Ark Chess Player.

"Your Rhodes Island representatives have already made contact with Commander Wei and are waiting here. I will inform you in a moment."

Standing in front of the reception room of the Lungmen administrative building, Chen spoke in a deep voice to the Rhodes Island group.

She knocked on the door, and only stepped inside after hearing a call from inside.

As soon as the door closed, Lin Lu, who was barely able to open his eyes, swayed. Fortunately, the King Killer reacted in time and grabbed Lin Lu's arm, preventing him from falling to the ground.

"Doctor! Are you alright?!"

Amiya asked nervously, gripping Lin Lu's left hand with concern.

"It's nothing, just a little tired."

Lin Lu shook his head; in reality, he was in a terrible state. Maintaining the form of a Heroic Spirit for an extended period was a huge burden on him. He felt as if his Cost value had been stolen, constantly decreasing without effective replenishment. It would be both laughable and lamentable if there were operators like this who consumed so much funding in the future.

"Doctor, in that case, let's leave the rest of the negotiations to Dr. Kal'tsit! Please trust her!"

Amiya's eyes shone brightly as she gripped Lin Lu's hand tightly, wanting to convey this belief to him.

"Then, thank you for your trouble."

Lin Lu slowly reduced the spiritual domain that had been continuously expanding and covering the entire Longmen Administrative Hall to a radius of five meters around it, reducing the burden.

When he arrived at the Lungmen Administrative Hall, he noticed that there were many mysterious people dressed in black raincoats and black straw hats watching and observing them from the hidden shadows.

In terms of strength, these black-clad guards possess considerable power, far exceeding that of ordinary Lungmen Guard officers. Instead of using this force against the Reunion Movement's infected, they are kept hidden in the rear. This is presumably to avoid detection, serving as Lungmen's trump card.

Lin Lu slowly exhaled, held his breath, and calmed his aura to adjust his state.

Only at times like this would he realize how useful the bulky hood on his head was, allowing him to speak to people with his eyes closed without being detected.

"come in."

Superintendent Chen opened the door and, after receiving permission, greeted the Rhodes Island staff.

"Dr. Kelsey!"

Amiya couldn't help but smile broadly when she saw Dr. Kal'tsit, whom she hadn't seen for many days.

Even though she had done a lot of good things for the Doctor these past few days while Dr. Kal'tsit was away, adjusting the Doctor's physical and mental condition, she still couldn't help but rely on Kal'tsit.

On the other side, the Kingslayer silently stared at Kal'tsit, her expression complex, the emoticons on her mask revealing her thoughts.

Even though their last meeting was in a private ward on Rhodes Island, Lyudmila still harbors resentment towards Kal'tsit to this day.

She didn't readily believe what Kal'tsit told her, but she was willing to use her own eyes and her own heart to judge whether Director Kal'tsit was lying.

"Amiya... Doctor, you've arrived."

A slight warmth appeared on Kal'tsit's icy face as she gazed at the Kingslayer hiding behind Lin Lu and smiled helplessly.

"..."

Lin Lu stared intently at Kal'tsit's face; she looked much more haggard than she had seen in the past few days.

No matter how well Kal'tsit disguises herself, no matter how confident she is during negotiations, she will still feel tired.

To protect Rhodes Island's interests, Kal'tsit will not back down an inch.

Even when facing powerful politicians and businessmen, she must stand firm in her position and never compromise.

The pressure Kal'tsit faced during negotiations was no less than that Lin Lu's experience commanding operators on the battlefield. In comparison, things that can be resolved with pure force are perhaps the easiest things to resolve in the world.

"Ahem." Chen coughed lightly, indicating that now was not the time for Rhodes Island to have a gathering and chat. "Commander Wei, the other two representatives from Rhodes Island have also arrived."

"Please have a seat, everyone. Just now, Miss Kal'tsit was explaining the current situation to me."

Wei Yanwu's deep voice conveyed composure, and combined with his persuasive speaking skills, even a simple greeting exuded a strong sense of pressure.

