Under One Person: Dressed as Lü Liang, with vests all over

The large conference room was filled with noise.

People from all the major factions stood up and assumed defensive postures to avoid being caught in the sudden battle.

Ishikawa Shin was surrounded by members of the Fish Dragon Society, standing on the right side of the second row.

His gaze fell on Nathan, who stood on the stage looking alert, his brow furrowed.

Everything that happened tonight was somewhat unexpected for him.

First, King Nathan announced that someone had broken the golden branch, and the life-or-death struggle between the challenger and the king had begun, and Nathan Island would soon be open to the public as a result.

Immediately afterwards, Ron, a high-ranking member of Behemoth, openly expressed his covetousness for Nathan Island and the Tree of God, and even pointed out that Elijah of Nathan was the one who broke off the golden branch.

Nathan's men then started fighting amongst themselves, Elijah mysteriously vanished into thin air, and chaos erupted in the conference room...

The source of this uproar...

Shin Ishikawa turned to look in Ron's direction, then his expression froze.

Because Ron, who was originally sitting on the left side of the first row, was nowhere to be seen.

Shin Ishikawa immediately looked around the entire area, but still couldn't find any trace of Ron.

"Father, what's wrong?" Ishikawa Ken asked, puzzled.

Ishikawa Shin did not answer, but simply shook his head slightly.

Then, he raised his hand and gently patted the tall, thin, bespectacled elderly man standing to his left—William Spencer, a director of the European Jade Society—and politely asked:
"Mr. Spencer, do you know where Ron has gone?"

"Ron? Isn't he sitting right next to us?"

As he answered, Spencer turned his gaze from Nathan Garcia’s alloy creation to the chair on his right.

Then, his gaze sharpened.

Because Ron Keller's arrogant face was not in his sight.

Not only Ron, but even Ron's personal assistant is nowhere to be found.

Spencer immediately turned to his attendant beside him and asked urgently:

"Carlo, did you see when Ron left? Where did he go?"

……

At that moment, Zhao Fangxu, standing at the conference room door, asked the same question into his headset.

"Erzhuang, have you noticed where Ron went?"

“Mr. Zhao, the scene was too chaotic just now, I didn’t see it,” Erzhuang replied. “However, I can check the surveillance footage.”

Less than ten seconds later, Erzhuang's mechanical voice sounded again.

"Mr. Zhao, the security camera in the main conference room was destroyed by an unknown substance, and it did not capture any footage of Ron leaving the conference room."

"However, the last footage from the surveillance camera shows that Ron glanced in the direction of the camera, and I think it's highly likely that he was the one who destroyed the camera."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Fangxu's brows furrowed deeply as he pondered:

"What exactly is Ron trying to do?"

"I don't know, but the rest of Behemoth's delegation seems to be looking for them too."

Erzhuang's tone remained lively as she reassured her:

"Mr. Zhao, don't worry. I have access to all the cameras in this building. Not only surveillance cameras, but also personal electronic devices. Unless they can become invisible or turn into flies, they won't be able to sneak out."

"Okay, let me know immediately if you find anything."

"Alright, Mr. Zhao!"

"Okay, Erzhuang, you go ahead and get busy."

Zhao Fangxu raised his hand and pinched the space between his eyebrows.

Nathan can get into trouble, but he cannot get into trouble in China or at this meeting.

Thinking of this, Zhao Fangxu immediately put down his hand and continued making arrangements into the headset:

"Chu Lan."

"arrive."

"You and Bao'er, along with Lao Meng and the others, escort Nathan and his party back to the tenth floor and place them under strict protection. You must ensure Nathan's safety."

"Roger that!"

"Xiao'er, Black Pipe, you two keep in touch with Erzhuang and find the dangerous individuals in the building, not just Elijah who escaped, but also immediately subdue Ron Keller if you see him."

"Roger that!"

……

After arranging everything properly, Zhao Fangxu slowly walked onto the stage and picked up the microphone.

Xu San and Xu Si followed and went up to protect him.

"Cough cough."

Zhao Fangxu cleared his throat, then raised his right hand and pressed it down in the air, signaling the representatives of various forces below the stage to quiet down.

Everyone looked up at the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we were also surprised by what happened tonight," Zhao Fangxu said calmly. "However, as the organizer of this meeting, we have taken appropriate measures immediately."

"Leave the rest to us at All-in-One. All you representatives need to do is take care of your own safety."

"The building is now under lockdown. Please wait here for a moment. We will keep you updated as soon as there are any developments."

As Zhao Fangxu finished speaking, the representatives of various forces below the stage did not voice their objections, but instead looked thoughtful.

Those qualified to attend this conference are all leading figures in the world of supernatural beings from various countries, people who have seen it all.

Therefore, they quickly recovered from their initial shock and began to ponder the vested interests behind this series of events.

……

Seeing that order had been restored in the conference room, Zhao Fangxu breathed a slight sigh of relief.

He stepped off the stage, pushed open the conference room door, and slowly walked into the corridor.

Xu San and Xu Si quickly followed, their expressions still showing lingering shock, clearly not yet fully recovered.

