Forgotten Photo Studio

Chapter 156 Worrying about Money (Seventeenth Update)
Some theories suggest that it may have some potential utility in addressing anomalies related to stable Class A ghosts (this inference has not been confirmed by large-scale experiments and is for reference only).

Known properties:
High-dimensional psionic conductor: It can conduct and stabilize psionic energy of various attributes with near-lossless performance, and is the core material for making high-level amulets, soul-suppressing artifacts, and consciousness stabilization devices.

Absolute Consciousness Anchor: It can help the wearer maintain clear self-awareness and greatly reduce the risk of losing control during high-intensity mental shocks, deep illusions, or attacks that strip away consciousness.

Information layer isolation: It has a certain degree of resistance to attacks based on information transmission and meme contamination.

(Insufficient permissions)...

Known production/discovery records:

(Some records involve higher privileges or have been archived and encrypted)

Recent publicly available traceable records: Appeared in the Black Market - Liuquan Collection, believed to be an artifact unearthed from an unrecorded ancient tomb of a transcendent being. Last known owner/handler codenamed "Old Dog".

(Note: This information is compiled from external intelligence three months ago; its timeliness is unknown, and its reliability needs to be verified independently. The center does not provide any guarantees for black market transactions.)
(More historical records require Gold-level privileges or specific task authorization to unlock)

Looking at the detailed data on the screen, especially the newly unlocked [Boundary Lock Fragment] category tag, and the inference about its potential effectiveness against A-level ghosts, Xu Yan sighed inwardly: "Indeed, different permissions lead to completely different levels of information access. In my previous life, I was like seeing only a part of the whole picture; now I'm only seeing the tip of the iceberg."

Liuquan Collection... Old Dog...

His gaze was fixed on this most recent record.

The "black market" is a mixed bag, a gray area outside the rules, full of opportunities and deadly traps.

He had occasionally heard of the code name "Old Dog" in his previous life from his work in fringe intelligence. Old Dog was a middleman known for his cunning, caution, and secretive channels. It was said that there was nothing he couldn't get, as long as you could afford the price.

It seems that in order to obtain this crucial "Soul-Suppressing Iron," one will have to make a trip to the filthy yet all-encompassing "Liuquan Village."

This would undoubtedly involve considerable risk, but in order to prepare for the coming storm, to stabilize his mind, and to suppress the restlessness of "Abyss," he was determined to obtain this Soul-Suppressing Iron.

However, Xu Yan's joy was quickly dampened by reality as he looked at the detailed information about "Soul-Suppressing Iron" on the screen.

Such a rare and special material, even if it could be found in Liuquan Village, would certainly be astronomically priced.

He glanced subconsciously at the contribution points in his personal status bar, which represented his wealth—although they had increased due to promotion and completing the E-07 mission, they were still far from enough to buy items like "Soul-Suppressing Iron".

"We need more funds, or high-value items that can be directly bartered..."

Xu Yan pondered to himself.

He temporarily closed the "Soul-Suppressing Iron" entry and turned his attention to the [Mission Hall] in the left navigation bar.

The interface switches based on thought.

The central main display area was instantly filled with a dense list of tasks, resembling a job market in a contractor's world.

The tasks are presented in the form of cards, with the edges flashing with light representing different priorities (red - urgent, orange - high, yellow - medium, blue - low) and different attributes (such as combat, investigation, escort, purification, etc.).

The top has complex filtering criteria: region, estimated difficulty (bronze to silver), reward type (contribution points, cash, specific resources, favors), and publisher (official center, anonymous, specific organization or individual).

Xu Yan quickly set the filter criteria:
Difficulty: Silver level (acceptable risk missions slightly above one's own level)
Compensation ranking: from highest to lowest

Area: This city and surrounding areas
The list refreshed, and several high-paying tasks at the top immediately caught his eye:

[Emergency Cleanup: Abandoned Inpatient Department of the Seventh People's Hospital]

Difficulty Assessment: Silver II - Silver I (Dynamic fluctuations, Warning: Risk of unknown mutations exists)
Posted by: City Cleanup Office (Official)
Reward: High contribution points + 150 million contribution points + one B-level resource exchange privilege

Summary: The area has recently seen unusually active aggregations of resentment, forming a small "ghostly realm" that requires thorough purification by a team. There have been reports of suspected sightings of the mutated "Wailing Banshee."

