In an instant, a massive wave of intrigue regarding the special cargo swept through the room.
Yet, Julian Lancaster sat alone in the corner, his long fingers casually drumming against the armrest of his chair.
His disguised face remained smooth and elegant, bearing a faint, unreadable smile.
He looked like nothing more than a bored bystander listening to gossip.
But he had been sitting in that exact spot ever since the exhibition was postponed.
Where there were crowds, there was information.
These buyers all fancied themselves powerful elites with dark, hidden agendas. With just a little strategic prodding, they eagerly spilled everything they knew.
But the moment the name "The Panacea" was mentioned, the finger resting on the rim of his glass twitched.
He lifted his gaze. "The Panacea? Project Zero-Transit actually managed to get her on board?"
The buyer sitting across from him clearly misunderstood, assuming Joker was also fascinated by the legendary doctor. He leaned in and eagerly shared more. "Has Mr. Joker heard of The Panacea? She's truly formidable. Word is, as long as the price is right, she can drag even the most hopeless, failed test subjects straight back from the jaws of hell."
"She poisoned the ship's inspectors the minute she boarded, and the crew couldn't do a damn thing about it."
"The fact that they instantly begged her for help when the special cargo went haywire speaks volumes about her abilities."
The man's tone was thick with admiration.
Julian let out a soft chuckle. "It seems the value of this cargo is far higher than I anticipated."
The other man nodded in strong agreement. "If the crew is willing to bow to The Panacea and halt the entire exhibition for this one item, it's definitely not something ordinary."
"I'm starting to suspect that this special cargo is the true grand finale of Project Zero-Transit. Otherwise, the crew wouldn't be sweating this much."
Julian smiled but didn't reply.
The Panacea was the inside contact Serena and Hazel Carring had arranged on Project Zero-Transit.
She certainly had some impressive skills.
As expected, anyone endorsed by both his sister and Hazel Carring was far from ordinary.
She had already managed to infiltrate the absolute core of the organization's operations.
In the lower-mid levels of the ship, red alert lights flared to life.
The patrol routes surrounding The Sanctum Vault were completely redrawn.
Several corridors leading to the specialized medical wing were suddenly designated as maximum-security zones.
The patrol squads, who normally rotated on a fixed schedule, all received new tactical orders simultaneously.
[Enhance perimeter patrols around The Sanctum Vault. No personnel are permitted to abandon their posts under any circumstances.]
[All squads will halve their shift rotation intervals.]
[Any anomalous activity must be reported immediately.]
[The corridor outside the specialized medical wing is now under the temporary jurisdiction of Fenris Squad.]
Jerrick Lancaster's eyes darkened as he scanned the orders on the screen.
Keeping his expression neutral, he turned to the eight mercenaries behind him. "We're reorganizing. The original patrol routes stay the same, but rotation times are cut in half."

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Messing With Her? Are You Crazy!