Lin Lu slowly turned his head, gazing calmly at the Governor of Longmen.

He saw a "dragon".

She had shoulder-length, bright orange hair, fiery red antlers, pale blue cow ears, and a carefully groomed tuft of goat's beard beneath her mouth. She wore a magnificent Hanfu from the Yan Kingdom over a black leather jacket, and exquisite black leather boots on her feet. Her fiery red tail swept back and forth like flames.

Compared to the human being, Wei Yanwu is like a dragon in human skin.

However, the reason why Wei Yanwu looks like this is because his ancestral bloodline accounts for too much of his features, resulting in a phenomenon of atavism.

Wei Yanwu stared back at Lin Lu with bloodshot eyes. His sharp gaze could make ordinary people tremble with fear and unease. For a moment, the oxygen in the reception room seemed to thin.

Above ten thousand people, second only to one person.

Wei Yanwu, who ruled a mobile economic city-state with independent trade, was a man of high status. He could easily decide the fate of many people with just a word.

Wei Yanwu had almost forgotten what fear felt like, but at this moment, panic gripped him. Those golden eyes guided him, making it impossible for him to look away, filling him with unease, sending chills down his spine, and letting him know…

There are people outside people, and there are days outside the sky.

Chapter 189 Just Based on Me (Fourth Update)

"Commander Wei?"

Superintendent Chen frowned and gave a reminder.

"—Hmm." Wei Yanwu withdrew his gaze, only managing to snap out of his helpless, palpitating state after Chen's reminder. His back was drenched in sweat despite the cold weather, and his hand holding the pipe trembled unconsciously; he hadn't felt this way in a long time.

In front of Wei Yanwu, the Rhodes Island representative quietly gazed in his direction, as if their eyes had just met by chance.

Wei Yanwu hadn't felt this overwhelming sense of powerlessness for many years; his gaze was just like that of the current Emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty.

The people of Rhodes Island are no ordinary people.

Unaware that the Doctor had already helped her vent her anger, Kal'tsit said, "Then I'll continue. I think Mr. Wei is already very clear about the current situation. Lungmen's intelligence network is collecting a lot of information about the Reunion Movement every day, so they must be taking this matter very seriously. However, even with that, Lungmen still lacks some key information."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the reception room felt a solemn and imposing aura.

Senior Superintendent Chen Huijie, head of the Lungmen Special Inspectorate Task Force, stared at Kal'tsit, a silent sense of oppression rising within him.

A straightforward person like Kal'tsit would never waste precious time on unnecessary roundabout ways just to consider the other person's feelings.

"Excuse my bluntness," Kal'tsit said bluntly from the other end of the conference table, "Lungmen's current emergency response measures are simply ineffective, a fact that the Lungmen Guard Bureau is well aware of. Reunion is not a lawless child who will obediently comply with regulations, and they certainly won't wait for the authorities to react before taking action! Tonight's raid by Reunion is the best proof of that. Without Rhodes Island's assistance, Lungmen's current strategy for dealing with the infected will result in enormous losses."

Superintendent Chen frowned; Kal'tsit's words were tantamount to negating the efforts of the Lungmen Guard Bureau.

She raised her hand to indicate, "Excuse me, but I need to interject. The Lungmen Guard Bureau knows more about Lungmen's defenses than Rhodes Island or any other corporation. We have also made preparations for the Reunion Movement's infiltration. However, Lungmen is not currently obligated to inform Rhodes Island of its plans for related classified operations."

Kal'tsit was unmoved and resorted to Lin's favorite tactic—to let the facts speak for themselves.

"In that case, Commander Chen, could you please comment on the Lungmen Guard's handling of tonight's Reunion Movement organized thug attack? Was it appropriate?" Kal'tsit's face was frosty. She had never been particularly likable, nor did she need to please anyone. "Based on Rhodes Island's current experience, only the Infected can better combat the Infected."

"you--"

Mr. Chan was speechless, and she could not refute him either.

