Ark Chess Player.

Rhodes Island did indeed experience a natural disaster, but it's unknown whether, as he claimed, all members of Rhodes Island were returned.

They even... defeated Talulah, the leader of the Reunion Movement.

However, there is one thing that Wei Yanwu did know.

Wei Yanwu has the authority to directly access all intelligence data of the Lungmen Guard Bureau.

The attacks launched by the Reunion Movement were ostensibly under the full responsibility of Chen Huijie, but in reality, Wei Yanwu never let his guard down.

He is a man who wields power.

How could someone who holds power possibly relinquish it so easily?

Even if the Lungmen Guard Bureau's operation here fails, Wei Yanwu has prepared a backup plan; everything is under his control.

Rhodes Island's defense operation was merely icing on the cake for Wei Yanwu, the Guard Bureau, and Lungmen, not a lifeline.

Wei Yanwu bargained, saying, "The Guard Bureau is more than capable of countering the Reunion Movement's aggression! Although Rhodes Island can offer more possibilities, there is one thing that Rhodes Island is asking for that cannot be exchanged for with the conditions it is currently offering. Even cooperation on temporary defense is completely incomparable! In comparison, Rhodes Island's demands seem somewhat unreasonable."

Lin Lu had no idea what the specifics of Kal'tsit's negotiations with Lungmen were, but he had no intention of pursuing the matter further.

Negotiation is an art, just like war. It's about leveraging your strengths and crushing the opponent's weaknesses!

“Mr. Wei, after experiencing the attack by Reunion Movement thugs tonight, you can still say such things. I suppose Lungmen has some trump cards that we don’t know about.”

Lin Lu scanned the guards hidden in the shadows from left to right, calling out their names one by one. Seeing Wei Yanwu's increasingly serious expression, he smiled.

"I can tell you with absolute certainty that Lungmen's defenses are insufficient, no matter how many trump cards you have to play. The Reunion Movement has a lot of information you don't know, and a lot of incredible power. Based on the intelligence we have obtained so far, we predict that if no proactive measures are taken, the Reunion Movement will fall into Lungmen within the next few weeks."

"That's alarmist!" Superintendent Chen resisted the urge to slam his fist on the table. "There is absolutely no evidence to suggest—"

"The evidence is already available."

Lin Lu raised his left hand and pointed at Chen Huijie.

“I believe Inspector Hoshiguma has already reported Rhodes Island’s operations to you, including… the fact that Reunion can transform living people into fearless herds. The psycho-manipulation material I entrusted to Inspector Hoshiguma has presumably been delivered to the relevant research departments in Lungmen by now. This is my sincerity, and also my first warning.”

Observing Chen Huijie's changing expression, Lawyer Lin pressed his advantage, saying, "My second warning is to tell you directly, Superintendent Chen. At the quarantine checkpoint in Lungmen's Fifth District, the Reunion Movement's suicide squad of infected individuals is clearly different from ordinary infected individuals. Just five infected individuals, despite the Lungmen Guard Bureau's prior defenses, still managed to blow up the quarantine checkpoint, causing extremely serious consequences. What if fifty infected individuals had come? What if five hundred infected individuals had come? What if all the Reunion Movement infected individuals coming to Lungmen tonight were suicide bombers?!"

"boom!"

Lin Lu clasped his hands together, laughed loudly, and made a rather pleasant onomatopoeic sound.

Chapter 191 Rhodes Island CEO

Lungmen Administrative Hall, Governor's Reception Room.

Warm lights illuminated the entire room, all the curtains were drawn, and the transparent floor-to-ceiling windows offered an unobstructed view of the beautiful scenery outside.

This is the tallest building on the outer ring of Lungmen, and also a great spot to catch a glimpse of the scenery outside the city. I wonder what Wei Yanwu's expression was when the Infected from the Reunion Movement invaded Lungmen in the form of an armed group, standing here smoking his pipe and watching the buildings outside the city turn flames.

At least, Wei Yanwu's expression now was exactly as Lin Lu had expected—an extremely forced smile.

In this huge and luxurious conference room, the two ends of the rectangular table symbolize different beliefs, each seeking an answer.

Ten minutes later, Superintendent Chen had to leave due to a series of unexpected situations that had arisen at the Lungmen Guard Bureau, and personally take charge of the front line.

Another ten minutes passed, and just as the Kingslayer was about to fall asleep, a researcher from the Lungmen-related research department frantically knocked on the door of the reception room. The visitor was extremely rude; his white lab coat was covered in dust and looked dirty, but judging from his anxious expression, he didn't seem to care.

