The end of the world is approaching, I'm handing myself over to the country.

Chi Zhengyang's office.

Before Zhou Jian could even catch his breath, he told Chi Zhengyang everything he had learned in the wasteland world, word for word.

Throughout the entire process, Chi Zhengyang simply listened quietly, his usually composed face showing no emotion.

The office fell silent only after Zhou Jian finished speaking the last word.

After a long while, Chi Zhengyang finally spoke, his voice breaking the frozen air.

Every word he spoke seemed to have been carefully considered.

"You mean, not only does the Bone King know about the end-of-month assessment, but he can also replace Lin Mo and become Lin Mo?"

Zhou Jian nodded heavily.

He forced himself to calm down, but his slightly rapid breathing betrayed his inner horror.

"yes!"

"Although these are all my guesses, considering the circumstances at the time, I think that's what Ainz Ooal Gown meant when he said that."

Chi Zhengyang did not answer immediately.

His fingers unconsciously stroked the black fountain pen on the table.

The pen spun slowly between his fingers, as if carrying some heavy thoughts.

Suddenly, he stopped what he was doing, raised his head, and looked directly at Zhou Jian.

What are your thoughts on this?

Chi Zhengyang's question was calm and unwavering, as if it were just a normal conversation.

"Do you think we should choose to continue supporting Lin Mo, or help Ainz Ooal Gown?"

Instead of answering directly, Chi Zhengyang threw the question back to Zhou Jian.

Chi Zhengyang's gaze remained fixed on Zhou Jian's expression.

Zhou Jian pondered for a moment.

In fact, from the moment he decided to log off and rush here...

The answer to this question had already passed through his mind countless times.

So Zhou Jian didn't hesitate at all; he straightened his back and made a firm decision.

"If it were me, I would unhesitatingly side with Comrade Lin Mo!"

The cap of the pen in Chi Zhengyang's hand was gently twisted open and then closed, making a soft "click" sound.

Give me your reasons.

Zhou Jian made no attempt to hide anything and revealed all his true thoughts.

"Because of weaknesses."

"Even if Ainz Ooal Gown and Comrade Lin Mo really share the same goal—to change the future—Akira Ooal Gown has no weaknesses."

"He was too strong and too mysterious, making it impossible for me to predict his next move."

"It's even harder to determine how much sincerity is behind his words."

Under immense pressure, Zhou Jian's thinking became exceptionally clear.

"But Comrade Lin Mo is different."

"He wants to go back to the present, he wants to live; these are his most fundamental desires."

"In order to achieve these goals, he must cooperate with us."

"This is Lin Mo's weakness, and also the cornerstone of our cooperation."

Zhou Jian emphasized his words, emphasizing each one.

"And it is precisely because of this cornerstone that our cooperation will never change."

After listening, Chi Zhengyang nodded slowly. He gently put down the pen in his hand, making a crisp sound.

"We've reached the same conclusion without even realizing it."

A simple word of agreement finally allowed Zhou Jian's tense nerves to relax a little.

Chi Zhengyang's gaze passed over Zhou Jian and landed on the scenery outside the window.

Fifty-five years is far too long.

Long enough time to transform a passionate young man into a bizarre and unpredictable undead lord.

What exactly happened to Zhang Heng during those fifty-five years of blank time?

No one knows these things, and there's no way to verify them.

There are just too many uncertainties surrounding the other party.

Cooperating with him is like asking a tiger for its skin.

Once Comrade Lin Mo, the only "future variable" they could access, disappeared.

Then all the initiative, along with the fate of the entire Dragon Kingdom, will fall into the hands of the Bone King alone.

That would be a huge gamble.

A high-stakes gamble that risks the future of a billion people on whether a person who has been completely transformed into a monster still retains any humanity.

Once this kind of betting begins, there's no turning back.

No one even knows whether Ainz Ooal Gown has adapted to his current life.

If Ainz Ooal Gown were to harbor even the slightest selfishness, the entire Dragon Kingdom, and even the entire world, would face utter destruction.

According to Zhou Jian's report, the Bone King clearly had ulterior motives.

He once wanted to save someone.

A person to whom he gave his all, yet ultimately failed!

Perhaps, over the long years, he had already decided to give up and accept the tragic ending he didn't like.

But at this crucial moment, Comrade Lin Mo appeared.

Comrade Lin Mo's existence was like a match striking through the darkness, rekindling the embers of hope that had long since died out in Ainz Ooal Gown's heart.

Whether Ainz Ooal Gown wants to save humanity's future is hard to say.

But Chi Zhengyang was certain that if the Bone King had this opportunity, he would definitely use it to make up for the regret of not being able to keep him in the past!

Chi Zhengyang withdrew his gaze, and the air in the office seemed to grow even heavier.

He knew very well that the "cooperation" Ainz Ooal Gown spoke of was never equal from the start.

It was more like a condescending act of charity, a "I give, you can take" kind of blessing.

Such cooperation is fundamentally unstable.

The fate of the Dragon Kingdom must not be entrusted to such a fanatical and uncontrollable entity.

In comparison, although Lin Mo is relatively weak and may have various flaws, he is genuine enough.

His desires, his survival instincts, his obsession with returning to the real world.

These weaknesses, ironically, have become the most reliable cornerstone of cooperation.

Chi Zhengyang tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, making a rhythmic tapping sound.

one more time.

It's like tolling the final countdown for some major decision.

After a long silence, Chi Zhengyang finally looked up at Zhou Jian.

The tapping sound abruptly stopped.

After a brief moment of thought, Chi Zhengyang continued to speak.

"Don't be so quick to refuse Ainz's request."

"You can even give him signals that you're willing to agree if necessary."

Chi Zhengyang spoke calmly.

"Elder Chi, what do you mean...?"

"You want me to deliberately cooperate?"

In an instant, Zhou Jian understood.

Undercover.

An undercover mission targeting Ainz Ooal Gown.

Chi Zhengyang nodded: "The authorities will fully cooperate with your actions."

"And your task is to find out how the other side obtained the intelligence."

"I know this task is difficult, but I can only entrust it to you."

Chi Zhengyang leaned forward slightly, and an invisible pressure descended upon him.

"Only by knowing how he obtained intelligence can we get out of our current passive position."

Chi Zhengyang's words carried an unprecedented solemnity.

"These monsters are incredibly skilled at gathering intelligence, each one more powerful than the last, making them completely unpredictable to us."

"The information they possess is as if they could have a direct conversation with us."

"Give me one..."

"It's as if we ourselves told them that information..."