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Chapter 262 Will the Dwarves Ultimately Destroy Themselves? Forget it, the No Man's Land is Better! (Bonus Chapter)

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A biting wind swept across the mountaintop, causing the dark green power armor to emit a faint metallic tremor.

A pale blue portal vanished silently into the air, leaving only an armored giant standing quietly on the edge of the cliff.

Lin Li's projection clone, now sporting a different face, was not wearing a helmet, revealing a sharply defined Western face. His fair skin appeared even more striking against the thin air of the high plateau. A heavy power sword hung at his waist, and a menacing explosive gun slung to his other side.

Unlike before, the double-headed eagle emblem representing the human empire on his breastplate and the flaming dragon head representing the Fire Dragon Chapter on his shoulder armor had disappeared.

Instead, a totem combining a sword and wings was created, exuding an ancient and chilling aura.

Dark Angels, First Legion.

This is a Space Marine chapter known for its paranoia and secrecy in a certain "shithole universe".

This identity is well-suited for the upcoming work of cleaning up corruption.

"Is this the place where those dwarves tried to tear open a spacetime rift?" Lin Li asked, putting on his helmet. His voice became deep and authoritative through the amplification of his power armor.

Meow~

A tabby cat appeared on his shoulder armor at some point, lazily flicking its tail in response.

Lin Li's gaze swept across the area below.

This is not a tribe of dwarves.

The mountains have been completely transformed, with terraced fields carved out on the towering peaks, and huge, disguised magic cannons erected at some of the most dangerous passes.

These cannons, pointed towards the sky, are clearly weapons that serve both as air defense for key locations and as a means of repelling the enemy.

Looking around, one can see countless cave entrances, some huge and some small, scattered across the mountain like a honeycomb. Every now and then, a mammoth covered in long hair drags a huge cart loaded with ore into the cave entrance, transporting steel and ore inside.

In some areas, airships can be seen lingering and patrolling nearby!

The living area, forging area, and residential area are clearly divided and well-organized.

These dwarves, whose productivity seemed to be stuck in the Middle Ages, had surprisingly built a vast cave kingdom in these mountains.

Lin Li's gaze darkened.

He thought of what Laplace's demon had told him—that the dwarves were trying to open a new rift in spacetime!

But the dwarves had no idea that the spacetime rift they were so fanatically worshipping and trying to embrace was not a path to the cradle of civilization among the stars, nor did they know what kind of catastrophe they were about to experience.

What they will be opening in the future is absolutely the entrance to a cesspool and hell.

"Cat!" Lin Li's voice turned colder. "The exact coordinates of the spacetime rift!"

"Meow—meow—" The tabby cat stretched and drew a big circle in the air with the tip of its tail.

A thought had already entered Lin Li's mind.

"A hundred-kilometer radius? Your intelligence is completely inaccurate! You sent me the coordinates here, why didn't you tell me the specifics?" Lin Li's brows furrowed deeply. "Narrow down the area! Now!"

"Meow~ Meow meow~~~" the tabby cat meowed, and at the same time, it transmitted a thought to Lin Li.

The amount of spacetime energy required to precisely lock onto the target area caused Lin Li immense financial pain.

Lin Li gripped the hilt of his power sword tightly, his joints making a slight cracking sound.

He gritted his teeth and forced out a few words: "Cat demon, you're taking advantage of my misfortune!"

Meow~

The tabby cat licked its paws, adopting an attitude of "honesty and fairness, take it or leave it."

"You greedy, unscrupulous businessman who only cares about money!" Lin Li cursed under his breath. "You money-grubbing Laplace's demon! You greedy bastard!"

"Meow~"

The tabby cat not only didn't deny it, but instead confidently showed a happy expression.

That look made it seem as if the word "greed" was the highest praise for it.

Lin Li's gaze swept over the dwarves coming and going below, and he could even see several dwarf children chasing and playing among the minecarts.

He paused for a moment, then his voice, tinged with a complex emotion, came through the power armor's loudspeaker: "Laplace's Demon, are you just going to stand by and watch thousands upon thousands of lives die because of your greed?"

Meow~

A clearer thought entered Lin Li's mind.

This is their chieftain's choice, and their future destiny. I have witnessed countless civilizations destroyed by ignorance and greed. My role is merely to inform them; the rest is up to you to save them.

