Ark Chess Player

Countless hostile gazes fell upon the Ursus delegation, and the silent pressure, like the rising tide, spread slowly, almost engulfing them.

"Don't be nervous, relax, relax."

Lin Lu spoke softly, but he wasn't speaking to Natasha; he was addressing the Rhodes Island operators who were having dinner around him.

The moment Natasha drew her sword, these experienced elite operators all turned their attention to the Ursus delegation.

This is Rhodes Island.

Something happened on this ship.

Something that these people, who have survived the Kazdel Civil War three years ago, will never forget.

That was a blood feud deep enough to reverse the flow of the ladder, a pain etched in the memories of Rhodes Island's predecessor, a hatred so intense that one wished to grind the enemy to dust.

The moment the enemy drew their weapon, the post-traumatic stress disorder of all the elite operators present collectively erupted, and everyone's nerves tensed up, instantly assuming a combat-ready stance.

"Stop fooling around, eat, eat, keep eating. If you think there's not enough food, I'll ask Operator Hibiscus to add more. You, and you, put your weapons away. They are guests, not enemies."

Lin Lu gently pressed down with his glowing left hand, and the murderous intent of the crowd vanished instantly. They turned around and continued to enjoy their breakfast, chatting and laughing, as if everything that had happened before was just an illusion.

All the members of the Ursus delegation who stood up placed their hands on their weapons; they were soldiers, and they had all been on the battlefield and killed enemies.

They had just prepared for a bloody battle, but the person in front of them nonchalantly extinguished the flames that had ignited the conflict.

Ogulo wiped the sweat streaming down his forehead without leaving a trace, trying his best to conceal the look of fear in his eyes, and quietly observed the mysterious man in the hooded robe standing in front of him.

Rhodes Island's private armed forces possess far more in-depth information than Ursus's intelligence department has gathered. These elite operators are all exceptional individuals, each capable of handling extreme individual combat. When their abilities are brought into play by a true leader, the results could be truly astonishing.

This mysterious hooded figure is the leader who can unite their power.

"Sir?"

Auguro said in a deep voice, waking Natasha from her daze.

Natasha seemed to be in a sleepwalking state before she came to her senses and sheathed the ritual sword in her hand.

When she heard Lin Lu say, "Don't be nervous, relax," her mind went blank for a moment, and she really did relax.

—What's going on here?

"Forgive my rudeness, it was my fault just now. I have a rather weak presence, and I'm ugly and easily frighten people, so I dressed like this. Please don't take offense." Lin said without batting an eye, while handing hot water to each member of the delegation to soothe their young and innocent hearts.

No one dared to say anything, after all, it was their own commander brandishing weapons on someone else's turf.

Now that the other party has taken the initiative to apologize and admit their mistake, they seem even more unreasonable, and I suddenly feel guilty and ashamed.

Auguro raised his hand and said, "You..."

"Hey bro, don't get so worked up. Drink more hot water, drink more hot water."

Just as Auguro was about to say something, he gradually lost his footing under Lin's relentless attacks.

Finally, he even lost the ability to think, swept away by Lin's merciless combo and soared into the sky, feeling somewhat elated.

Due to the psychological effect of constant contrast and misalignment, people who lack a sense of security are often attracted to people with charismatic leadership qualities... in short, the "scumbag law".

The utterly despicable Dr. Lin Lu quickly cultivated a good relationship with the Ursus delegation. He seemed able to strike up a conversation with anyone, his superb rhetoric making people unconsciously reveal information. Except for the meticulous Auguro, who was as stubborn as a rock, relying on excellent self-suggestion to keep Lin Lu's sweet talk at bay. It was as if a mental wall had been erected, an AT field.

Lin Lu smiled slightly at this, not feeling discouraged, as his plan had been basically completed.

After a safe and uneventful breakfast, Lin Lu led the Ursus delegation to the reception room.

"Look at my memory! I always forget to introduce myself. I haven't told everyone who I am yet, have I?"

In the Rhodes Island reception room, Lin Lu took the seat of honor in front of the Ursus delegation.

Her fair hands were clasped together and placed under her chin, and a cobalt blue light flashed beneath her black hooded mask.

"My name is Lin Lu, and everyone calls me Doctor. I serve as a senior manager in the Medical Department, Human Resources Department, and Logistics Department of Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., and also as the tactical commander of Rhodes Island's combat operations. Rhodes Island CEO Amiya is unwell, so I will be in full charge of external affairs with the Ursus delegation from now on."

Lin Lu's gaze swept across everyone's faces, like a sharp blade flashing with cold light, and he narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Please give me more advice."