Xu San looked at Zhao Fangxu seriously and asked, "Mr. Zhao, what should we do next?"

Zhao Fangxu stood by the French windows, gazing wistfully at the night sky. After a while, he finally spoke:

"You two just take some men and guard this place. Before Erzhuang sends any new information, try to keep an eye on these people in the conference room and prevent them from causing trouble."

"Roger that!"

Xu San immediately nodded solemnly in agreement.

Xu Si, on the other hand, was much more relaxed.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He took one out and was about to light it when he met Zhao Fangxu's eyes as he pressed the lighter.

"Hehe, it was just a casual thing, just a casual thing..."

Master Xu wasn't embarrassed at all. He smiled and offered an explanation before casually putting the cigarette back into his pocket.

Seeing this, Zhao Fangxu chuckled and shook his head. Old Xu's two kids really do have very different personalities.

His gaze swept towards the conference room door, and he asked:

"Xiao Si, what do you think of what happened today?"

"What happened today..." Xu Si raised his hand and stroked his chin, clicking his tongue with a gossipy look, "I never expected that Nathan Guard and King Nathan would have such a special relationship, tsk tsk..."

Seeing Xu Si's nonchalant attitude, Zhao Fangxu pointed at him impatiently, "Let's get down to business."

"Hehe, this is also important business." Xu Si gestured towards the venue with his lip. "I think that assassin Larry we caught before might have been arranged by Elijah."

"Oh, how so?" Zhao Fangxu looked over with great interest.

"With Larry's abilities, it's impossible for him to kill King Nathan under the protection of the Nathan Guard. So, this move is clearly just an act."

"Acting? Why would we need to act?" Xu San asked, puzzled.

Xu Si glanced sideways at Xu San, a speechless expression on his face that said, "You didn't even think of that?" He crossed his arms and slowly said:

"Why did King Nathan set up a scheme to have Bao'er impersonate her? Wasn't it to lure out the person who wanted to kill him? The appearance of an assassin at this moment gave King Nathan's suspicions a more specific target."

"Elijah did this so that he could hide himself even more deeply."

"I have to say, this move was quite effective. It's a pity that Ron from Behemoth ruined it on the spot."

After hearing Xu Si's explanation, Xu San still looked puzzled. He frowned and asked:
“I understand that logic, but if Nathanwiel Elijah had the same feelings for King Nathan, why did he break off the golden branch?”

Xu Si glanced at Xu San and said disdainfully:
"Why? Didn't Ron already give the reason? Because of the Divine Tree! There's something wrong with the Divine Tree!"

As he spoke, he turned to look at Zhao Fangxu, "Mr. Zhao, what do you think?"

Zhao Fangxu nodded. "We have very few records about the divine tree."

"But judging from the reactions of King Nathan and Nathan Guard at the time, what Ron said should be true. The relationship between King Nathan and the sacred tree is likely that of a sacrificer and a sacred object."

"I've seen some sacred objects passed down from various sects, but I've never heard of anything as malevolent as this before."

Zhao Fangxu's expression and tone both turned serious.

His gaze fell upon Xu San and Xu Si, and he solemnly said:
"Although it seems that the power of the Divine Tree may have come from the successive Nathan Kings, it is certain that the Divine Tree can grant special abilities to people born on Nathan Island."

"This perfectly aligns with Behemoth's research direction; for them, the value of the Divine Tree is immeasurable."

"In today's global community of superhumans, if I had to say which force I fear the most," Zhao Fangxu said slowly, a glint of light flashing in his eyes behind his glasses, "it would really be Behemoth."

"Why?" Xu San asked, puzzled. "As far as I know, this Behemoth loves to boast about his justice, but behind it all is profit. Compared to the superhumans, they are more like a financial conglomerate."

"Yes, that's what makes them so formidable."

Zhao Fangxu put his hands behind his back and slowly said:
"In China, we call those who can sense and use Qi 'extraordinary people'. In other countries, they may have other names, such as wizards, alchemists, Qi practitioners, or Yin-Yang masters..."

"But no matter what they are called, and no matter how unique or strange their abilities are, at least these people have one thing in common."

"That is, what everyone pursues throughout their lives is individual growth and self-improvement, so the management of our kind of organization is also done by our fellow human beings."

“But Behemoth is different! They don’t care about any one person’s affairs at all; they treat all the Inhumans as a subject of study.”

"The most terrifying people are those who have no sense of awe."

Zhao Fangxu paused, glanced in the direction of the conference room, and then continued:
"If we capture Elijah today and end King Nathan's challenge, then the global Inhuman community might be able to maintain the status quo."

"Otherwise, we must also go to the island; the divine tree must not fall into Behemoth's hands."

Xu Si stroked his chin and nodded, his movements very firm, clearly agreeing with this viewpoint.

After nodding, he gestured with his chin towards the conference room and shrugged, saying:
“Once Nathan Island opens up, even if we can remain calm, the powers of other countries certainly won’t be able to.”