Lin Li's fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

"Fine, very well!" He laughed angrily. "Since that's how it is, I'm quitting! Whether they live or die is none of my business!"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly raised his hand, and a pale blue portal tore open in the air once again, with a faint hum emanating from the edge of the energy.

"Since they're not human anyway, it's better if they're all dead! This place will become no-man's-land, making it easier for the human empire to take over in the future!"

As Lin Li spoke harshly, he made a gesture as if he was about to step into the portal.

Laplace, who had transformed into a tabby cat, suddenly began to curse sharply.

"Don't try to morally blackmail me. I'm not stingy at all. They're all dead dwarves anyway! It's better if they're all dead! Let it become no man's land! It'll be easier for humans to rule! Of course, if you can tell me the exact location with one source essence, I'll reluctantly let you earn some food."

"Meow meow————"

"You bastard, then let all the dwarves be wiped out! I really—really—don't care about them!"

The portal opened, and Lin Li's figure vanished.

Amidst the sound of the wind, the meow of the tabby cat could be heard once more.

Shortly after they left, a furious roar from a dwarf suddenly echoed from a cave: "Where's my roasted meat?! Which damned thief stole my mammoth leg roasted meat?!?!?!"

Before long, the noisy little dwarf children, who had been chasing and playing, arrived here.

They stared at the large footprints on the ground, their innocent faces showing confusion, and then—

"Father, Mother—the giants are coming!!!!"

In an instant, this once peaceful place became even more lively.

In the modern world, Lin Li opened his eyes and looked at the grumpy-faced Laplace cat demon: "Two source materials!"

The cat shook its head and then extended its paw.

"eighty?"

"Die, all of you die, so humans can take over this place!"

"Meow----"

"Heh, they're not even pretty long-eared elves, they're so short, they don't fit my aesthetic at all! Why can't they be extinct, heh heh—besides, the portal can keep them out of the way! Humans have a backup plan anyway!" Lin Li sneered as he stared at Laplace's demon.

"Meow~" Laplace the demon meowed disdainfully, then spat out a large piece of barbecued meat from its mouth.

This is the giant roast meat that the dwarves mysteriously disappeared from before!

Watching the other person eat, Lin Li pursed his lips, sat down in front of the computer, and began recording what he had learned.

Lin Li admitted these past two days that he's gotten arrogant!

Having enhanced himself with the spacetime source matter, he considered himself quite powerful. With nothing else to do, he wanted to take some action and prove his abilities.

Two days ago, I heard from Laplace's demon that some dwarves were trying to open a spacetime rift and create a very dangerous disaster.

He was prepared to kill that scoundrel dwarf himself!

Then—he spent a source substance and arrived at the point where the spacetime rift opened with Lapras.

Who knew Laplace's Demon would suddenly raise its price! It wants even more spacetime essence!

The clue I received was absolutely correct; this Laplace monster disguised as a tabby cat was indeed an extremely greedy creature.

"The King of the Hills: These civilizations, descended from among the stars, descended into madness after repeated technological failures. Bewitched by higher-dimensional beings, they began to turn evil. They attempted to open the spacetime rift that their dwarven ancestors and other races had worked together to seal, hoping to find a future to restore the dwarves' glory!"

Lin Li wrote intermittently, occasionally making revisions.

"Laplace's Demon, do you really want to see an ancient and intelligent civilization perish?"

"Meow?"

"I don't want the dwarves to be completely wiped out; I just don't want to see such devastation! Because if the dwarves are exterminated by the monsters from the spacetime rift, it won't be good for humanity's future exploration of other worlds!"

"Meow!"

"How about another discount?"

"Meow meow meow~"

Overall technological progress requires enormous human and material resources to drive it.

The best way to acquire powerful technology at low cost is through theft.

In the modern world, in the Anise Building, there is an office that collects all kinds of intelligence.

As Jason watched the nerve-stimulating drug being clinically tested on a middle-aged or elderly patient, he had only one thought in his mind—he had to get his hands on this thing.

After watching the video, he continued to watch other valuable videos that his unit had acquired at great expense.

These are recent medical tests conducted by the University of Tokyo, as well as footage of a series of tests on advanced drugs and medical equipment.