The Longmen High-Tech Park Research Institute completed the first phase of data analysis on the mind-controlling substance, tentatively designated as "black sludge," which Inspector Hoshiguma had carefully transferred. This report was then handed to Wei Yanwu. After delivering the report, the researcher apologized profusely and left first. He was like a firefighter rushing to put out a blaze, or a student hurrying to the cafeteria after lunch break, his eyes gleaming.

Wei Yanwu casually flipped through the classified report, but before he could even finish two pages, an expression of astonishment involuntarily crossed his face, as if he had seen a ghost. Wei Yanwu's speed in flipping through the papers increased, his red eyes narrowed slightly, flashing a dangerous signal.

A faint, biting wind filled the entire reception room, and the usually cunning and deceptive Governor of Lungmen finally showed a moment of panic.

"Preliminary assessment indicates that this substance is an extremely dangerous Originium material with strong activity, retaining vigorous vitality even after being separated from its host... and exhibiting a certain degree of intelligence. During the sealed transfer process, the black mud remained as still as an inanimate object, showing no reaction whatsoever no matter how it was shaken. It wasn't until the lid of the sealing device was opened that it was like opening Pandora's box; a researcher was caught off guard and had his face covered by a jet of black mud. After a few brief seconds, the researcher became extremely agitated, vandalizing the research equipment in the institute. When the Guard Bureau members tried to stop him, the physically weak researcher, lacking exercise, unleashed an unregistered Originium Arts, resulting in two deaths and four injuries."

"The corrupted researcher has undergone [—] treatment. We have successfully removed the black mud material that had seeped into his brain from his eyes, mouth, and nose, and sealed it in an isolation chamber. We are now conducting the second phase of research. The data from the first phase confirms that these substances are... alive."

Wei Yanwu looked at the report and combined it with the new incident reported by the Lungmen Guard Bureau ten minutes earlier.

Trucks carrying the corpses of Reunion Movement infected individuals were involved in a series of accidents, and the drivers disappeared without a trace... vanishing along with the infected corpses. The abandoned trucks left behind were engulfed in flames, and the intense Originium radiation at the accident site kept the sirens blaring.

The Dragon Gate is no longer as peaceful as it used to be; something bad has slipped in.

In those brief twenty minutes, the Reunion Movement's offensive far exceeded Wei Yanwu's expectations, and his predictions were greatly wrong.

The Reunion Movement is not made up of infected individuals who can be easily bullied.

The integration movement is not composed of unarmed infected individuals.

The Integrative Movement's Oripathy-infected members donned sophisticated protective gear, armed themselves with standardized longswords, and used their own lives as bargaining chips in weighing the world's power structure.

For those who can no longer endure oppression, no matter how cruel the options before them, nothing is more despairing than having lived in hell. The infected, weapons in hand, are ready to fight, ready to die. The life of an infected is too cheap; no matter how much they wail, no one will hear them. But what if there are ten infected, a hundred infected, a thousand infected… or even a hundred thousand infected?

The integration movement is like a cluster of fires; it cannot be extinguished by wildfires, and it will spring back to life with the spring breeze.

Looking at the documents in his hand containing the declaration issued by Talulah, the leader of the Integration Movement, on the international channel, and recalling some past events... he couldn't help but sigh.

What goes around comes around.

The seeds sown in the past have now borne fruit, but it is a bitter one.

"Mr. Wei, what are your current intentions?"

Lin Lu braced his hands on the table, subtly supporting the heavy hood. This seemingly childish gesture actually reflected his extreme weakness; he was barely able to open his eyes. To maintain his imposing aura, he forcefully activated his spiritual domain, enveloping the reception room with the Dragon Witch's presence—a move that significantly depleted his mental energy. Of course, the effect was remarkable; Lin Lu completely subdued the old dragon.

“Whether from a strategic perspective or in terms of city defense, I believe the Lungmen Guard Bureau is fully capable of handling the tasks assigned to you.” Wei Yanwu casually tossed the documents onto the table as if they were a stack of waste paper.

Even as the situation rapidly deviated from its expected course, he persisted in setting up his second and third lines of defense.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that Wei Yanwu never intended to hold the first line of defense from the very beginning.

If the Lungmen Guard Bureau can take advantage of the situation to carry out a purge, why wouldn't they?

"I see."

Lin Lu tapped his fingers lightly on the table; he had lost all interest in the little dragon man in front of him.