Chapter 150 Is Black Tea Alright? (4K)

Rhode Island, meeting room.

A tense atmosphere permeated the meeting room, and even the temperature seemed to drop significantly, causing people to exhale a chilling mist.

Lin Lu smiled slightly, took out his mobile terminal in front of everyone, and casually sent a message to Kroos.

"Kroos!! If you don't turn the air conditioning in the meeting room back up from minus ten degrees to normal, I'm asking Kal'tsit for a huge discount from the purchasing center! I said it!"

"No, Doctor!!!"

After receiving a series of pleading replies from Kroos, Lin Lu calmly placed the mobile terminal on the table, raised his right hand to the Ursus delegation, and waved it gently.

“I would like to have my working conversation with you alone, Major Natasha.”

“I don’t recall ever boasting about my rank, and besides, what can’t I say in front of my subordinates? Rhodes Island… Doctor.”

Natasha slightly raised the corners of her mouth, revealing a faint smile. She was not surprised by Lin Lu's identity.

How could someone who can instantly silence all elite operators be an ordinary person?

“If you don’t want your men to be put in unnecessary danger during the upcoming conversation, I suggest they wait at the door.” Lin Lu’s gaze lingered on Natasha’s lake-green eyes, and he said sincerely, “Rest assured, within my protection, your safety will always be guaranteed, in the name of Rhodes Island.”

The subtext of this statement is that if Lin wants to protect them on Rhodes Island, then it doesn't matter if the sky falls down.

Conversely, if Lin Lu wanted to take action, the presence of the Ursus Emperor would be useless; he might even be able to kill him on the spot.

Natasha narrowed her eyes slightly; she didn't take the remark as a joke. However, the members of the delegation behind her clearly couldn't stand such an arrogant and conceited tone, but they couldn't utter a sound because subordinates couldn't kiss their superiors. They could only stare resentfully at Lin, who had been calling them brothers in the cafeteria not long ago.

"Oguro, give me the data, you and the others get out."

"Yes, sir."

Ogulo showed no negative emotions, but the calmer his expression, the more thoughts he had in mind.

As he turned to leave the meeting room and closed the door, Ogulo's gaze lingered briefly on the hooded man.

Lin Lu noticed Auguro's gaze and waved slightly at him, forcing the other to look away.

"A monster that manipulates people's hearts."

This is Auguro's assessment of the Rhodes Island doctor.

Lin Lu watched everyone leave the reception room. At this moment, only he and Natasha remained in the room, and the tense atmosphere immediately became harmonious.

Just like a blind date, the parents and relatives who are in the way leave, leaving the two people with space to be alone and cultivate their relationship.

"Would you like coffee?" Lin Lu asked. "Or tea? Is black tea the only option?"

"...No need."

Natasha was somewhat intrigued when she heard about black tea. As a noblewoman, she drank black tea almost every day before joining the army. Even on the front lines, during the most difficult times, decent military supplies would occasionally arrive, and drinking black tea was one of her few sources of relaxation and enjoyment.

But she knew that now was not the time to leisurely drink tea.

"Our purpose in coming here is clearly stated in the notification letter, and I believe that Rhodes Island should understand what it means."

Natasha sat upright directly opposite Lin Lu, presenting a formal complaint as an envoy of the Ursus Empire, exuding an imposing and chilling aura.

"Is there any direct connection between Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals and the infected incident in Chernobog, a border city of the Ursus Empire, on December 23, 1096? And what was the purpose and what actions did Rhodes Island operators take when they re-entered Chernobog on December 28, 1096?!"

"Yes, that's right." Lin Lu nodded.

"Even if you try to deny it, it's no use! Your actions have been exposed... What!?"

Natasha's eyes widened. She wondered if she had misheard. Had the other person admitted it so easily?

Lin Lu looked directly into Natasha's eyes and said, word by word, "Yes, that's right. When the Infected incident occurred within the Reunion Movement, Rhodes Island was indeed present and accomplished what you couldn't. Even though we had to fight the Reunion Movement to survive, we successfully eliminated all the enemies who stood in our way. Although it's true that most of our company's employees are Infected with Oripathy, we all know that pure violence can never resolve the situation. Unless it's a fight to the death, and one side—the Infected or the ordinary people—is completely exterminated."

“You guys…” Natasha was speechless.

“I was there at the time. I was the commander of Rhodes Island back in Chernobog. I witnessed the situation firsthand, and I carved out a path to survival for my operators. But I am not a god; my abilities are limited. I can only hold onto everything within my reach. I have no obligation to stop a war that is not mine, a war with no beneficiaries, whose only purpose is to ignite the fire in the hearts of the Infected. The actions of Reunion are by no means righteous, but this is retribution for the tyranny of Ursus.”