Once something is made public, there's no going back on keeping it completely secret.

Anyone in the relevant field can obtain data that ordinary people cannot access by spending some money.

Of course, they had no idea that all of this was actually a calculated scheme, information that the University of Tokyo wanted to leak. They still thought they had obtained it all through their own money.

Therefore, with their intentions carefully calculated and their lack of awareness, Jason and his team obtained what they believed to be the good thing they wanted.

"The flexibility and adaptability of Eastern medical exoskeletons are more powerful than expected. At the same time, their motors have made a new breakthrough. The permanent magnet motors made with new materials consume less power, and smaller motors can generate more powerful force —"

"Various documents.word"

"All of the above clues prove that the opposing side has already equipped its military with more powerful exoskeletons —"

After reading all this, Jason lit a cigar, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

These clues all suggest that the "super army" plan pushed by the other side seems to have made further progress, and his gaze swept over the latest policy issued by his own Eagles.

"The Big and Beautiful Act is designed to allow every citizen to better enjoy their tax freedom and breathe freely!"

Jason exhaled a puff of smoke, feeling irritated.

Tax freedom sounds great, but it's not a good thing for the Hawks as a whole. They will continue to shift the Hawks' already heavy tax burden onto others.

Simply put, this is a bill that makes the poor poorer and the rich richer!

However, he was powerless to change any of this.

Because he is the rentier in this situation.

He even needs to actively protect many of the clauses within it.

Back in the day, Jason Smith was considered an ambitious young man for the Hawks. Relying on his mixed-race heritage and powerful parents, he managed to rise from nothing to his current high position.

Unfortunately, decades have passed, and the glory he once longed for has all turned into money, women, power, and transactions.

After thinking for a long time, he dialed the number of Peter, one of his capable subordinates.

Soon, the man whose wife had had many affairs with him walked in.

Looking at Peter's upright posture, Jason exhaled a thick puff of cigar smoke. In the swirling smoke, he seemed to see a younger version of himself.

They share the same ambition and the same desire to climb the ladder.

What a fine fledgling eagle!

"Peter, your intelligence gathering work in the East has always been excellent." Jason flicked his cigar into the ashtray. "Tell me your thoughts and analysis?"

"Sir, I think they could make their move at any moment!" Peter's voice wasn't loud, but every word carried a ruthless edge. "They have the upper hand in every area. Internally, whether it's the civilian population or the government, the voices advocating war have long since overwhelmed everything. We shouldn't wait any longer! We need to drag them down with us. Only then can we better absorb the safe-haven funds from all around us!"

"Anytime?" Jason chuckled, pushing an unlit cigar towards Peter. "Your analysis is brilliant, but that's from our perspective. Have you considered that from their point of view, there's no need for them to even take action?"

Peter didn't touch the cigar, but merely frowned slightly.

"What they're playing now is called intimidation," Jason said, leaning back in his large boss's chair, his entire body shrouded in shadow. "It's like a weaponized giant standing at your doorstep, doing nothing but showing off his newly honed muscles every day. He doesn't need to hit you, but the sheer force of his weapon's attack is enough to suffocate you, making it impossible for you to breathe. The neighbors all know his intentions, but you're powerless to do anything about it—that's an open conspiracy!"

Peter's eyes flickered. "Sir," he said, "in that case, why don't we try to create friction and force them to make mistakes? That way, we can find opportunities to gain more benefits!"

"Foolish!" Jason's voice turned cold. "It's precisely because this is an open conspiracy that we mustn't act! You only see their official, composed statements, but you don't see how much those war-craving lunatics behind them crave slaughter. If we provoke them, even with the smallest skirmish, we'll suffer! And if we suffer, our pets will bare their teeth, and they can devour us alive at the negotiating table!"

Peter nodded as if he understood, then lowered his eyes to hide the fleeting look of disapproval.

In his view, his once powerful boss is now old, his sharp edge worn away, and all he has left is to look back and hesitate.

Peter, still full of youthful passion, surely believes that the eagle's iron fist is invincible.

We'll have to play at least one game to know!

Jason could see his dissatisfaction. This young man was just like him when he was young, but he lacked the experience of working on the front lines. Behind the Hawks' seemingly impressive statistics, there were already many problems!