[Investigation and Protection: Starlight Biotechnology Laboratory] Difficulty Assessment: Silver I - Silver III
Posted by: Starlight Biotechnology (Anonymous verification passed)
Reward: 200 million contribution points + custom gene enhancement potion (optional)
Summary: Several incidents of staff members experiencing mental breakdowns and "hallucinations" have recently occurred in the laboratory, suspected to involve unregistered psionic entities or information contamination.

The source needs to be investigated and the safety of the core researcher (Dr. Li) ensured until the end of the critical phase of the project.

[Tracking and Retrieval: The Out-of-Control Bionic Butler "Adam"]

Difficulty Assessment: Silver III - Silver I (Technical-side mission, combat risk is uncertain)
Posted by: Anonymous (Privilege: Gold)
Reward: 180 million contribution points or equivalent rare metals/spiritual materials

Summary: The prototype "Adam" broke through the underlying instruction restrictions during an emotional simulation test, resulting in the disappearance of some experimental data.

The target must be located and recovered (the core data board must be intact), and the target possesses high intelligence and potential counterattack capabilities.

(Note: The target's last signal appeared in the old industrial area in the west of the city.)

[Long-term partnership: Security consultant]

Difficulty Assessment: Silver I - (Subject to change)
Posted by: (Information hidden - requires acceptance to unlock)
Compensation: Negotiable, believed to be extremely generous, including stable cash flow and access to exclusive resources.

Summary: Due to recent tensions, a high-ranking individual (unofficial) needs to recruit a reliable silver-level contractor as a long-term security consultant to handle "unconventional" threats. (This task is guaranteed by the center's reputation.)

(Note: Proficient in harmless treatment)
Xu Yan's gaze swept quickly over these tasks.

The first three missions offer attractive rewards, but the risks are clear and high: they either involve unknown mutations, highly intelligent adversaries, or anonymous giants whose involvement could be very deep.

For Xu Yan, who urgently needs funds but must keep a low profile, the first three tasks, while lucrative, either carry uncontrollable risks or involve too much involvement, requiring careful consideration.

His attention eventually settled on the fourth task.

"Long-term cooperation," "private security consultant," "generous compensation," "special resource channels"... and the crucial phrase "must be skilled in harmless disposal"—these conditions combined are indeed very tempting, especially the "special resource channels," which might provide unexpected help in his search for "Soul-Suppressing Iron."

However, his finger stopped in front of the "accept" button.

“There are over a hundred registered silver-level contractors at the center, and at least a dozen of them are specifically skilled in ‘harmless treatment’ such as purification and soothing.” He calmly analyzed the competitive environment. “Such lucrative long-term contracts will inevitably attract many competitors once they are made public. Actively submitting an application may lead to a lengthy screening process and inefficient competition with peers, making it difficult to get results in the short term.”

What he lacks most right now is time.

Rather than pinning our hopes on an uncertain open selection process, it would be better to...

Xu Yan's gaze deepened.

He thought of the various intelligence reports scrolling through the terminal's information stream, of people like Zhou Wenbin, and of "Liuquanji" and "Old Dog." In this world, information and connections are resources in themselves.

"Perhaps I should change my approach," he thought to himself. "I don't necessarily have to passively wait for selection. If I can reach the publisher in advance through other channels, or demonstrate value far exceeding that of a regular applicant, making it impossible for them to refuse..."

Instead of accepting the task, he carefully memorized the task number and key information.

This task is undoubtedly a potential objective.

However, there are other ways to obtain it besides "applying".

When necessary, it can be used as a bargaining chip or a direction that can be actively pursued.

Right now, he needs to be more flexible in finding ways to obtain funding and maintain initiative.

He closed the mission interface, and the dark blue screen went dark.

The next goal remains clear, but the path to that goal requires more meticulous planning.

(End of this chapter)