secretary is right!"
"Why do you start calling me the League Secretary?" The League Secretary muttered with a frown.
Chihiro: "How about this, I put on the COS costume, equip the appearance props given by Masa's ability, and fly with Masa?"
"Sure, but won't an archangel and a demon fight if they fly together or something?"
The League Secretary was shocked: "I have this momentum given by Huahua, why can't I give myself momentum?"
"Blame me?" Huahua shrugged. "You can learn from Tao Baibai."
"I tried it, and then I found that anything that is closely connected to me cannot be given new momentum, and it will go in a parabola. Cai Shi's sword can fly by stepping on the sword she controls."