Jason, however, was too lazy to say anything more.

Young people won't turn back until they hit a wall.

All he needs to do is use his power to intimidate people!

He changed the subject: "Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. My little prince has been praising you to me quite a bit lately. Thank you for your careful guidance in his studies."

The Little Prince?

That girl clearly wants to be a little princess!

And the way he looked at me, it was like he wanted to devour me whole!

Peter felt a chill run down his spine, but forced a humble smile: "Sir, it is my honor to share your burdens and help your child."

"Very good, go ahead and get busy."

After seeing Peter off, the smile on Jason's face vanished instantly, replaced by a deep-seated weariness and annoyance.

He picked up his phone, and an encrypted message popped up, the sender labeled "watch merchant".

The message is simple: Your little bitch is getting horny again!

"Ha, let those big shots worry about matters of state and national importance." Jason chuckled self-deprecatingly. "I'm just an ordinary intelligence gatherer."

He skillfully sent the message, "Your master will teach you today."

Then, he sent a message to his trusted subordinate, Peter: "Tonight's mission is quite important; the higher-ups have requested new leads! You might have to work overtime, so be prepared."

After handing it out, he picked up his coat, whistled, and left the office.

Meanwhile, Peter, who had just returned to his workstation, felt his phone vibrate.

When he saw the "overtime" notification from Jason, there was no surprise in his eyes, but rather a cold smile flashed across his face.

He opened another chat window and sent a message to the person whose contact was labeled "Your Highness": "[Are you free tonight? Let's go pray with the priest!]"

The other person replied almost instantly: 【Great! I'll wait for you! But I want to bring my boyfriend along!】

Peter paused, staring at the words on the screen, then frowned.

A moment later, the curve of his lips became strange!

【it is good! 】

He thought for a moment, then opened his chat window with his wife and typed a message.

Honey, I have to work overtime again tonight. Thank you for cleaning the house so much, for our future and the baby.

[Understood, darling, keep going!]

He believed that his gentle yet strong wife would understand everything he had done for the family!

It definitely will!

In Zhuhe, inside a heavily guarded office, the atmosphere was serious yet subtly tinged with excitement.

The head of foreign intelligence was standing in front of a huge screen, reporting on recent results. His voice was not loud, but every word was clear and forceful.

"—According to the latest adjustments, the transportation routes for ammunition and supplies need to be temporarily changed. We've been under a lot of pressure to maintain secrecy lately, sigh—we've cast a wide net, and many fish have come in."

"Just last week, we dealt with another group of people who were trying to gather intelligence."

As the person in charge finished speaking, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, forming a cold arc.

"One of the big fish is the person behind Eagle, whom we have been closely monitoring. Sure enough, their intelligence agents contacted the weak points we had identified through various channels."

He paused, seemingly savoring the exquisite details of the entire process.

"After a brilliant battle of wits, the other side finally bought our carefully prepared series of information for a package price of two and a half million US dollars. Now, those intelligence agents are probably having a headache over our technological advancements."

A suppressed chuckle rippled through the conference room.

Two hundred and fifty—this number is full of mockery from Eastern wisdom.

"Now, they have easily obtained the performance parameters of our latest exoskeleton and the production of the new permanent magnet motor—" the person in charge said casually, "This is enough to keep their analysts busy for several months, and then they will come to the conclusion that we are ready to fight at any time."

This was exactly the kind of intelligence the intelligence officers at the Anise Building had seen earlier, the kind that had bothered him and even made him question the meaning of life.

"Of course, these are just appetizers." The person in charge's eyes sharpened. "The real good stuff is the latest news about the nuclear fusion project, which is tucked inside."

"Our inadvertently leaked internal assessments now lead the mainstream Western intelligence agencies to believe that it will take us at least fifteen years to build a nuclear fusion demonstration reactor."

Those present laughed again.

Li Weiguo's smile was the brightest!

Intelligence work is a mix of truth and falsehood.

This is a battle of wits!

Despite the official claim of ten years, professional analysis will likely overturn the official statement and lead them to conclude that it will take twenty years. This will make them proud of their professionalism and rigor, while also relieving them of the immense pressure they feel.