When Lin Lu saw the information that Kal'tsit had circulated, he still had some expectations for Wei Yanwu, but he didn't expect... that he was also a know-it-all.

"In that case, then we..."

"and many more."

Lin Lu, who was about to take his leave, was about to get up and leave when, unexpectedly, the third Rhodes Island representative who had been silent all along... Amiya stood up.

From an international legal perspective, Amiya is the legal representative and CEO of Rhode Island Pharmaceuticals.

Amiya nodded to Lin Lu, then glanced at Kal'tsit. After receiving her confirmation, she resolutely turned to look at Wei Yanwu, staring directly into his imposing red eyes.

"Mr. Wei, regardless of whether this cooperation is successful or not, I believe that for the sake of the citizens of Lungmen and for those infected with Oripathy worldwide, I feel it is necessary for me to remind you of something."

“Miss Amiya, please continue. I’m listening.”

Wei Yanwu did not underestimate her because of her young age. Anyone who could face his might without fear deserved his respect.

Amiya stared directly at Wei Yanwu and said sternly, "A week has passed since the Chernobog incident, and to this day, the Ursus Empire's attitude towards the Reunion Movement... has never been expressed!"

"Mr. Wei, do you understand what this means?"

Chapter 192 Amiya's Resolve

"To this day, the Ursus Empire has never expressed its stance on the Reunion Movement."

"Mr. Wei, do you understand what this means?"

"..."

Wei Yanwu's smile suddenly vanished.

The girl's words were like an extremely sharp blade, piercing Wei Yanwu's heart in an instant, tearing out his deepest worries from his chest, leaving them bloody and extremely painful.

This quiet, seemingly delicate girl had her sights set on such a distant place.

As expected of the mastermind behind Rhodes Island, Wei Yanwu's evaluation of Amiya rose sharply, and he subconsciously narrowed his eyes.

Amiya did not avoid Wei Yanwu's rather intimidating red eyes. She took a light breath and spoke firmly.

"Chernoberg, ravaged by natural disasters, has broken free of Ursus's control. Even on the day of the Chernobog incident, the Third Army, responsible for guarding the borders of the Ursus Empire, did not send a single soldier to provide support. We once recovered weapons and armor from Reunion Movement soldiers, and by tracing back their materials and manufacturing processes, we discovered... that these were all discarded military equipment from the Ursus Empire. Military equipment, even if you just want to resell a single crossbow bolt, you need to go through the Empire's network of connections."

"...Does Rhodes Island mean that these infected thugs of the Reunion Movement are backed by the Ursus Empire military?"

Wei Yanwu asked with an innocent expression, causing Lin Lu to frown involuntarily. The surging aura of the Dragon Witch filled the surroundings with a chilling intent. Wei Yanwu was so shocked that he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and the overwhelming pressure made him breathless. His hypocritical expression quickly disappeared.

Lin cursed inwardly, "Wei Laolong, what's the point of this? My daughter is trying to talk to you nicely, and you come up here to dig a hole for me to fall into! You like to jump in, huh? Do you believe I'll just throw you off the 46th floor?"

Lin Lu's eyes were filled with murderous intent, but when Kal'tsit kicked his leg, the murderous intent that had been building up instantly dissipated.

Kal'tsit glared at him reproachfully, like a mother standing behind her child at a parent-teacher meeting, signaling her husband not to interrupt the child while he was speaking, but to observe the child's performance properly.

Lin Lu tugged at his hood, pouted, somewhat dissatisfied but helpless; his position in the family was obvious.

Wei Yanwu felt a wave of exhaustion, but he wasn't angry about it; instead, his opinion of Rhodes Island changed.

After all, using eye contact and intimidation to exert pressure is perfectly normal in negotiations. Wei Yanwu was also adept at using his advantages; it just goes to show that there are always people more capable than you.

"No, I was just sharing the information and data we obtained with Mr. Wei. No one can make a definitive conclusion before we have solid evidence."

Although Amiya is still young, under the tireless guidance of excellent adults and through her own tenacious and hardworking study, she has already developed a somewhat different perspective on things.

Wei Yanwu's probing questions were actually an attempt to extract leverage from Rhodes Island. After all, in a sense, if Amiya's words and actions were true, then the Ursus Empire's crimes of treason and harming its people would be undeniable. At that point, not only would the Ursus military need a purge, but even the current Ursus Emperor would be implicated.

Amiya, of course, would not give Wei Yanwu the answer he wanted. Unbeknownst to her, she had already skillfully used her mind-reading ability to grow into an outstanding leader.

