Meanwhile, Jones finally understood the source of the stench assailing her nostrils. It was the colossal creature before her. Vampires were extremely sensitive to the smell of blood, allowing her to detect the [T-Virus]-contaminated flesh within the Tyrant. A putrid, foul odor emanated from its body, making Jones, a 'gourmand' particular about food, feel nauseous.
She had no time to focus on the stench now. More than the discomfort, she wanted to live. Crumpled into a ball by the grip, Jones forced a smile, her hands constantly trying to pry open the Tyrant's palm. No matter how hard she tried, the Tyrant's massive hand clamped her facial bones like a hydraulic press, unmoving.
Unable to break free by force, Jones endured the pain and softly said, "Gege, can you let me go? You're hurting me so much..." "If you let me go, Jones will listen to Gege completely, no matter what..." [CRACK]... "AH!!!" Before she could finish, the Tyrant brutally crushed her jawbone, cutting off her words.
As the horrific sound of bone cracking pierced through the rain and snow, Matthew stepped over the ruins, emerging from the darkness. He had been standing in the shadows. In his hand, he held a [Specialized Neck Collar].
"Lower her a bit, you're holding her too high," Matthew said, looking up at the Tyrant. It had nearly lifted Jones to the ceiling. The Tyrant gave Matthew a cold glance, then obediently lowered its hand by several tens of centimeters.
"This height is about right." Matthew, with a gloved hand, brushed aside the scattered hair from Jones's neck. He tidied it as he thoughtfully explained the collar's function. "I know you're scared, but please don't be scared yet."
"The item in my hand was specially made for 'you'." "Of course, saying it was specially made for you is giving you too much credit." "Simply put, we modified a bomb collar." "We converted the miniature bomb inside into a [High-power UV light beam], which has a special attack attribute against Vampires."
"It can instantly sever your head and suppress [Cell Regeneration], killing you completely." "So, you'd better be obedient from now on." [Click]... Matthew put the collar on Jones as if collaring a dog. The collar instantly locked around Jones's neck.
To prevent struggles from delaying the capture, Matthew pulled a syringe from his pocket. He injected it into Jones under her terrified gaze. [Pshhh!] The effect was instant. One second, Jones was flailing; the next, she was like a dead dog, lifted by the Tyrant onto a truck.
The truck bed opened. Inside, a dozen Vampires were piled against the wall like cargo. Their breathing was steady, as if they were asleep.
Tonight's capture operation went exceptionally smoothly. With the FBI disguise as cover, and the Vampires unwilling to expose themselves, the operation proceeded with almost no hitches. With the [Experimental Subject], William was no longer constrained in his experiments. Some more violent testing plans had already begun. Fortunately, the experimental floor's soundproofing was ridiculously good. Otherwise, the Vampires' screams would probably carry for two blocks.
On the top floor, in his office, Matthew reverted to his old hands-off boss attitude. He had handed all his work to Ada, just like when Eleanor was around. At first, Ada would remind Matthew to take his work seriously when she saw his idle demeanor. Matthew always used 'a 2.4 million annual salary' and 'Eleanor used to do it this way' as shields against Ada's reminders. This left her speechless.
There was nothing she could do; he simply paid too much. Besides, there were no major issues within the department. What Eleanor could handle, Ada could handle just as well.
The mundane routine passed amidst days of distributing cigarettes and alcohol to the homeless. In his office, Matthew looked at his current [System Points], his eyes full of anticipation. Through daily accumulation, his total [System Points] had reached five thousand two hundred. The [T-103 Tyrant] in the Warehouse had increased from one to three.
After deducting the two thousand six hundred eighty points spent on optimizing the [T-Virus] not long ago, he now had two thousand five hundred twenty points remaining. Of course, simply distributing cigarettes and alcohol wouldn't allow him to accumulate so many [System Points] in just two weeks. The rapid increase in [System Points] was entirely due to the captured Vampires. Otherwise, he would have earned only a fraction of that.
To earn [System Points], Matthew still visited the laboratory from time to time. He used his old trick again, just like with Pete and his group. He exchanged false promises for the Vampires' "gratitude," accumulating many [System Points]. To Matthew's surprise, these Vampires had an extremely strong desire to live. When he falsely promised them freedom, his [System Points] began to grow wildly.
Judging by their excitement, the Vampires practically wanted to kowtow twice to Matthew. They wanted to call him "Daddy" and offer themselves to him. However, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. Matthew never intended to keep his promises. After harvesting [System Points], he would order his subordinates to recapture the Vampires. Then, William would inject them with a drug to make them forget the past few days.
Under such repeated operations, [System Points] began to grow rapidly. However, this method also had side effects. The drug was bad for the brain. Ordinary people would completely lose self-awareness after three injections, becoming an idiot who knew nothing. Even Vampires, after repeated injections, would likely suffer from Alzheimer's disease or even schizophrenia.
This practice was not conducive to future experimental progress. So Matthew only repeated it a few times before stopping. Otherwise, he would have even more [System Points] now.
Under the setting sun, Matthew leaned back in his chair. His gaze continuously scrolled across the [System Panel]. As he pondered how to "Benefit the People" and earn more [System Points], his phone suddenly flashed with a notification. Then came two, three more.
[NEWS: Stark Industries CEO, Tony Stark, was inexplicably attacked in Afghanistan. His current whereabouts and condition are unknown.] [Obadiah Stane, one of Stark's board members, has issued a reward.] [If Tony Stark's whereabouts can be found, he will personally reward twenty million US dollars.] [SHOCKING! Tony Stark allegedly attacked, now missing and presumed dead!] [BREAKING NEWS! Tony Stark missing in Afghanistan, suspected hit by rival!]
All sorts of news about Tony Stark exploded simultaneously, leaving Matthew stunned.
"Tony Stark is missing?"