This time I chose Paladin.

Chapter 310 "Prove Your Purity"

Everything proceeded smoothly and without any unexpected incidents.

Administrator Number Two seemed genuinely unconcerned about those ephemeral things... As they left, more than one person in the crowd let out a soft sigh without making a sound.

Including Liang Zhenduan.

As the former top decision-maker of Zhongzhou who died from overwork... no, the top decision-maker, Liang Zhenduan had a relatively better understanding of the second administrator and Nie Weiyang, so he would naturally be in the welcoming team.

However, Administrator Number Two is not human... no, humans from previous civilizations are still humans, they are late Homo sapiens in this universe—not Earthlings. Liang Zhenduan is unsure whether he knows about himself, or rather, he is unsure whether Nie Weiyang's relationship with Administrator Number Two is deep enough to bring up other people.

After all, if that were the case, it would all be considered idle chatter.

If the second administrator really does chat with Nie Weiyang...

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

……

Instead of entering the underground city, the group arrived at the largest and most sturdy building on the surface.

The meeting place was spacious and bright, clearly meticulously prepared. Several people around were holding special equipment—not ordinary cameras, but imaging devices imbued with recording magic—capturing this historic moment from various angles.

The magical light flickered gently, ensuring it wouldn't emit a blinding glow that would interfere with vision. Nie Weiyang had dealt with similar situations last week and knew the effects of these magical devices, but he really disliked the feeling of being stared at from all sides.

He was currently in the position of Administrator Number Two and could not react immediately to this situation. But two minutes later, he tapped his index finger twice on the cold metal armrest.

"Knock, knock."

The crimson gloves, gleaming like blood, reflected the metallic sheen. The sound emanating from them was faint, yet it seemed to possess a magical power that silenced the entire hall, even extinguishing the faint glow of the magic cameras.

"The paladin said you needed to speak with me," said Administrator Number Two, his red goggles showing no change in luster. "I've arrived. Is that all?"

There seems to be a hint of... impatience?
Liang Zhenduan's eyes flickered slightly. This sentence contained a lot of information, the most important part of which was that this administrator seemed to be very pragmatic and disliked red tape.

He's quite similar to Lao Nie... he thought. That's probably why these two guys ended up together.

The elderly man at the head of the group reacted quickly. His smile faded, and he became more solemn: "Your Excellency is wise."

“We do have important matters to discuss and hope to reach a consensus with you.”

He waved his hand, and the recorders immediately and quietly left the conference room.

"First of all, please allow me, on behalf of Heito and all humankind who have continued to this day on the basis of Earth's civilization, to express our sincerest gratitude for your many previous acts of assistance."

The old man bowed slightly, a solemn gesture.

"Especially during the 'Star Ember' and 'Plague' events, you eliminated the source of the contamination, preventing an even greater catastrophe."

The second administrator remained silent, offering no response to the gratitude, seemingly waiting for further instructions.

The old man continued, "We are eager to learn more."

"About this 'new world,' or rather, Titan... and about the locks you previously unlocked in our minds, about pre-civilizations, about our shared future..."

"Would you be willing to share some information? For example, the specific status and function of those facilities referred to as 'space stations'? And is there any possibility of cooperation between us to jointly address threats such as 'Returnist sectarianism'?"

The problem was presented directly and concisely.

All eyes were focused on the black and gold figure, awaiting his response.

……

Administrator Number Two did not answer immediately. His cold red goggles slowly swept across the crowd, as if assessing the basic qualities of these Earthlings, or perhaps just a casual glance. But the invisible mental pressure made the air almost freeze, and even the most powerful psychologist present felt a slight difficulty breathing.

A moment later, the deep voice echoed in everyone's minds again:
“Space station, ‘Hope,’ ‘Glory,’ ‘Dawn.’” He announced the three names in a flat tone, “‘Hope’ is above, the moon; conversely, the sun is an illusion. ‘Glory’ is below… You don’t need to know too much. ‘Dawn’ has already set sail into deep space.”

Concise yet informative.

Everyone was deeply shocked.

They had learned from Nie Weiyang that the Hope Space Station was the Blood Moon, but Glory was in the Netherworld—a dark and unclear afterlife, described by the word 'decay,' clearly indicating a very pessimistic situation.

And 'Dawn'... left this place?
Where did it go? What was its purpose?
Before everyone could process this information, Administrator Number Two continued:

"The legacy is a test. Don't bring about your own destruction."

caveat.

This is definitely a warning.

“As for ‘cooperation’,” he repeated the word, the light from his red goggles focusing slightly on the elderly man at the head of the group, “define your ‘cooperation’.”

He did not refuse, but demanded that the other party clarify their intentions. This was a condescending attitude, yet it was consistent with the status and power he projected.

The old man took a deep breath, knowing the crucial moment had arrived. He responded calmly, speaking slowly and clearly, making sure every word was distinct:

"The cooperation we hope for is based on survival and development, and on addressing common threats."

"First, information sharing. As you know, we know very little about the major changes taking place in the world, about those things that pose a direct threat to the survival of human civilization."

"Second, in specific circumstances, targeting a clear external threat..."

He cautiously avoided directly mentioning the Void Demon, but both sides understood the implication.

"...We would like to engage in limited tactical cooperation with you. We do not expect you to solve all the problems, but we hope that the two sides can support each other in critical moments."

"Third, regarding your civilization's facilities. We hope to gradually obtain secondary access or usage guidelines for some non-core facilities, such as some shelters or former civilized cities, to better resettle the people and resume production."

"We can pay a reasonable price for this, or fulfill corresponding obligations, such as sending more people to help you connect more of your civilization's shelters."

The conditions were clearly and pragmatically presented, without making exorbitant demands, and left ample room for negotiation.

Administrator number two remained silent once again.

Time ticked by, each second feeling exceptionally long. He seemed to be weighing his options, or perhaps simply observing.

Finally, that grand voice rang out again:
"Information can be shared to a limited extent. In addition, I will provide notifications when a threat is imminent."

This can be considered as agreeing to the first point, but with the added premise of limited and proactive notification.

"Coordinated defense...depending on the situation."

This clause does not contain any explicit commitments, thus preserving complete autonomy.

Finally, regarding the former civilization facilities, his response was more nuanced: "Outside of the shelter, the facilities are not under my sole management. The facilities have the right to self-determination and screening mechanisms."

He tilted his head slightly, and the quietly suspended fragments of the heart-shaped prism emitted a soft light.

"To prove your purity."

(End of this chapter)