However—the fact is that the University of Tokyo's original plan was to complete the construction of the demonstration reactor and attempt ignition within three years, or even within one year if all went smoothly.

It was all designed to mislead the other side into making a strategic miscalculation!

With the advent of superconducting materials in the lava world, this progress will only be faster.

Like climbing a tower with a thousand steps, the University of Tokyo has reached the nine hundred and ninety steps, but the whole world thinks they are still wandering in the middle of the mountain.

There's no way around it; even though nuclear fusion is the light of the sun and the future of humanity, it's still a possibility.

But everyone wants everyone else's experiments to fail, and for them to succeed.

Energy is an extremely important issue.

When the nuclear fusion demonstration reactor successfully ignites, the fragile economic systems of those countries that rely on energy, food, and resource exports will be the first to collapse.

At this moment, although the title of "Cthulhu" for Tokyo University of Technology is deeply ingrained in people's minds, this behemoth has weaknesses.

The most obvious weakness is its dependence on external resources.

Southeast University has a large population and scarce resources per capita, making the employment problem a serious one. Employment is crucial to stability; without resources, there is no industry, and without industry, there is no employment.

The resource and energy sector is a Damocles' sword hanging over our heads.

Once nuclear fusion solves the energy problem, the already mature technology of synthesizing starch from carbon dioxide will completely end the food crisis at an unparalleled low cost.

Military equipment industrialization, food industrialization—if we could also industrialize scarce mineral resources—

The last weakness of the University of Tokyo will be completely addressed.

At that time, no one can imagine how a vast civilization without any fatal weaknesses will move into the future.

After listening to the report, Li Weiguo, who had been silent all along, nodded slowly, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, making a steady rhythm.

"Strategic ambiguity, distraction, well done." His gaze swept over everyone present. "Let them focus all their energy on our fists, so they won't notice what a powerful heart we are rebuilding."

His voice deepened, carrying an undeniable authority.

"The purge of spies within Zhuhe must be carried out under constant pressure! This is our foundation, our future, and we cannot allow even the slightest crack to appear!"

As the meeting ended, the noise and excitement receded like the tide, and Li Weiguo walked back to his office alone.

The office's glass doors isolate it from the outside world.

Instead of a moment of peace, he was greeted by a mountain of documents that rose from his desk, even taller than when he left.

Li Weiguo loosened his collar and gave a self-deprecating laugh.

High-class oxen and horses, endless work!

He slumped back in his chair, his body sinking into the backrest, his mental exhaustion and powerlessness finding no outlet. The meticulous planning he had just devised in the meeting was once again completely worn down by the pile of complicated official business before him.

Li Weiguo picked up the top document at random and glanced at the title, and his temples began to throb.

Regarding the various anomalous figures discovered during recent New World explorations, and the potential for high-latitude pollution.

Attached to the document is an analysis submitted by Su Mingjin, highlighting the phrases "frenzy for scientific experiments," "impatience among some researchers," and "potential risks of loss of control and infection."

Li Weiguo gasped, feeling that familiar throbbing pain surge up from the depths of his brain again.

Mental distortion and pollution have always been deadly.

On Earth, there is a famous saying: "The one who slays the dragon becomes the dragon."

The same applies to another world!

The strange and unpredictable energy particles from that other world, like an invisible virus, are always a sword hanging over the heads of all those sent abroad.

The incident in which Professor Deng Dakang was almost mentally manipulated in the early stages resurfaced in Li Weiguo's mind.

Without further hesitation, he picked up his pen and wrote down an instruction in a flourish.

"Given the newly discovered latrine spacetime rift and the risk of mental infiltration and corruption from the other world, all warriors who recently rested in the other world must return to the modern world for rotation and psychological evaluation. All returning personnel must undergo in-depth psychological evaluation and observation for at least three months (crossed out) at least one month to ensure their mental state is stable and to prevent any possibility of their minds being eroded by the energy of the other world."

He paused here, the ink spreading out as a small dot on the paper.

He added the last sentence, which was also the most crucial one.

"This regulation is listed as the highest priority and will serve as a core rule! Each unit must ensure the purity of its forces and absolute loyalty to the Party! They must guarantee that their minds will not be corrupted by the special energy of this other world!"

After putting down his pen, Li Weiguo felt the pressure in his heart ease slightly.

