This time I chose Paladin.

Chapter 235 Money blinds the eye
Gold, wealth.

Even in the most primitive languages ​​on Earth, these concepts are often interconnected. A gold standard system would naturally develop such semantics; it is a historical inevitability.

Golden God, the sin dealer.

What prevented Nie Weiyang from connecting them was only their form of expression—how could the Golden God, an extermination agency based on gold, be related to criminals who measure resources, value, and wealth?
But of course, there is a connection.

Gold has been the benchmark for measuring wealth for thousands of years, but the way of measuring everything as wealth will inevitably lead to destruction.

Humans have always been like this, and they will surely repeat it in the future.

……

The meeting concluded temporarily amidst a heavy and chaotic state of mind. The scholars dispersed, carrying new clues and even greater questions.

They need time to digest, analyze, and build new hypotheses.

Last week, the traffickers kept the information about them very well hidden.

Just like the Returning to the Church, it is very easy for those who have prior knowledge to exploit the information gap with the public.

Nie Weiyang also found it difficult to say what had happened in the process, but each individual was an uncontrollable factor in the overall situation. Throughout history, countless secrets have been permanently buried between people.

"Do a good job of intelligence gathering..."

"Pre-civilizational language..."

"A hidden crisis..."

Nie Weiyang walked out with the crowd. He could feel that more than one or two people were watching him, and he could clearly sense the countless churning thoughts around him—fear of the unknown, a desire for the truth, and dark speculations hidden beneath reason.

Many people turned their backs on him, focusing on things that were much more distant.

He could hear countless thoughts swirling in everyone's minds. About life, about the future, about sex and desire, about what people expected, wanted to see, or about every single day right before their eyes.

The moment he stepped out the door, Nie Weiyang felt a little dazed.

He didn't feel lonely or wallow in self-pity, but he could definitely sense that even when he returned to the crowd, he was still thousands of miles away from everyone else.

He could hear everything, light and darkness, the sublime and the base.

But this massive flood of information did not make him feel integrated; instead, it more clearly outlined an invisible barrier.

People's hearts are hidden behind their skin, and those who can read minds are perhaps the ones who can best understand the deeper meaning of this saying.

Just as he stepped out of the research institute, the slightly glaring afternoon sunlight made him squint. Before the momentary sense of disorientation had completely subsided, a loud and energetic voice broke the surrounding silence.

"Boss!"

Nie Weiyang turned his head and saw Russell strolling over with a grin, holding a paper oil bag that was steaming and smelled of meat. "Have you eaten?" he asked casually, as if the two were old friends who had known each other for many years.

The smoky aroma of the steamed buns and Russell's untroubled smile strangely diluted the coldness and heaviness in the meeting room just now.

The slight daze quickly faded, and a genuine smile appeared on Nie Weiyang's face: "I didn't eat."

"Would you like some?" Russell pushed the bag forward again.

"Is this enough for you to eat?" Nie Weiyang asked, looking at the small bag.

“There’s more if you’re not full,” Russell said with a grin.

"Eat," Nie Weiyang said.

He took out a steamed bun, took a bite, and found the meat tender and the dough soft—a reassuring taste.

He swallowed the food in his mouth and naturally continued, "By the way, would you mind moving?"

"Moving?" Russell mumbled, chewing on a steamed bun. "I don't like it, but I don't mind. What, you've got work to do?" His eyes gleamed with interest. "Yeah. We'll go find someone these next couple of days, then I have to head back to Zhongzhou." Nie Weiyang looked at him. "Coming with me?"

Russell barely hesitated, swallowing the bun in a few bites, and waved his hand: "Let's go!"

This decisive and efficient approach made Nie Weiyang nod with a smile.

What he needs is precisely this kind of partner—capable, principled, and decisive in crucial moments.

Although his thought process might be a bit strange... it doesn't matter, since he himself is the one controlling the direction of his progress.

“But before I leave,” Russell added, pointing to the distant forest, “I need to say hello to my ‘friends’ and arrange the duty roster.”

"Otherwise, I'm afraid that when we come back, the western district of Pingdu will be so different from what we used to recognize."

Nie Weiyang recalled the map being unexpectedly refreshed earlier and nodded knowingly: "Go."

Russell walked briskly into the lush greenery, while Nie Weiyang slowly finished his steamed bun.

The warm sunshine bathed me, dispelling the lingering chill.

The secrets of pre-civilization, the origins of criminals, the threats from the stars... these are certainly important and urgent, but as the saying goes, we still have to keep going and life goes on.

He took a deep breath of the fresh, plant-scented air and began to plan his next steps and the route back to Zhongzhou.

first……

Zhao Deming, this criminal trafficker, should come to Pingdu for a visit.

But given the usual modus operandi of criminal traffickers, this guy is definitely not so easy to catch—if we don't set off in the next couple of days, we probably won't be able to catch him.

……

In the distant underground cave, Zhao Deming shivered.

He frowned, put down the pen in his hand, and stared at the paper in front of him. A strange and complicated symbol was drawn on it in blood-red ink. Everything was fine before, but his trembling caused an ink splatter to accumulate in the lower right corner, ruining the overall harmony.

The glaring scarlet ink spots seemed to be Nie Weiyang's cold, inhuman red eyes staring at him through time and space.

An extremely ominous premonition, like cold vines, wrapped around his back, making him shiver again.

"Tsk."

Zhao Deming's heels clicked on the thick carpet. He crumpled the unfinished magic practice sheet into a ball and threw it into his backpack.

That place already contains quite a few similar failed attempts.

The crimson tinge at the pen tip unsettled him; the sight of red reminded him of Nie Weiyang's eyes…

Nie Weiyang.

The oppressive feeling brought by that name hung over him like a dark cloud.

He was almost certain that Bai Yu, this meticulously crafted toy, was beyond saving; in fact, it might have already become a ticking time bomb, ready to kill him at any cost given the chance—well, that was to be expected. It's just that Bai Yu now had a relationship with Nie Weiyang, making him quite different from his previous weak and powerless state…

Just then, the beaded curtain at the entrance of the cave was lifted by a well-maintained hand.

A young girl walked in. Completely out of place in the perilous environment outside, she remained stunningly beautiful, dressed in a perfectly tailored and gorgeous dress. Her captivating charm made even her casual movements alluring.

She had a look of satiated laziness on her face as she walked and stretched.

"Have you had enough fun?" Zhao Deming asked without looking up, his voice icy.

(End of this chapter)