Indeed, Lungmen has extensive experience dealing with unarmed infected; otherwise, a wealthy young man wouldn't have risen to power so easily within the Guard Bureau. However, this was the first time they'd witnessed such a scene: the Reunion Movement's thugs launching a siege in the form of a full-blown war. With nearly a thousand people locked in armed combat, the Lungmen Guard Bureau, already overwhelmed, had to redeploy most of its personnel to the affluent areas. If Chen Huijie hadn't personally overseen the operation, few inspectors would likely have been able to hold them off.

Not only that, the main force of the Reunion Movement is concentrated in the outer ring of the Fourth District, which is guarded by Rhodes Island. If it weren't for Rhodes Island, the Land of the Fallen would probably have already fallen. A large number of Reunion Movement soldiers would have stormed into Lungmen, and the anti-infiltration measures prepared by the Guard Bureau would have been rendered ineffective, rendering everything just empty talk.

"Only those who are infected can better fight against other infected individuals?"

Wei Yanwu narrowed his eyes slightly; he had seen a lot and understood a lot.

"So, has Rhodes Island gained any effective experience from its operations against the Reunion Movement?" Wei Yanwu steered the conversation. Negotiations are all about momentum; once that momentum is broken, there's no point in continuing the discussion. "I heard that Rhodes Island returned to Chernobog a few days after the Chernobog incident and gathered a lot of other intelligence from there."

This is a trap.

The trap set by Wei Yanwu.

The fact that the Ursus Empire delegation came to Rhodes Island was naturally known to Lungmen through its extensive intelligence network.

“No matter where Mr. Wei got this information from, it’s not information that we can exchange with Lungmen at this stage.” Kal’tsit didn’t fall for it. Even though she was very tired, she forced herself to stay clear-headed. “This is just a resume, the qualification that allows Rhodes Island to stand here and talk to Mr. Wei.”

"It's Lungmen that decides whether or not to make a deal with you!" Wei Yanwu pressed his advantage, already having made his decision, but simply raising the stakes. "If Rhodes Island can't even provide this level of information, why should Lungmen cooperate with you?"

"Just me."

Such arrogant words would never come from Kal'tsit's mouth.

"PhD?!"

Amiya looked at Lin Lu, who had somehow appeared beside Kal'tsit, and felt a little flustered. The Doctor had just agreed to let Kal'tsit have full authority to negotiate.

What are you doing?

Kal'tsit frowned; clearly, what Lin Lu had just said was a taboo in negotiations, and individualism was unacceptable.

Lin Lu gently placed his hand on her shoulder and smiled, "Leave the rest to me, you can rest for a bit."

"You... Law, what are you doing?!"

Kal'tsit wanted to complain, but then she saw Lin Lu's bulging breasts and the unnatural contours of her waist, plus Lin Lu's voice... such a clear and pleasant female voice. She immediately realized that Lin Lu's current state was clearly beyond what was expected.

"The Rhodes Island representative is really capable. Do you think you can get Lungmen to recognize Rhodes Island by yourself?"

Wei Yanwu said in a deep voice, but he never dared to look at Lin Lu. Once his eyes met Lin Lu's, he would feel a heart-pounding, powerless panic.

"On the day of the Chernobog incident, I took full command of Rhodes Island's military. We not only killed more than two hundred Reunion members in Chernobog, but we also survived a natural disaster. We fought against the leaders of Reunion, and we—defeated the leaders of Reunion."

"I went to the fallen Chernobog alone. I blew up the entire upper town, blew it all apart, and came back alive and kicking."

"This time, the Reunion Movement launched a thousand-person attack, with over four hundred people launching an offensive against the Rhodes Island ship docking area in Lofty State. The Lungmen Guard Bureau can contact Inspector Hoshiguma and the Lungmen Guard Bureau's Fourth Squad to confirm whether the defensive positions are under the full command of Rhodes Island. With a score of one to forty, we won, and none of us were killed."

Lin Lu placed his hands on Kal'tsit's shoulders, his gleaming golden eyes staring directly at Wei Yanwu.