"I believe the Reunion Movement will not be satisfied with this; they will expand their influence, and they have taken action to do so. The Reunion Movement used the communication tower in Chernobog to issue a call to the world, calling themselves an army of justice, and attempting to change the international status of the infected through the simplest and most brutal physical means. I think, whether it is Lungmen or Rhodes Island, we must first reach a consensus. The Reunion Movement has indeed recruited a large number of Oripathy infected as new soldiers, and with the growth of its population and power, a large shortage of supplies has also arisen."

Amiya stood ramrod straight, and every word she uttered was powerful and resonant.

"Chernobyl is an industrialized mobile city. Agricultural development is not its strength. Most of its food and supplies are supplied by the Ursus Empire's rear. The Reunion Movement's blind recruitment of infected will only lead to one result: Chernobyl's resources will be quickly depleted! Moreover, the city has suffered from natural disasters. No mobile city, regardless of the country, currently has no defensive facilities capable of withstanding natural disasters. This is undoubtedly adding insult to injury for resource-poor Chernobyl."

"Mr. Wei might consider this: with the constant influx of new recruits and the ever-decreasing scarcity of resources, what will these starving rioters do?"

Amiya's eyes were bright, and one could vaguely see a phantom figure behind her, a gentle yet powerful figure.

"The Reunion Movement will plunder once again, and Lungmen is their next springboard!"

Amiya didn't wait for Wei Yanwu to reply before revealing the answer directly.

The girl spoke calmly and confidently, her eyes sparkling.

A leader's qualities suddenly emerged, and Amiya quietly transformed and grew during the few days that Kal'tsit left Rhodes Island.

The pressure from the Ursus delegation once made Amiya feel suffocated. Dr. Kal'tsit, who had always been by her side and in charge of all aspects of Rhodes Island, was not there, and the Doctor was suffering from amnesia and was unaware of Rhodes Island's affairs and international situation.

Even though the doctor told Amiya that it was okay and that she could leave it to him, it didn't matter.

Amiya still finds herself unable to think or ponder the worst-case scenario, and she can't sleep at night.

If the Doctor's unauthorized rescue operation in Chernobog is misinterpreted as a connection between Rhodes Island and the Reunion Movement, Rhodes Island will only have two options: either obediently accept the unreasonable conditions of the Ursus Empire and be divided and absorbed, or truly join the Reunion Movement and become one family.

Faced with an unbearable burden, some people are completely crushed and never recover. Others, however, grow in adversity, break free of their cocoons, and transform into butterflies.

Clearly, Amiya belonged to the latter group; she withstood the pressure. She hated her own powerlessness, and she studied with all her might, so that if the same thing happened again, she could use her own strength to change the situation and protect everyone on Rhodes Island.

What we take for granted so far is actually not normal.

Dr. Kal'tsit's burden is almost drowning her, and it's time for me to share some of it; I can't leave it all to her.

The same goes for the doctor. I can't rely on the doctor for everything. I need to have complete control over the doctor and protect him.

I will not let what happened three years ago happen again.

Amiya thought to herself, she was prepared.

However, Amiya forgot one thing.

She was only fourteen years old; she was still a child, and these things shouldn't have been her responsibility.

Chapter 193 Unexpected Turn of Events (Third Update)

Amiya gazed at Wei Yanwu, organizing her thoughts in her mind, and calmly said:

"I believe that Lungmen's strength is indeed enough to stop the Reunion Movement's series of destructive actions, but if it cannot take the initiative in the future, the Reunion Movement's attacks on Lungmen will continue. Endless riots will take root and sprout in Lungmen, and this prosperous city that upholds the principle of free trade will become an isolated city."

Amiya placed her hand on the conference table, offering her final advice, which was also Rhodes Island's last chance for this collaboration.

"The Reunion Movement will not only severely damage Lungmen's stability and its international image, but also jeopardize the peaceful and tranquil lives of all Lungmen citizens. The Lungmen Guard Bureau can ensure Lungmen's survival, but it cannot guarantee the safety of every individual. Lungmen's economy will suffer an unprecedented blow, cooperation between Lungmen and other countries will decrease due to fear of losses, and all sectors of Lungmen's economy will be affected. In the face of war, no one can remain uninvolved. Lungmen's current situation is extremely dire, dangerous, and severe."

"Mr. Wei, please think it over."

Amiya sat back down in her chair, her expression unchanged, even though her clothes were soaked with sweat.