"At this meeting, the leaders of those organizations didn't look at King Nathan with much goodwill."

"Although Ron was arrogant, I believe what he said is true."

"Behemoth will soon take action against Nathan Island under the banner of justice, and judging by their nature, I think they probably want more than just the Divine Tree; they might also see the otherworldly beings on the island as valuable assets."

Xu San nodded in agreement, echoing:

"If it is not stopped, Behemoth's actions will inevitably lead to the breach of the population red line, which is too dangerous for the entire world's Inhuman community."

Upon hearing this, Xu Si impatiently ruffled his hair and muttered:
"Tsk, this is really a big problem. If Elijah hadn't broken that damn golden branch, maybe none of this would have happened."

……

“No, given Behemoth’s style, an attack on Nathan Island was inevitable; Elijah’s actions only brought it forward.”

Zhao Fangxu sighed and continued his analysis: "Elijah's goal was probably to completely destroy the Tree of God so that King Nathan could be freed from his predetermined fate."

“He certainly can’t achieve this goal by himself, so he needs to open up Nathan Island so that he can get help from the outside world.”

"So, today's events were a joint scheme by Elijah and Behemoth?"

Xu San looked puzzled again. "But wasn't Behemoth after the Divine Tree? If Elijah destroys the Divine Tree, wouldn't all their efforts have been in vain?"

"Moreover, today Ron Keller publicly exposed Elijah's plan to break the golden branch, almost ruining Elijah's plan... This doesn't make sense."

Upon hearing Xu San's question, Zhao Fangxu's expression became even more serious.

His gaze fell on the window, and he said in a deep voice, "This is also the most troublesome part of this matter."

"Behemoth would certainly not agree to destroy the Tree of God, and Elijah probably hasn't revealed this idea either. Besides, I suspect... Elijah may have more than one partner."

"More than one?" Xu Si quickly realized, "Mr. Zhao, you mean Qu Tong?"

Zhao Fangxu nodded, then turned his gaze to Xu San:

"As for why Ron exposed Elijah on the spot, if you think about it from a different perspective, everything makes sense."

What's the approach?

As Xu Si asked the question, he rubbed his chin. "Actually, I also find this very strange, since this action doesn't align with Behemoth's interests."

“If it weren’t for Ron’s words today, Behemoth might still be able to sneak onto the island. But after today, almost all the forces will be watching them, and their operations will become much more difficult.”

He looked up at Zhao Fangxu: "Mr. Zhao, have you already guessed the reason?"

Zhao Fangxu glanced at the security cameras in the corridor, narrowed his eyes slightly, sighed softly, and said:

"Actually, if you just change your perspective, today's events become much easier to understand."

"For example... Ron is fake."

"Fake? How could this be fake?" Xu Si exclaimed in shock.

Zhao Fangxu turned his gaze to Xu Si and asked:
"Little Four, have you forgotten about those Quanxing guys? Disguising themselves and causing trouble everywhere is their usual style..."

"You mean Lü Liang?!"

Xu Si's eyes widened immediately. "How come he's everywhere? What's he doing getting involved in this?"

"Lu Liang?"

Xu San also showed a surprised expression.

He quickly recalled his interactions with Ron Keller that day, and soon his expression turned to one of frustration as he frowned.

Because, whether it was checking documents at the intersection or the conversation at the venue afterwards, he couldn't find anything unusual at all. This Lü Liang is just too good at acting!
Thinking of this, Xu San looked up at Zhao Fangxu:

"Mr. Zhao, if 'Ron' really Lu Liang in disguise today, then were all the things he said made up?"

"No, what he just said might not be a lie."

"You forgot, besides disguise, he has another ability."

"Viewing memories?!" Xu San was shocked at first, then realized, "What he said, he saw in Ron Keller's memories?!"

Xu Si also showed a look of sudden realization.

"This Lü Liang is really bold. He dared to disguise himself as Ron Keller and openly attend the meeting. Does that mean he has already subdued the real Ron?"

"Tsk tsk, it's not surprising that Behemoth coveted Nathan Island, but they certainly didn't expect this fake Ron to reveal all these plans in public."

"Lu Liang's move completely ruined Behemoth's plan!"

Xu Si's face was full of schadenfreude.

"No wonder I saw the rest of Behemoth's delegation looking like the sky had fallen. They were betrayed, hahaha."

Zhao Fangxu nodded slightly, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

"If I'm not mistaken, this Lü Liang probably wants Nathan Island to open up, but doesn't want Behemoth to succeed."

“One of his purposes in doing this today is probably to muddy the waters, but perhaps... he has another purpose, which is very likely related to Elijah.”

"After all, when Elijah disappeared, they disappeared with him."

Zhao Fangxu adjusted his glasses, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes: "If we can catch him, all these answers will be clear."

……

As soon as Zhao Fangxu finished speaking, two voices rang in his earpiece at the same time.

One came from Erzhuang, and the other from the clarinet:

"Mr. Zhao, the detection device at the entrance has been triggered!"

"Mr. Zhao, Ron has been found! He's in the first-floor restroom!" (End of Chapter)