His will to command the dragons surged forth, and a kingly aura descended from the sky.

"With me on Rhodes Island, victory is assured."

Chapter 190 Making money is business, it's not shameful (Fifth update)

Arrogant, rampant, domineering, and tyrannical, Lin Lu's words and actions in the reception room could even be described as... insane.

The atmosphere in the reception room instantly became tense, and Wei Yanwu involuntarily clenched his pipe, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.

Under Lin Lu's spiritual perception, he could clearly see that four guards in black raincoats had silently occupied the entrance to the reception room, each with their hands on their weapons.

"law……"

Kal'tsit wanted to say something, but Lin Lu gently patted her shoulder, telling her to rest quietly.

"Lungmen cannot trust Rhodes Island, which is also a group of infected people."

The one who broke the deadlock was Superintendent Chen, whose gaze was sharp and whose tone was cold.

She also felt the pressure from Lin Lu, but unlike Wei Yanwu, she didn't experience that heart-wrenching pain.

"Mr. Wei neither demands that Rhodes Island take a clear stance, nor does he doubt Rhodes Island's loyalty to the mission. If Superintendent Chen believes that the safety of Lungmen is less important than the blind punishment of the Infected, then this cooperation is best left undiscussed." Lin Lu's lips curled into a wide smile, barely managing to suppress the Avenger's instinctive maniacal laughter. "When the inferno engulfs Lungmen, when the Cataclysmic meteors fall, I will light a cigar on the charred ruins, silently lamenting the loss of this once glorious jewel of Terra." Lin Lu said calmly, "I sincerely hope you can understand one thing: this time, Lungmen has no other choice."

"Is that so? I hope Rhodes Island hears this clearly too." Superintendent Chen suppressed the anger welling up inside him. "Lungmen is neither a city that rejects goodwill because someone speaks rudely, nor is it a charity that shelters useless lobbyists!"

"Officer Chen."

Wei Yanwu shouted sharply, to avoid a complete falling out between them.

Wei Yanwu is a businessman, and so is the representative of Rhodes Island.

There are two kinds of businessmen: one is an unqualified businessman who never profits and never achieves anything significant.

Another type of businessman talks about morality, but his heart is full of business. His only goal is profit. He considers it a matter of course to have money, and he treats it like a fart if he doesn't have money.

Making money is business, it's not shameful.

Moreover, judging from the other party's fearless attitude, it is clear that Rhodes Island is confident that Lungmen will agree to this cooperation.

"Commander Wei, I don't think it's appropriate to involve an infected organization in Lungmen's classified affairs and deal with another infected organization," Chen Huijie said sternly. She was almost saying what she really thought: who knows if Rhodes Island and the Reunion Movement are connected!

Chen's gaze remained fixed on the Kingslayer, who seemed to be dozing off because she couldn't understand what the people around her were saying. Her intuition as a police superintendent told her that she had seen this person somewhere before... That's right, she had seen her on an international wanted poster! Even with a change of clothes, she couldn't hide her killer aura!

If the timing hadn't been so inappropriate, Chen Huijie would have taken immediate action to arrest the king killer. How could Longmen allow such a person to go unpunished?!

“Calm down, Officer Chen, they are guests,” Wei Yanwu shouted. “—My guests.”

"..."

Chen crossed his arms over his chest, forcibly suppressing his impatience.

Wei Yanwu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Only after Chen's stern face did he have the opportunity to play the good cop.

The child's temper was also under his control. As the executive officer, Wei Yanwu would make use of all the resources—even if it meant using himself as a pawn.

"Rest assured, Rhodes Island folks, I respect any potential partners."

Wei Yanwu declined to comment on Lin Lu's first two points, as even he couldn't possibly know the specifics of what happened on the day of the Chernobog Incident. However, according to the intelligence received by Lungmen from Chernobog survivors, a natural disaster did indeed strike that day, paralyzing this mobile city-state of Chernobog in the wasteland.