Just as Natasha was about to speak in her defense, Lin Lu gave her a sinister glare.

"Stop. Don't give me that nonsense about morality. It's meaningless when war comes. Now, I just want to ask you one question." Lin Lu slowly crossed his left leg over his right, raised his right hand, and pointed at Natasha, asking, "Chernobyl is the territory of the Ursus Empire, and the citizens of Chernobyl are the people of Ursus. Where were the Ursus soldiers who defended their homeland at that time? Where was Major Natasha Andreyevich Rostova, an Ursus soldier?"

"I……"

Under Lin Lu's ferocious onslaught, Natasha was like a leaf swaying on a lake, drifting with the current.

She couldn't refute it, nor could she find any reason to defend herself, because the other party had simply stated the facts in a straightforward manner.

"Natasha Andreyevich Rostova joined the army at the age of sixteen and has now served for twelve years. When she first went into battle, she was a logistics soldier, specifically responsible for managing the armory. She was not proficient in Originium Arts and had only a superficial understanding of military strategy. She had nothing but an indomitable fighting spirit, but no other special skills. If you had to summarize your early days in four words, you would be unremarkable."

Lin Lu paused for a moment, then continued, "It is precisely you who personally experienced the harshest decade of the Ursus military campaign. Yan Kingdom, Victoria, the Colombian Federation, Casimir, Sami... During these ten years, the Ursus Empire's iron cavalry spread the flames of war across the Terra land. Despite being besieged by a multinational alliance, they still possessed abundant military resources. All of this was the glory defended by the former Ursus emperor and the Ursus soldiers."

Lin Lu casually picked up a book and, looking at the blank pages, said in a deep voice, "Major Natasha, even though your rank is only major, you are still known by many soldiers as the Valkyrie of the North. You survived four wars in this brutal environment, a truly remarkable feat. If this is luck, then fate is practically synonymous with you. How many generals can fight for twelve years like you, undefeated in every battle?"

"...Why do you know me so well? What else is written in your book?"

Natasha stared at Lin Lu suspiciously, feeling as if she were completely naked in front of him, with no secrets left.

Lin Lu smiled slightly, closed the blank notebook, and put it away without explanation.

Actually, he wanted to proudly tell those who mistakenly thought he, Lin, was just a simple old pervert, that they were still too young! Hey, clothes! You still need to learn more positions.

Last night, Lin Lu spent a wonderful night in the spa area. He wasn't just enjoying the Valkyrie Natasha's beautiful body; he was doing something good! Doing something practical! Doing something meaningful!

Lin Lu created real value through his hard work. His data-driven spiritual domain received all of Natasha's information, practically controlling her personal data and seeing everything about her. Indeed, when Natasha was in a state of blissful unconsciousness, Lin Lu, in a state of sage-like wisdom, carried her to the bath.

After all, you still need to wash off essential oils after applying them all over your body two hours later, otherwise it will look like you've applied an oily mod to Monster Hunter.

—Okay, so it seems that Lin is indeed a pervert, and those who understand him are also perverts.

However, it was precisely because he understood the other party's character that Lin Lu abandoned his next plan and chose to confront them directly. Otherwise, according to the training manual that Lin Lu had prepared for a whole week, he was confident that by the time the Ursus delegation left, their bodies and minds would have turned into the shape of Rhodes Island.

"I've had the privilege of learning about your fighting style. When food supplies are low, you launch blitzkriegs, prioritizing the plunder of resources. You swiftly crush cities that other generals would struggle for months to conquer, but you don't linger or leave troops to guard the spoils. Instead, you rapidly move on to the next location, sweeping through mobile cities with overwhelming force. When your army has sufficient supplies, you launch an even more ferocious offensive, leaving those enemy executives who once bribed you to buy time dumbfounded. You're like a machine that never stops; your strategy seems to always boil down to one word: recklessness. How did you manage that? Reckless for twelve years, recklessly conquering half of Terra, and becoming plump and healthy from it all."

"...Are you praising me or insulting me?"

Natasha said unhappily, her expression gradually turning cold.

She cursed inwardly, "What's the Ursus Intelligence Department doing with their secrecy?!"

How did they find out about even this? Did they even reveal my period to Rhodes Island?!

—In fact, yes, Lin Lu did indeed have information about Natasha, including her sensitive points.

"Of course this is praise. Surviving on the battlefield is a victory, isn't that right?"