Stability is the only thing that matters.

Especially on the eve of the University of Tokyo's switch to a nuclear fusion engine, any loosening of an internal screw could trigger a chain reaction!

He leaned back in his chair, took a short breath, and then picked up the next document.

This is the latest script compiled by Lin Li's team!

The words on the cover made Li Weiguo's brows, which had just relaxed, furrow again.

"Script code name: King of the Hills - How do dwarves from another world, who have lost their civilization, stir up trouble behind the scenes and end up severely weakening themselves?"

Li Weiguo turned on his computer and carefully read the script.

"Within the dwarven community, some dwarven clans are attempting to resolve their increasingly perilous security issues! However, they are unaware that they have fallen into a trap set by higher-dimensional beings! Later, due to a series of reasons, their tribes will suffer heavy losses?"

"In the end, the humans actually became the dwarves' angels? Saving the dwarves from danger?"

"Humanity inherited a large amount of dwarven civilization, but also suffered enormous losses?"

Upon seeing this content, Li Weiguo frowned deeply.

He checked the time and dialed Zhong Mengyao's number directly.

"When this notebook was sent to the company, did he say anything about it?"

"Well, he actually did say that. Lin Li said that the dwarf civilization he wanted to design would ultimately backfire, with the dwarves almost becoming extinct! Humanity also suffered heavy losses!"

"Okay, you continue to supervise!"

Li Weiguo hung up the phone, looked at what Lin Li had written, and remained silent for a long time.

"Will the dwarves run into problems if we do nothing? But will we also suffer heavy losses if we don't help?"

"As expected, the forces behind Lin Li have been quietly observing the situation in this other world all along!"

"Damn it, we just talked about peace! And they've already brought this upon themselves. Humans are supposed to save them? But the dwarves are doing this in the heart of their own kingdom!"

As Li Weiguo read these contents, he thought about what Lin Li had written before.

The two sides have reached a tacit understanding.

The information Lin Li emphasized was definitely related to another world.

For example, all the information that Lin Li had indirectly revealed before was verified, and humans solved a lot of problems with the help of the other party's information.

After the spacetime rift connecting to the cesspool universe appeared, Lin Li did not give them any hints, but Space Marines appeared and directly helped them solve the troubles that they saw as potentially threatening world civilization.

Therefore, the things that Lin Li suddenly produced overnight are highly authentic.

"It doesn't matter if the dwarves are heading for destruction, the real problem is that we'll also run into trouble, won't we?"

He rubbed his temples, suppressing his deductions and analysis of the dwarves' side, and opened the joint strategic analysis recently submitted by Commander Man, Commander Fu, and others.

The report's conclusions are very professional and reasonable.

"After analysis, the anomaly caused by the celestial convergence phenomenon has put enormous internal pressure on the various races of the other world! The dwarves' current declaration of peace to humanity and their withdrawal of troops are most likely because they have detected the four spacetime rifts that have appeared in the area under our control, and have mistakenly judged that we are under a large-scale invasion and are unable to look south."

"Therefore, they chose to retreat temporarily, implement a strategy of pacifying the internal situation before resisting external threats, ensure the kingdom's internal security, and consolidate internal forces."

Recommendation: Immediately expand the perimeter reconnaissance and early warning network, and build a three-dimensional defense system to ensure the absolute safety of mining areas, farms, and major resource points.

Li Weiguo took out another cigarette from the pack, lit it with a "snap," and took a deep drag.

A wisp of bluish-white smoke rose in front of him, blurring the expression on his face.

Commander Man and his team were right; from a military perspective, this was the safest course of action.

Combined with the hints given by Lin Li!

Li Weiguo exhaled a smoke ring, a smile curving his lips.

Li Weiguo picked up a pen and signed his name on the document agreeing to expand the reconnaissance network.

If the dwarves bring about their own demise, human defense will be necessary.

However, humans can certainly take some initiative in advance!

The conquerors of the dwarven civilization, though their name sounds impressive.

But powerful saviors, powerful angels, and guardians of civilizations are more likely to absorb the other side's civilization and knowledge system more quickly, win over the dwarves to their own side, establish a benchmark in the other world, and make them, and other races thereafter, support modern humans!

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